Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 27

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

उच्चैःश्रवसमश्वानां विद्धि माममृतोद्भवम् ।
ऐरावतं गजेन्द्राणां नराणां च नराधिपम् ॥

Transliteration

uccaiḥśravasamaśvānāṃ viddhi māmamṛtodbhavam .
airāvataṃ gajendrāṇāṃ narāṇāṃ ca narādhipam ॥

Meaning

Among horses know Me to be Ucchaihshravas, born of the nectar; among lordly elephants, Airavata; and among men, the king.

Word meanings

उच्चैःश्रवसम् – Ucchaihshravas, Indra’s horse
अश्वानाम् – among horses
विद्धि – know
माम् – Me
अमृतोद्भवम् – born along with the nectar (from the churning of the ocean)
ऐरावतम् – Airavata, Indra’s elephant
गजेन्द्राणाम् – among lordly elephants
नराणाम् – among men
च – and
नराधिपम् – the ruler of men, the king

Anvaya (word order)

अश्वानाम् अमृतोद्भवम् उच्चैःश्रवसं, गजेन्द्राणाम् ऐरावतं, नराणां च नराधिपं मां विद्धि ।

Explanation

Two of the glories in this verse come from the famous story of the churning of the ocean. When the gods and asuras churned the ocean of milk to obtain the nectar of immortality, using Mount Mandara as the churning rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope, fourteen treasures emerged: poison, Lakshmi, Kamadhenu, Ucchaihshravas, Airavata, the Kaustubha gem, the parijata tree, the moon, Dhanvantari, the nectar and others. The word amritodbhavam, ‘born with the nectar’, points to this.

Ucchaihshravasam ashvanam, ‘among horses I am Ucchaihshravas’, a divine white horse, said to have seven heads, which became Indra’s mount. The name means ‘high-eared’ or ‘of lofty fame’. In speed, strength and beauty he excels all horses.

Airavatam gajendranam, ‘among lordly elephants I am Airavata’. Airavata too rose from the churning: a white, four-tusked celestial elephant who became Indra’s mount, a symbol of strength, patience and royal dignity. Shankara notes that having arisen with the nectar marks the divine origin of both.

Naranam cha naradhipam, ‘among men I am the king’. In Indian tradition a righteous king is regarded as the Lord’s representative, for he protects the people, administers justice and upholds dharma. The Lord’s ruling power is manifest in him. But this glory belongs to the righteous ruler, a Rama, Janaka or Yudhishthira. In a tyrant there is not divinity but its misuse.

Context

Verse 26 named glories in the ashvattha, Narada, Chitraratha and Kapila. This verse names them among horses, elephants and men. In the next verse Krishna names the thunderbolt among weapons, Kamadhenu among cows, Kandarpa among progenitors and Vasuki among serpents.

Life lesson

Treasures usually emerge through effort and churning, as jewels rose from the ocean. See life’s struggles as a churning from which nectar will finally come. Whoever holds authority or leadership should treat it as a sacred trust from God and use it righteously.

Key terms

Ucchaihshravas: Indra’s divine white horse
Airavata: Indra’s divine white elephant
Amritodbhava: born with the nectar from the churning of the ocean
Naradhipa: ruler of men, the righteous king
Samudra-manthana: the churning of the ocean of milk for the nectar