अर्जुन उवाच | किं तद्ब्रह्म किमध्यात्मं किं कर्म पुरुषोत्तम | अधिभूतं च किं प्रोक्तमधिदैवं किमुच्यते || 1 || अधियज्ञ: कथं कोऽत्र देहेऽस्मिन्मधुसूदन | प्रयाणकाले च कथं ज्ञेयोऽसि नियतात्मभि: || 2 || श्रीभगवानुवाच | अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं स्वभावोऽध्यात्ममुच्यते | भूतभावोद्भवकरो विसर्ग: कर्मसञ्ज्ञित: || 3 || |
|---|
Arjuna asked: “What is Brahman, what is Adhyātma and what is Karma, O Supreme Lord? What is Adhibhuta and Adhidaiva?”
Arjuna further inquired:
“Who is Adhiyajna in this body, O Madhusudana? And how are You to be known at the time of departure by those who are self-disciplined?”
Lord Krishna said:
“The Supreme and Ultimate Reality is indestructible. Adhyātma is referred to as the eternal essence of one’s own nature as the soul. The creation and dissolution of beings, as well as the processes of manifestation and activities, are called Visarga which pertain to the laws of Karma.”
Commentary: Lord Krishna responds to Arjuna’s questions about the nature of reality and the processes of creation and action. Aksharam does not mean a letter but is derived from “अ” (not) and “kshar / क्षर्” (perishable, decaying), signifying that which is imperishable or unchanging. Brahma refers to the ultimate reality or the Absolute. So, ‘अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं’ refers to the first state of eternal, unchanging, and transcendental nature of the Supreme Reality.
Out of Its/His own nature and essence “svabhāvaḥ”, Supreme Brahman manifested in the second state of the Inner Self (sense of Cosmic Ɪ), the innermost Cosmic Being. This aspect of the divine reality is known as ” अध्यात्म, Adhyātma”, or the Soul of the Universe.
By the act of Visarga or Self-Division, Self-Differentiation, ‘Akshara Brahmam Paramam’ became the Adhyātma.
Vi (वि) is a prefix in Sanskrit, and its meanings can vary depending on the context. In this case, it often denotes differentiation, separation, or a specific act. Sṛj (सृज्) root word is associated with the act of creation, production, or emanation. It is the root from which words like “srishti” (creation) are derived. When you combine these root meanings, “visarga” can be understood as an act of differentiation or separation that leads to creation or manifestation. It reflects the idea that the universe comes into being through a divine act of differentiation or emanation from an undifferentiated, unmanifested source (Brahman). The creation of beings and the process of creation by self-division (Visarga) is known as karma. Here, karma refers to the action or the cycle of cause and effect that leads to the manifestation of beings and the creation of the universe.
The imperishable (Aksharam) Brahman (Brahma Paramam) separated (Visarga or divided Himself into creation) from His own Self (Svabhāvaḥ) as the supreme inner Cosmic Self (Adhyātma) from whom existence and manifestation of all beings (Bhutabhavodbhavakaro) came about with related cosmic activities (Karmasanjitah)
Lord Krishna highlights the eternal nature of Brahman as the innermost essence of every living being. He acknowledges the processes of creation and action within the cosmic order, emphasizing that the performance of actions plays a significant role in the journey of beings.