Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 34 (BG 10.34) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

10.34 मृत्युः death? सर्वहरः alldevouring? च and? अहम् I? उद्भवः the prosperity? च and? भविष्यताम् of those who are to be prosperous? कीर्तिः frame? श्रीः prosperity? वाक् speech? च and? नारीणाम् of the feminine? स्मृतिः the memory? मेधा intelligence? धृतिः firmness? क्षमा forgiveness.Commentary I am also the allsnatching death that destroys everything. Death is of two kinds? viz.? he who seizes wealth and he who seizes life. Of them he who seizes life is the allseizer and,hence he is called Sarvaharah. I am he.Or? there is another interpretation. I am the Supreme Lord Who is the allseizer? because I destroy everything at the time of the cosmic dissolution.I am the origin of all the beings to be born in the future. I am the prosperity and the means of achieving it of those who are fit to attain it.Beauty is Sri. Lustre is Sri. I am fame? the best of the feminine alities. People who have attained slight fame think that they have achieved great success in life and that they have become very big or great men. I am speech which adorns the throne of justice. I am memory which recalls objects and pleasures of the past.The power of the mind which enables one to hold the teachings of the scriptures is Medha. Firmness or Dhriti is the power to keep the body and the senses steady even amidst various kinds of sufferings. The power to keep oneself unattached even while doing actions is Dhriti. It also means courage. Kshama also means endurance.Fame? prosperity? memory? intelligence and firmness are the daughters of Daksha. They had been given in marriage to Dhrama and so they are all called Dharmapatnis.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

I am death, the all-devouring force that levels all distinctions. I am the death that brings equality—the death that reduces the ruler's scepter and crown to the same measure as the mendicant's begging bowl and staff. Every living being maintains a separate identity during its lifetime through countless relationships with objects and persons. Yet after death, the learned and the ignorant, the virtuous and the sinful, the strong and the weak, the ruler and the ruled—all merge into dust and become one, indistinguishable from one another. I am also the source of creation for all that shall come into being. The Supreme is not merely the all-devouring force; He is also the Creator. We have seen that one state cannot be born without the destruction of another. To perceive only one aspect is to hold a one-sided view of life. From the destruction of one thing, emptiness does not remain; rather, another thing comes into being. If we observe the waves rising in the ocean separately, we see only constant dissolution. Yet with each wave that subsides, countless new waves are born in the ocean—a process we scarcely notice. The force of this entire discourse rests upon this truth: the infinite Supreme Being eternally engages in the play of creation and dissolution within Himself—a play we call the universe. Among women, I am fame, beauty, eloquence, memory, wisdom, steadfastness, and forgiveness. These seven are known as the consorts of the celestial beings and also as qualities bearing feminine names. Therefore, in both ways, they are manifestations of the Divine. From a philosophical perspective, the meaning of this statement transcends all criticism. It is not said here that a person possessed of these qualities is divine. Rather, the intent is this: whenever we perceive any of these qualities in any person—regardless of what their past life may have been—through that person we can clearly perceive the manifestation of the Divine. Speaking in the language of attributing qualities, the Lord says: Among women, I am fame, beauty, and such virtues. To clarify His nature further, in the next verse, Lord Krishna offers four more examples.