रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः।
प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु।।7.8।।
।।7.8।।हे कुन्तीनन्दन जलोंमें रस हूँ चन्द्रमा और सूर्यमें प्रभा (प्रकाश) मैं हूँ सम्पूर्ण वेदोंमें प्रणव (ओंकार) मैं हूँ आकाशमें शब्द और मनुष्योंमें पुरुषार्थ मैं हूँ।
।।7.8।। हे कौन्तेय जल में मैं रस हूँ चन्द्रमा और सूर्य में प्रकाश हूँ सब वेदों में प्रणव (ँ़कार) हूँ तथा आकाश में शब्द और पुरुषों में पुरुषत्व हूँ।।
।।7.8।। व्याख्या जैसे साधारण दृष्टिसे लोगोंने रुपयोंको ही सर्वश्रेष्ठ मान रखा है तो रुपये पैदा करने और उनका संग्रह करनेमें लोभी आदमीकी स्वाभाविक रुचि हो जाती है। ऐसे ही देखने सुनने मानने और समझनेमें जो कुछ जगत् आता है उसका कारण भगवान् हैं (7। 6) भगवान्के सिवाय उसकी स्वतन्त्र सत्ता है ही नहीं ऐसा माननेसे भगवान्में स्वाभाविक रुचि हो जाती है। फिर स्वाभाविक ही उनका भजन होता है। यही बात दसवें अध्यायके आठवें श्लोकमें कही है कि मैं सम्पूर्ण संसारका कारण हूँ मेरेसे ही संसारकी उत्पत्ति होती है ऐसा समझकर बुद्धिमान् मनुष्य मेरा भजन करते हैं। ऐसे ही अठारहवें अध्यायके छियालीसवें श्लोकमें कहा है कि जिस परमात्मासे सम्पूर्ण जगत्की प्रवृत्ति होती है और जिससे सारा संसार व्याप्त है उस परमात्माका अपने कर्मोंके द्वारा पूजन करके मनुष्य सिद्धिको प्राप्त कर लेता है। इसी सिद्धान्तको बतानेके लिये यह प्रकरण आया है।रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय हे कुन्तीनन्दन जलोंमें मैं रस हूँ। जल रसतन्मात्रासे (टिप्पणी प0 403) पैदा होता है रसतन्मात्रामें रहता है और रसतन्मात्रामें ही लीन होता है। जलमेंसे अगर रस निकाल दिया जाय तो जलतत्त्व कुछ नहीं रहेगा। अतः रस ही जलरूपसे है। वह रस मैं हूँ।प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः चन्द्रमा और सूर्यमें प्रकाश करनेकी जो एक विलक्षण शक्ति प्रभा है (टिप्पणी प0 404) वह मेरा स्वरूप है। प्रभा रूपतन्मात्रासे उत्पन्न होती है रूपतन्मात्रामें रहती है और अन्तमेंरूपतन्मात्रामें ही लीन हो जाती है। अगर चन्द्रमा और सूर्यमेंसे प्रभा निकाल दी जाय तो चन्द्रमा और सूर्य निस्तत्त्व हो जायँगे। तात्पर्य है कि केवल प्रभा ही चन्द्र और सूर्यरूपसे प्रकट हो रही है। भगवान् कहते हैं कि वह प्रभा भी मैं ही हूँ।प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु सम्पूर्ण वेदोंमें प्रणव (ओंकार) मेरा स्वरूप है। कारण कि सबसे पहले प्रणव प्रकट हुआ। प्रणवसे त्रिपदा गायत्री और त्रिपदा गायत्रीसे वेदत्रयी प्रकट हुई है। इसलिये वेदोंमें सार प्रणव ही रहा। अगर वेदोंमेंसे प्रणव निकाल दिया जाय तो वेद वेदरूपसे नहीं रहेंगे। प्रणव ही वेद और गायत्रीरूपसे प्रकट हो रहा है। वह प्रणव मैं ही हूँ। शब्दः खे सब जगह यह जो पोलाहट दीखती है यह आकाश है। आकाश शब्दतन्मात्रासे पैदा होता है शब्दतन्मात्रामें ही रहता है और अन्तमें शब्दतन्मात्रामें ही लीन हो जाता है। अतः शब्दतन्मात्रा ही आकाशरूपसे प्रकट हो रही है। शब्दतन्मात्राके बिना आकाश कुछ नहीं है। वह शब्द मैं ही हूँ।