Bhagavad Gita 10.8

ahaḿ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaḿ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māḿ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

Translation of Bhagavad Gita 10.8

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.

Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

A learned scholar who has studied the Vedas perfectly and has information from authorities like Lord Caitanya and who knows how to apply these teachings can understand that Krishna is the origin of everything in both the material and spiritual worlds, and because he knows this perfectly he becomes firmly fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. He can never be deviated by any amount of nonsensical commentaries or by fools. All Vedic literature agrees that Krishna is the source of Brahma, Shiva and all other demigods. In the Atharva Veda (Gopala-tapani Upanishad 1.24) it is said, yo brahmanam vidadhati purvam yo vai vedams ca gapayati sma krishnah: “It was Krishna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past.” Then again the Narayana Upanishad (1) says, atha purusho ha vai narayano ’kamayata prajah srjeyeti: “Then the Supreme Personality Narayana desired to create living entities.”

The Upanishad continues, narayanad brahma jayate, narayanad prajapatih prajayate, narayanad indro jayate, narayanad astau vasavo jayante, narayanad ekadasa rudra jayante, narayanad dvadasadityah: “From Narayana, Brahma is born, and from Narayana the patriarchs are also born. From Narayana, Indra is born, from Narayana the eight Vasus are born, from Narayana the eleven Rudras are born, from Narayana the twelve Adityas are born.” This Narayana is an expansion of Krishna.

It is said in the same Vedas, brahmanyo devaki-putrah: “The son of Devaki, Krishna, is the Supreme Personality.”

(Narayana Upanishad 4) Then it is said, eko vai narayana asin na brahma na isano napo nagni-samau neme dyav-aprithivi na nakshatrani na suryah: “In the beginning of the creation there was only the Supreme Personality Narayana. There was no Brahma, no Shiva, no water, no fire, no moon, no stars in the sky, no sun.” (Maha Upanishad 1) In the Maha Upanishad it is also said that Lord Shiva was born from the forehead of the Supreme Lord. Thus the Vedas say that it is the Supreme Lord, the creator of Brahma and Shiva, who is to be worshiped.

In the Moksha-dharma Krishna also says,

prajapatim ca rudram capy
aham eva srijami vai
tau hi mam na vijanito
mama maya-vimohitau

“The patriarchs, Shiva and others are created by Me, though they do not know that they are created by Me because they are deluded by My illusory energy.” In the Varaha Purana it is also said,

narayanah paro devas
tasmaj jatas caturmukhah
tasmad rudro ’bhavad devah
sa ca sarva-jnatam gatah

“Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him Brahma was born, from whom Shiva was born.”

Lord Krishna is the source of all generations, and He is called the most efficient cause of everything. He says, “Because everything is born of Me, I am the original source of all. Everything is under Me; no one is above Me.” There is no supreme controller other than Krishna. One who understands Krishna in such a way from a bona fide spiritual master, with references from Vedic literature, engages all his energy in Krishna consciousness and becomes a truly learned man. In comparison to him, all others, who do not know Krishna properly, are but fools. Only a fool would consider Krishna to be an ordinary man. A Krishna conscious person should not be bewildered by fools; he should avoid all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations on Bhagavad-gita and proceed in Krishna consciousness with determination and firmness.

Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:

Here he speaks of his vibhuti characterized by great power. I am the cause of manifestation of everything material and spiritual. The whole world moves because of me alone, in the form of paramatma. Because of me alone, in the form of avataras like Narada, the sadhanas such as bhakti, jnana, tapas and karma, and the goals of these sadhanas operate. He then speaks of the yoga which is ananya bhakti. Being convinced through faith by this knowledge (iti matva), the intelligent persons endowed with bhava in the forms of daysa, sakhya or other relationships, worship me.

Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:

10.8 I am the ‘origin’, namely, the cause of originating everything in this universe consisting of wonderful sentient and non-sentient beings. From Me proceed everything. Thinking thus of My sovereignty, natural and unhindered, and knowing Me as endowed with a multitude of auspicious attributes like condescension, beauty, parental affection etc., the wise or the men of knowledge worship Me with devotion endowed as I am with all auspicious attributes. ‘Bhava’ is a particular disposition, here a loving disposition, of the mind. The meaning is that they worship Me with intense yearning of the heart. How?

Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:

Thorough and complete knowledge of the Supreme Lord Krishna’s absolute power and glory bequeaths direct realisation of Him in their etheric heart. This is being expounded on in this verse and the next three. Lord Krishna begins with the words aham sarvasya prabhavo meaning He is the Supreme Ultimate Truth and the cause of all causes. By His vibhutis or transcendental opulence everything in the material manifestation emanated solely from Him. So spiritually intelligent beings endowed with the germinating seed of bhakti or loving devotion, worship Lord Krishna incessantly with mind, heart and actions.

Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:

Thorough and complete knowledge of the Supreme Lord Krishna’s absolute power and glory bequeaths direct realisation of Him in their etheric heart. This is being expounded on in this verse and the next three. Lord Krishna begins with the words aham sarvasya prabhavo meaning He is the Supreme Ultimate Truth and the cause of all causes. By His vibhutis or transcendental opulence everything in the material manifestation emanated solely from Him. So spiritually intelligent beings endowed with the germinating seed of bhakti or loving devotion, worship Lord Krishna incessantly with mind, heart and actions.

Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:

Lord Krishna expresses the immense devotion the great illuminated beings who matva or have realised His Supreme Absolute position and incomparable glories as the Ultimate Reality, the Ultimate Truth and the Ultimate Personality controlling all beings in all existences. He the sole object to be known and the goal o all knowledge. He is recognisable through external identifying manifestations such as the cause of creation, the origin of all living entities , the source of all existence etc. He is the prime cause of all created beings and all things sentient and insentient, movable and immovable. He also monitors the ascent and descent of all beings through higher and lower planetary species and up and down into higher and lower species of life including their internal growth and evolution. Everything is manifested, energised and activated because of Lord Krishna’s desire alone and the spiritually intelligent realising this continuously worship Him fully with devotion and love.

Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:

10.8 Aham, I, the supreme Brahman called Vasudeva; am the prabhavah, origin; sarvasya, of all, of the whole world; sarvam, everything, the whole world of changes, consisting of continuance, destruction, action and enjoyment of the fruits of action; pravartate, moves on; mattah, owing to Me alone. Matva, realizing; iti, thus; the budhah, wise ones, the knowers of the supreme Reality; bhava-samanvitah, filled with fervour-bhava is the same as bhavana, meaning ardent longing for the supreme Reality; filled (samanvitah) with that, i.e. imbued with that; bhajante, adore; mam, Me. Besides,

Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:

10.8 See Comment under 10.11

Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah

Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:

aham — I; sarvasya — of all; prabhavaḥ — the source of generation; mattaḥ — from Me; sarvam — everything; pravartate — emanates; iti — thus; matvā — knowing; bhajante — become devoted; mām — unto Me; budhāḥ — the learned; bhāva-samanvitāḥ — with great attention.