śrī-bhagavān uvāca
hanta te kathayiṣyāmi
divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ
prādhānyataḥ kuru-śreṣṭha
nāsty anto vistarasya me
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 10.19
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Yes, I will tell you of My splendorous manifestations, but only of those which are prominent, O Arjuna, for My opulence is limitless.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
It is not possible to comprehend the greatness of Krishna and His opulences. The senses of the individual soul are limited and do not permit him to understand the totality of Krishna’s affairs. Still the devotees try to understand Krishna, but not on the principle that they will be able to understand Krishna fully at any specific time or in any state of life. Rather, the very topics of Krishna are so relishable that they appear to the devotees as nectar. Thus the devotees enjoy them. In discussing Krishna’s opulences and His diverse energies, the pure devotees take transcendental pleasure. Therefore they want to hear and discuss them. Krishna knows that living entities do not understand the extent of His opulences; He therefore agrees to state only the principal manifestations of His different energies. The word pradhanyatah (“principal”) is very important because we can understand only a few of the principal details of the Supreme Lord, for His features are unlimited. It is not possible to understand them all. And vibhuti, as used in this verse, refers to the opulences by which He controls the whole manifestation. In the Amara-kosa dictionary it is stated that vibhuti indicates an exceptional opulence.
The impersonalist or pantheist cannot understand the exceptional opulences of the Supreme Lord nor the manifestations of His divine energies. Both in the material world and in the spiritual world His energies are distributed in every variety of manifestation. Now Krishna is describing what can be directly perceived by the common man; thus part of His variegated energy is described in this way.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Oh (hanta), out of mercy, I will tell about these vibhutis. I will speak of the chief ones, because there is no end to their number. Vibhutayah is used for vibhutih (feminine plural accusative). These vibhutis are excellent (divya), not like grass or bricks. The word vibhuti includes both material and spiritual manifestations of power of the Lord. Because they all arise from the sakti of the Lord, they should all be considered as worthy of meditation as forms of the Lord, though some are preferable to others.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
10.19 The Lord said — O Arjuna, I shall tell you My auspicious manifestations — those that are prominent among these. The term ‘Pradhanya’ connotes pre-eminence. For it will be said, ‘Know Me to be the chief among family priests’ (10.24). I shall declare to you those that are prominent in the world. For it would not be possible to tell or listen to them in detail, because there is no limit to them. To be a Vibhuti, the manifestation referred to should be under the control of the Lord; because it is stated: ‘He who in truth knows this supernal manifestation and the seat of auspicious attributes’ (10.7), after listing the various kinds of mental dispositions like intelligence etc., of all beings. Similarly it has been stated there that ‘being the creator etc.,’ is meant by the term Yoga, and that their ‘being actuated,’ meant by the term Vibhuti. Again it is stated: ‘I am the origin of all; from me proceed everything; thinking thus, the wise worship Me with all devotion’ (10.8). Sri Krsna clearly declares that he rules over all creatures by actuating them from within as their Self. He also declares His being the creator, sustainer and destroyer of everything, as connected by the term Yoga.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Lord Krishna being so beseeched and entreated to reveal more about His vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence speaks the word hanta which is a very affectionate term of address.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
So requested Lord Krishna agrees to reveal more about His vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence; but only those most prominent as there is no limit to His opulence and His glories are endless. The use of vocative particle hanta inferring dear one is very personal and indicates compassionate affection.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
10.19 Kuru-srestha, O best of the Kurus; hanta, now; since, on the other hand, it is not possible to speak exhaustively of them even in a hundred years, (there-fore) pradhanyatah, according to their importance, according as those manifestations are pre-eminent in their respective spheres; kathayisyami, I shall described; te, to you; atma-vibhutayah, My own glories; which are (hi, indeed) divyah, divine, heavenly. Na asti there is no; antah, end; me, to My; vistarasya, manifestations. ‘Of those, now listen to the foremost:’
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
10.19-42 Hanta te etc. upto jagat sthitah. I am the Soul etc. (verse 20) : By this [the Bhagavat] wards off the exclusion [of any being as different form Him]. Otherwise the sentences like ‘Of the immovable [I am] the the Himalayas’ (verse 25) etc., would amount to the exclusive statement that the Himalayan range is the Bhagavat and not any other one. In that case, the indiscriminateness of the Brahman is not established and hence the realisation of the Brahman would be a partial (or conditioned) one. For, the [present] text of exposition is intended for that seeker whose mind cannot contemplate on the all-pervasiveness [of the Brahman], but who [at the same time] is desirous of realising that [all-pervasiveness]. Hence, while concluding, [the Bhagavat] teaches the theory of duality-cumunity by saying ‘whatsoever being exists with the manifesting power’ etc., and then concludes the topic with the theory of absolute unity, as ‘Or what is the use of this elaboration;…..I remain pervading this [universe] by a single fraction [of Myself] This has been declared indeed [in the scriptures] as : ‘All beings constitute [only] His one-fourth; His [other] immortal three-forths are in the heaven.’ (Rgveda, X, xc, 3). Thus, all this and the prime cause of creatures, are nothing but the Bhagavat (Absolute). And hence, He Himself becomes the object of knowledge of all, but being comprehended with the different strange qualities.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
hanta te kathayisyami
divya hy atma-vibhutayah
pradhanyatah kuru-srestha
nasty anto vistarasya me
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; hanta — yes; te — unto you; kathayiṣyāmi — I shall speak; divyāḥ — divine; hi — certainly; ātma-vibhūtayaḥ — personal opulences; prādhānyataḥ — which are principal; kuru-śreṣṭha — O best of the Kurus; na asti — there is not; antaḥ — limit; vistarasya — to the extent; me — My.