पौरुषं नृषु मनुष्योंमें सार चीज जो पुरुषार्थ है वह मेरा स्वरूप है। वास्तवमें नित्यप्राप्त परमात्मतत्त्वका अनुभव करना ही मनुष्योंमें असली पुरुषार्थ है। परन्तु मनुष्योंने अप्राप्तको प्राप्त करनेमें ही अपना पुरुषार्थ मान रखा है जैसे निर्धन आदमी धनकी प्राप्तिमें पुरुषार्थ मानता है अपढ़ आदमी पढ़ लेनेमें पुरुषार्थ मानता है अप्रसिद्ध आदमी अपना नाम विख्यात कर लेनेमें अपना पुरुषार्थ मानता है इत्यादि। निष्कर्ष यह निकला कि जो अभी नहीं है उसकी प्राप्तिमें ही मनुष्य अपना पुरुषार्थ मानता है। पर यह पुरुषार्थ वास्तवमें पुरुषार्थ नहीं है। कारण कि जो पहले नहीं थे प्राप्तिके समय भी जिनका निरन्तर सम्बन्धविच्छेद हो रहा है और अन्तमें जो नहीं में भरती हो जायँगे ऐसे पदार्थोंको प्राप्त करना पुरुषार्थ नहीं है। परमात्मा पहले भी मौजूद थे अब भी मौजूद हैं और आगे भी सदा मौजूद रहेंगे क्योंकि उनका कभी अभाव नहीं होता। इसलिये परमात्माको उत्साहपूर्वक प्राप्त करनेका जो प्रयत्न है वही वास्तवमें पुरुषार्थ है। उसकी प्राप्ति करनेमें ही मनुष्योंकी मनुष्यता है। उसके बिना मनुष्य कुछ नहीं है अर्थात् निरर्थक है।
।।7.8।। See commentary under 7.9.
7.8 O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, I am the effulgence of the moon and the sun; (the letter) Om in all the Vedas, the sound in space, and manhood in men.
7.8 I am the sapidity in water, O Arjuna; I am the light in the moon and the sun; I am the syllable Om in all the Vedas, sound in ether and virility in men.
7.8. O son of Kunti ! I am the taste in waters; the light in the moon and the sun; the best hymn (OM) in the entire Vedas; the sound that exists in the ether (or the mystic hymnal sound in the entire Vedas-a sound that is in the ether); and the manly vigour in men.
7.8 रसः sapidity? अहम् I? अप्सु in water? कौन्तेय O Kaunteya (son of Kunti)? प्रभा light? अस्मि am (I)? शशिसूर्ययोः in the moon and the sun? प्रणवः the syllable Om? सर्ववेदेषु in all the Vedas? शब्दः sound? खे in ether? पौरुषम् virility? नृषु in men.Commentary In Me all beings and the whole world are woven as a cloth in the warp. In Me as sapidity the water is woven in Me as light? the sun and the moon are woven in Me as the sacred syllable Om all the Vedas are woven in Me as virility all men are woven.The manifestations of the Lord are described in the verses 8? 9? 10 and 11. (Cf.XV.12)
7.8 Kaunteya, O son of Kunti, aham, I; am rasah, the taste, which is the essence of water. The idea is that water is depedent on Me who am its essence. This is how it is to be understood in every case. Just as I am the essence of water, similarly, asmi, I am; the prabha, effulgence; sasi-suryayoh, of the moon and the sun; pranavah, (the letter) Om; sarva-vedesu, in all the Vedas. All the Vedas are established on Me who am that Om. So also (I am) sabdah, the sound; khe, in space, as the essence. Space is established on Me who am that (sound). In the same way, nrsu, in men; (I am) paurusam, manhood- the ality of being man, from which arises the idea of manhood. Men are established on Me who am such.
