Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 30

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां कालः कलयतामहम् ।
मृगाणां च मृगेन्द्रोऽहं वैनतेयश्च पक्षिणाम् ॥

Transliteration

prahlādaścāsmi daityānāṃ kālaḥ kalayatāmaham .
mṛgāṇāṃ ca mṛgendro.ahaṃ vainateyaśca pakṣiṇām ॥

Meaning

Among the daityas I am Prahlada; among reckoners I am Time; among beasts I am the lion, king of animals; and among birds I am Garuda, son of Vinata.

Word meanings

प्रह्लादः – Prahlada
च – and
अस्मि – I am
दैत्यानाम् – among the daityas, sons of Diti
कालः – Time
कलयताम् – among reckoners, among subduers
अहम् – I
मृगाणाम् – among beasts
च – and
मृगेन्द्रः – king of beasts, the lion
अहम् – I
वैनतेयः – son of Vinata, Garuda
च – and
पक्षिणाम् – among birds

Anvaya (word order)

दैत्यानां प्रह्लादः च अस्मि, कलयताम् अहं कालः (अस्मि), मृगाणां च अहं मृगेन्द्रः, पक्षिणां च वैनतेयः (अस्मि) ।

Explanation

Prahladash chasmi daityanam, ‘among the daityas I am Prahlada’. This glory is deeply meaningful. The daityas are sons of Diti, usually regarded as enemies of the gods. Prahlada was the son of the daitya king Hiranyakashipu, a bitter foe of Vishnu. Yet the boy Prahlada was a supreme devotee from birth. His father had him thrown from a cliff, trampled by elephants, poisoned and placed in fire on the lap of Holika, yet his devotion never wavered. At last the Lord burst from a pillar as Narasimha and protected His devotee. The message is that birth and family are no barrier to devotion, a living example of 9.32.

Kalah kalayatam aham, ‘among reckoners I am Time’. Kalayatam has two senses: those who count, and those who subdue or bring to an end. Of all measures time is the subtlest and most pervasive; moments, days, years and ages are all counted by it. Shankara says time reckons everything and ends every life-span. In chapter 11 the Lord will declare, ‘I am Time, destroyer of worlds.’

Mriganam cha mrigendro ’ham, ‘among beasts I am the lion’, king of the forest, fearless, radiant and dignified. The Lord took the lion’s form as Narasimha, so it is a lovely touch that Prahlada and the lion appear in the same verse.

Vainateyash cha pakshinam, ‘among birds I am Vainateya’, Garuda, son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata, Vishnu’s mount and the emblem on His banner. To free his mother from bondage he brought the nectar from heaven; his devotion to his mother, his strength and his speed are celebrated. He is also regarded as a symbol of the Vedas, on whose wings the Lord is borne.

Context

Verse 29 named glories in Ananta, Varuna, Aryaman and Yama. This verse names Prahlada, Time, the lion and Garuda. In the next verse Krishna names the wind among purifiers, Rama among wielders of weapons, the makara among water creatures and the Ganga among rivers.

Life lesson

Prahlada teaches that even a hostile family and adverse circumstances cannot stop true devotion. Treat time as a divine glory and use it well. Take up the fearlessness of the lion and the spirit of service of Garuda.

Key terms

Prahlada: son of Hiranyakashipu, supreme devotee
Kala: Time, the reckoner and ender of all
Mrigendra: king of beasts, the lion
Vainateya (Garuda): son of Vinata, Vishnu’s mount
Daitya: sons of Diti