bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam
buddhir buddhimatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham
bījam — the seed;
mām — me;
sarva-bhūtānām — of all beings;
viddhi — know;
pārtha — Arjun, the son of Pritha;
sanātanam — the eternal;
buddhiḥ — intellect;
buddhi-matām — of the intelligent;
asmi — (I) am;
tejaḥ — splendor;
tejasvinām — of the splendid;
aham — I
In this verse, Krishna is telling Arjuna (referred to as son of Pritha) about His role as the source of everything in the universe. Let’s break this down into simpler terms:
1. **"I am the original seed of all existences"**: Think of Krishna as a seed that contains everything necessary to grow and develop life. Just like a tiny seed can grow into a giant tree, Krishna represents the starting point for all living beings, whether they are animals, plants, or humans. Everything that exists comes from Him.
2. **Understanding movement and stillness**: Krishna mentions both moving and non-moving beings. Moving beings include animals and humans, while non-moving beings include trees and plants. All these forms of life—no matter if they can move or not—are part of the variety of life that Krishna creates. There are a total of about 8,400,000 different forms of life, and each one of these is connected to Krishna.
3. **Krishna as the root of all creation**: Just as a tree needs a strong root to grow healthy and strong, all living beings rely on Krishna for their existence. He is like the root that supports everything in this world. Without this root, nothing could survive. This idea reinforces that Krishna is essential for life itself.
4. **Krishna as the source of intelligence**: Here, Krishna also claims to be the intelligence of intelligent beings. This means that any understanding, wisdom, or intelligence that people have ultimately comes from Krishna. To really understand who Krishna is, and the deep truths of life, one needs that intelligence, which is given by Him.
5. **Krishna’s different aspects**: In more advanced philosophical terms, Krishna is described as Brahman (the impersonal aspect) and Parabrahman (the personal aspect). While Brahman is a more abstract concept, Parabrahman emphasizes a personal connection, showing that Krishna isn't just a distant or uniform concept; He interacts personally with everything.
6. **The Supreme Absolute Truth**: The verse brings in a fundamental belief from Vedic scriptures: the absolute truth from which everything emerges and exists is Krishna. Everything—every creature, every thought—comes from Him, which means He is the ultimate reality and sustainer of life.
In summary, this verse emphasizes that Krishna is the source of everything, the root of all beings, the giver of intelligence, and ultimately, the one who sustains all life. Understanding this concept is essential for connecting deeper with one's spirituality and the nature of existence around us.