TEXT 23
rudrāṇāṁ śaṅkaraś cāsmi
vitteśo yakṣa-rakṣasām
vasūnāṁ pāvakaś cāsmi
meruḥ śikhariṇām aham
SYNONYMS
rudrāṇām—of all the Rudras; śaṅkaraḥ—Lord Śiva; ca—also; asmi—I am; vitta-īśaḥ—the lord of the treasury of the demigods; yakṣa-rakṣasām—of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas; vasūnām—of the Vasus; pāvakaḥ—fire; ca—also; asmi—I am; meruḥ—Meru; śikhariṇām—of all mountains; aham—I am.
TRANSLATION
Of all the Rudras I am Lord Śiva, of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru.
PURPORT
There are eleven Rudras, of whom Śaṅkara, Lord Śiva, is predominant. He is the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in charge of the mode of ignorance in the universe. The leader of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas is Kuvera, the master treasurer of the demigods, and he is a representation of the Supreme Lord. Meru is a mountain famed for its rich natural resources.
TEXT 24
purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ
viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim
senānīnām ahaṁ skandaḥ
sarasām asmi sāgaraḥ
SYNONYMS
purodhasām—of all priests; ca—also; mukhyam—the chief; mām—Me; viddhi—understand; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; bṛhaspatim—Bṛhaspati; senānīnām—of all commanders; aham—I am; skandaḥ—Kārtikeya; sarasām—of all reservoirs of water; asmi—I am; sāgaraḥ—the ocean.
TRANSLATION
Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Bṛhaspati. Of generals I am Kārtikeya, and of bodies of water I am the ocean.
PURPORT
Indra is the chief demigod of the heavenly planets and is known as the king of the heavens. The planet on which he reigns is called Indraloka. Bṛhaspati is Indra’s priest, and since Indra is the chief of all kings, Bṛhaspati is the chief of all priests. And as Indra is the chief of all kings, similarly Skanda, or Kārtikeya, the son of Pārvatī and Lord Śiva, is the chief of all military commanders. And of all bodies of water, the ocean is the greatest. These representations of Kṛṣṇa only give hints of His greatness.
