Divine Will

Whenever there is a decline of dharma and a rise of adharma, Arjuna, then I bring myself forth.

यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत | अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ||४-७||

Though I am unborn, my Self imperishable, and the Lord of all beings, I take command of my own material nature and come into being through my own power of illusion.

अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् | प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ||४-६||

The Lord dwells in the heart-region of all beings, Arjuna, causing all beings to revolve, as if mounted on a machine, by his power of maya.

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति | भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ||१८-६१||

The Blessed Lord said: I am Time, mighty and world-destroying, here set upon annihilating the worlds. Even without you, none of these warriors arrayed in the opposing ranks shall survive.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः | ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ||११-३२||

Slay Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and the other warrior heroes as well — already killed by me. Do not waver. Fight! You will conquer your rivals in battle.

द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् | मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ||११-३४||

Therefore rise up and win glory; conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. By me alone they have already been slain; be merely the instrument, O left-handed archer.

तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् | मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ||११-३३||

The seat of action, likewise the agent, the instruments of various kinds, the many different sorts of effort, and divine providence as the fifth.

अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् | विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् ||१८-१४||

Under my supervision, nature brings forth all that moves and does not move; by this cause, son of Kunti, the world revolves.

मयाध्यक्षेण प्रकृतिः सूयते सचराचरम् | हेतुनानेन कौन्तेय जगद्विपरिवर्तते ||९-१०||

Taking hold of my own nature, I send forth again and again this whole multitude of beings, helpless under the sway of that nature.

प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुनः पुनः | भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् ||९-८||

Endowed with that faith, the person strives to worship that form and obtains from it the desires he wishes — desires that are, in fact, granted by me alone.

स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते | लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ||७-२२||

As the many torrents of rivers rush toward the ocean, so do these heroes of the world of men enter your blazing mouths.

यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति | तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति ||११-२८||

To him he said: "Prajāpati, desiring offspring, performed austerity. Having performed austerity, he produced a pair — matter and life — thinking, 'These two will make manifold creatures for me.'"

तस्मै स होवाच प्रजाकामो वै प्रजापतिः स तपोऽतप्यतस तपस्तप्त्वा स मिथुनमुत्पादयते । रयिं च प्राणंचेत्येतौ मे बहुधा प्रजाः करिष्यत इति ॥ १४॥

rush into your mouths, terrible and dreadful with their fangs; some are seen stuck between your teeth, their heads crushed to powder.

वक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति दंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि | केचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गैः ||११-२७||

The Lord creates neither the agency nor the actions of the world, nor the union of actions with their fruits; it is one's own nature that operates.

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः | न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ||५-१४||

Under the sovereignty of this Imperishable, Gargi, the sun and moon stand held apart. Under the sovereignty of this Imperishable, Gargi, sky and earth stand held apart. Under the sovereignty of this Imperishable, Gargi, moments, hours, days and nights, fortnights, months, seasons, and years stand held apart. Under the sovereignty of this Imperishable, Gargi, some rivers flow east from the white mountains, others west, each in its own direction. Under the sovereignty of this Imperishable, Gargi, people praise the giver, the gods depend on the sacrificer, and the ancestors on the offering-ladle.

एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ विधृतौ तिष्ठत एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि द्यावापृथिव्यौ विधृते तिष्ठत एतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि निमेषा मुहूर्ता अहोरात्राण्यर्धमासा मासा ऋतवः संवत्सरा इति विधृतास्तिष्ठन्त्येतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि प्राच्योऽन्या नद्यः स्यन्दन्ते श्वेतेभ्यः पर्वतेभ्यः प्रतीच्योऽन्या यां यां च दिशमन्वेतस्य वा अक्षरस्य प्रशासने गार्गि ददतो मनुष्याः प्रशꣳसन्ति यजमानं देवा दर्वीं पितरोऽन्वायत्ताः ॥ ९॥

As Prajāpati, you move in the womb; it is you who are born again. To you, O prana, these creatures bring tribute, you who dwell with the breaths.

प्रजापतिश्चरसि गर्भे त्वमेव प्रतिजायसे ।तुभ्यं प्राण प्रजास्त्विमा बलिं हरन्तियः प्राणैः प्रतितिष्ठसि ॥ २७॥

He created prana; from prana, faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, the senses, the mind, and food; from food, virility, austerity, the sacred verses, action, the worlds, and in the worlds, name as well.

स प्राणमसृजत प्राणाच्छ्रद्धां खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापः पृथिवीन्द्रियंमनः । अन्नमन्नाद्वीर्यं तपो मन्त्राः कर्म लोका लोकेषु च नाम च॥ ६४॥