टीका

Commentary

This verse is Arjuna’s magnificent confession of humility before the Divine. Having heard Krishna’s self-revelation in the preceding verses, Arjuna realizes that no external means — neither the gods nor the demons — can fully comprehend Krishna. Only Krishna knows Himself, by His own internal potency.

The five names Arjuna uses here are not mere honorifics — each one is a theological statement. Purushottama — the Supreme Person, beyond both the fallible and the infallible. Bhootabhaavana — the origin, the one from whom all beings spring into existence. Bhootesha — the Lord and controller of all beings. Devadeva — the God whom even the gods worship. Jagatpate — the master of the entire cosmic manifestation.

This verse establishes a crucial epistemological principle in Vedantic philosophy: God is not an object to be known through ordinary means of knowledge — perception, inference, or even scriptural scholarship alone. The Supreme reveals Himself to whom He chooses, and He alone has complete self-knowledge. This is why devotion — bhakti — is considered the primary path: it is through relationship with the Divine that revelation comes, not through intellectual conquest.

Arjuna’s words here also set the stage for his request in the next verse. Having acknowledged that only Krishna can reveal His own nature, Arjuna naturally asks: “Please tell me about Your divine opulences.” The request is born from genuine devotion and wonder, not academic curiosity.