Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 37 (BG 11.37) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

11.37 कस्मात् why? च and? ते they? न not? नमेरन् may prostrate? महात्मन् O greatsouled One? गरीयसे greater? ब्रह्मणः of Brahma? अपि also? आदिकर्त्रे the primal cause? अनन्त O Infinite Being? देवेश O Lord of the gods? जगन्निवास O Abode of the universe? त्वम् Thou? अक्षरम् Imperishable? सत् the Being? असत् nonbeing? तत् That? परम् the Supreme? यत् which.Commentary The Lord is Mahatma. He is greater than all else. He is the imperishable. So He is the proper object of worship? love and delight.That which exists in the three periods of time is Sat. Brahman is Sat. That which does not exist in the three periods of time is Asat. This world is Asat. This body is Asat.The words Sat and Asat mean here the manifested and the unmanifested which form the adjuncts of the Akshara (imperishable). In reality the Akshara transcends both these. The word Akshara is applied in the Gita sometimes to the Unmanifest (Nature) and sometimes to the Supreme Being.Ananta is He Who is free from the three kinds of limitations (of time? space and thing) which have already been explained.Arjuna again praises the Lord thus

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

How could the perfected beings not bow down to You? You are the primordial cause even of Brahma, the creator himself. You are that original source which pervades the entire realm of creation and sustains all names and forms. Just as clay is the cause of all earthly vessels and gold is the cause of all ornaments, so too are You the fundamental substratum of all existence. The infinite Supreme Self is not merely this universe alone, but is also the Lord of all the celestial beings. For it is from that all-powerful Supreme Self that all the deities and the forces of nature derive their power and capability. This moving and unmoving creation can be divided into two categories: the manifest and the unmanifest. The manifest refers to those things which can be known through the senses, mind, and intellect—that which exists in both gross and subtle forms. The gross objects, emotions, and thoughts are called the manifest. That which is the cause of this manifest realm is called the unmanifest. This unmanifest cause that governs the life pattern of an individual is nothing but the impressions and latent tendencies within that person. According to the definition given by the Supreme Self, He is both the manifest and the unmanifest, and yet transcends both. You too transcend both. A drama upon the stage of a theatre may end in joy or sorrow, yet the light that illuminates both is beyond both. A ring and a necklace are both made of gold, yet gold cannot be defined merely as a ring or necklace. Gold is indeed these ornaments, yet it transcends both. In this way, being the essence of all names and forms, the Supreme Self is both manifest and unmanifest, and in His true nature, He is the imperishable, transcendent reality. That imperishable essence is consciousness itself, the illuminator of both the gross and the subtle. It is this imperishable consciousness that has assumed this cosmic form, which Arjuna now glorifies. This passage represents the universal prayers found in all the world's religions. People of any faith or community cannot object to it, for it embodies the very essence of the eternal truth that all spiritual traditions proclaim. It can elevate the devotee's heart to the threshold of the infinite. The devotee can experience it directly. Arjuna, in praising the Lord, speaks thus: