Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 32

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन ।
अध्यात्मविद्या विद्यानां वादः प्रवदतामहम् ॥

Transliteration

sargāṇāmādirantaśca madhyaṃ caivāhamarjuna .
adhyātmavidyā vidyānāṃ vādaḥ pravadatāmaham ॥

Meaning

Of all creations I am the beginning, the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Among sciences I am the science of the Self, and among those who debate I am the reasoned discussion that seeks truth.

Word meanings

सर्गाणाम् – of creations
आदिः – beginning
अन्तः – end
च – and
मध्यम् – middle
च – and
एव – also
अहम् – I
अर्जुन – O Arjuna
अध्यात्मविद्या – the science of the Self
विद्यानाम् – among sciences
वादः – vada, truth-seeking discussion
प्रवदताम् – among debaters
अहम् – I

Anvaya (word order)

अर्जुन, सर्गाणाम् आदिः अन्तः च मध्यं च एव अहम् (अस्मि); विद्यानाम् अध्यात्मविद्या, प्रवदताम् अहं वादः (अस्मि) ।

Explanation

‘Of creations I am the beginning, the end and the middle.’ In verse 20 Krishna said He is the beginning, middle and end of bhutas, living beings; here He says the same of sargas, the whole of creation, inert and living alike. Shankara points out the difference: there the subject was conscious beings, here it is the entire creation. Golden ornaments are made, worn and melted down, but the gold remains throughout, beginning, middle and end.

Adhyatma-vidya vidyanam, ‘among sciences I am the science of the Self’. The world has many sciences: mathematics, natural science, art, medicine, politics. All are useful but incomplete in themselves, for they know the outer world but not the knower. The knowledge of the Self and the Supreme is foremost because, as Shankara says, it alone leads to liberation. The Mundaka Upanishad calls it para vidya, the higher knowledge by which the Imperishable is known, and all else apara vidya.

Vadah pravadatam aham, ‘among debaters I am vada’. Indian logic distinguishes three kinds of discussion: jalpa, arguing only to win; vitanda, merely refuting the other without stating one’s own view; and vada, in which both sides reason impartially solely to determine the truth. Shankara says vada is the best of the three because its aim is truth, not victory.

This glory is especially relevant today. When we argue, our aim is often to defeat the other person. Krishna shows that honest discussion in search of truth is what is divine.

Context

Verse 31 named glories in the wind, Rama, the makara and the Ganga. This verse names the beginning, middle and end of creation, the science of the Self and truth-seeking discussion. In the next verse Krishna names the letter A, the dvandva compound, imperishable time and the all-facing sustainer.

Life lesson

All sciences are useful, but incomplete without knowledge of the Self; give some time each day to knowing yourself. In discussion, seek truth rather than victory; that is the divinity of vada.

Key terms

Sarga: creation
Adhyatma-vidya: knowledge of the Self and the Supreme, the higher knowledge
Vada: impartial discussion aimed at truth
Jalpa and vitanda: arguing to win, and mere refutation: lower forms of debate