Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 23

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम् ।
वसूनां पावकश्चास्मि मेरुः शिखरिणामहम् ॥

Transliteration

rudrāṇāṃ śaṅkaraścāsmi vitteśo yakṣarakṣasām .
vasūnāṃ pāvakaścāsmi meruḥ śikhariṇāmaham ॥

Meaning

Among the Rudras I am Shankara; among the yakshas and rakshasas I am Kubera, lord of wealth; among the Vasus I am Agni, the purifier; and among peaked mountains I am Meru.

Word meanings

रुद्राणाम् – among the Rudras
शङ्करः – Shankara, the auspicious Shiva
च – and
अस्मि – I am
वित्तेशः – lord of wealth, Kubera
यक्षरक्षसाम् – among yakshas and rakshasas
वसूनाम् – among the Vasus
पावकः – the purifier, fire
च – and
अस्मि – I am
मेरुः – Mount Meru
शिखरिणाम् – among peaked mountains
अहम् – I

Anvaya (word order)

रुद्राणां शङ्करः च अस्मि, यक्षरक्षसां वित्तेशः (अस्मि), वसूनां पावकः च अस्मि, शिखरिणाम् अहं मेरुः (अस्मि) ।

Explanation

Rudranam shankarash chasmi, ‘among the Rudras I am Shankara’. The Puranas speak of eleven Rudras, powers of dissolution and transformation; Shankara is foremost among them. The name means ‘one who makes sham, welfare’. The Rudra form looks fearsome, yet within it lies the benevolent Shankara. Destruction too clears the way for new creation, and so is finally a blessing. This vibhuti also reflects the unity of the Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions.

Vittesho yaksha-rakshasam, ‘among the yakshas and rakshasas I am the lord of wealth’, Kubera. Kubera is god of riches and king of the yakshas, ruling from Alakapuri. He was Ravana’s half-brother but, unlike Ravana, remained righteous and is regarded as a friend of Shiva. Yakshas and rakshasas are usually associated with greed for wealth and power, but Kubera is wealth’s righteous guardian; that is his distinction.

Vasunam pavakash chasmi, ‘among the Vasus I am Pavaka’, fire. The eight Vasus are Dhara (earth), Anala (fire), Ap (water), Anila (wind), Dhruva, Soma, Pratyusha and Prabhasa. Fire is called pavaka, the purifier, because it cleanses whatever enters it. Fire is also the carrier who bears the offerings of sacrifice to the gods.

Meruh shikharinam aham, ‘among peaked mountains I am Meru’. In Puranic cosmology Meru (Sumeru) is the golden mountain at the centre of the universe, around which the sun, moon and planets revolve and on which the worlds of the gods rest. It symbolises stability, height and centrality, as the Lord is the unmoving centre of all.

Context

Verse 22 named glories in the Vedas, gods, senses and consciousness. This verse names them among the Rudras, yakshas and rakshasas, Vasus and mountains. In the next verse Krishna names Brihaspati among priests, Skanda among generals and the ocean among waters.

Life lesson

What seems harsh or fearsome may hide great good, as Shankara within Rudra. Use wealth righteously, as Kubera does. Like fire, purify whatever comes in contact with you, and like Meru stand unmoved in your values.

Key terms

Rudra: the eleven deities of dissolution
Shankara: the auspicious one, Shiva
Kubera (Vittesha): lord of wealth, king of yakshas
Vasu: eight deities: earth, fire, water, wind and others
Meru: the golden mountain at the centre of the cosmos