7.8 Raso ham apsu etc. I am that [basic] taste which has not yet devolped as to have the classification of sweetness and so on, and which is being tasted in all waters. Similarly, the light : That [light] which is devoid of gentleness and fierceness etc. (The sound that exist] in the ether in the sky. The sound that etc. Here the emphasis is on all sounds, as they are attributes of the ether. Or, the passage denotes that empty basic sound which, being exclusively an attribute of th ether; which does not depend on any other external cuases like union and partition [of some objects]; which exists in the ether within the cave of the Brahman; which is ite intelligible to the groups of Yogins with attentive heart (mind); which bears the name Anahata; and which pervades the entire groups of the Vedas - that sound represents the Absolute. Manly vigour ; that lusture by means of which one is identified as a man throughout the earth.
7.8 - 7.11 All these entities with their peculiar characteristic are born from Me alone. They depend on Me; inasmuch as they constitute My body, they exist in Me alone. Thus I alone exist while all of them are only My modes.
Just as I have entered into the universe, my effect, in the form as paramatma, also I exist in the form of the cause of those effects (as sound in ether), or in the form of the essence of those things (as in success in man). This is expressed in four verses. The water’s taste, which is its cause, is a manifestation of my power (vibhuti). Likewise one can find a similar meaning in the items following. I am light itself which gives light to the sun and moon. I am omkara, the source of the Vedas. I am sound in the ether, the cause of the ether. I am the distinguishing efforts (paurusam) of men, the essence of humans.
Exactly how Lord Krishna is the cause of the sustenance of creation is being described in five verses commencing here. His being the sapidity or essence in water means He exists in the molecular substratum of water as the essence of sapidity. Likewise He is the luster in the sun and moon, meaning He exists in them as there wonderful illuminating substratum. The other examples that follow are also to be explained in a similar manner. In all the Vedas representing enlightened and articulate sound, He is the root syllable OM which is His personal transcendental sound vibration. He is the essence of all sounds in ether and He is the potency of competence in man. Verily man excels and flourishes by the potency of competence.
Here we are receiving jnana or knowledge that Lord Krishna is the essence of specific things. Super sensory illuminating perception is vijnana. The greatness of the Supreme Lord is revealed later but now even the inherent nature of and His being the essence of along with the natural qualities and attributes of different substances are being described as being special potencies and representations of the Supreme Lord. The fact that these special essences and attributes do not manifest on their own is shown by the mentioning of special words such as rasoham apsu meaning He is the essence in water. This essence is to be understood in the case of upasana or spiritual practices. It has been mentioned in the Gita Kalpa that: The attribute of essence in various flavours and its inherent nature are basically due to the perennial principle of dharma or eternal righteousness. The provider and enjoyer of the essence is always solely the Supreme Lord Krishna, who as the essence resides in all living entities. All the empowered demigods are mere reflections of His splendour. The Supreme Lord is the essence of all and should be earnestly sought by those who seek the essence of life. The inherent energy of Prakriti or material nature and all jivas or embodied beings is all ordained by the Supreme Lord and all natural propensities and inherent tendencies are bequeathed by His grace alone. There is nothing whatsoever animate or inanimate throughout all of creation that does not contain the Supreme Lords essence. The Gita Kalpa has stated that: Desires not contrary to righteousness should be engaged in by an aspirant of moksa or liberation from the material existence. For the purpose of elevating ones spiritual development one should only perform activities which are not contradictory to dharma but even the renunciation of such authorised activities are recommended to be relinquished for advanced aspirants. Strength without the debilitating influence of desires and attachments should be achieved. Then by the grace of the Supreme Lord perfection will be attained and the desired goal will be reached. Now begins the summation. Residing in water as sapidity, the Supreme Lord is known as the essence. Residing in the sun and the moon as luster, He is known as illumination. Residing in the Vedas as His very self, He is known as the pranava original sound vibration OM. Residing in the ether as sound Lord Krishna is known as the word.
Raso’hamapsu kaunteya prabhaasmi shashisooryayoh; Pranavah sarvavedeshu shabdah khe paurusham nrishu.
rasaḥ—taste; aham—I; apsu—in water; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; prabhā—the radiance; asmi—I am; śhaśhi-sūryayoḥ—of the moon and the sun; praṇavaḥ—the sacred syllable Om; sarva—in all; vedeṣhu—Vedas; śhabdaḥ—sound; khe—in ether; pauruṣham—ability; nṛiṣhu—in humans
