tapāmyaham ahaṁ varṣhaṁ nigṛihṇāmyutsṛijāmi cha
amṛitaṁ chaiva mṛityuśh cha sad asach chāham arjuna
tapāmi — radiate heat;
aham — I;
aham — I;
varṣham — rain;
nigṛihṇāmi — withhold;
utsṛijāmi — send forth;
cha — and;
amṛitam — immortality;
cha — and;
eva — also;
mṛityuḥ — death;
cha — and;
sat — eternal spirit;
asat — temporary matter;
cha — and;
aham — I;
arjuna — Arjun
In this verse, Krishna is explaining that He has control over many aspects of nature and life itself. For instance, when we feel the warmth of the sun or the cool breeze, it’s Krishna’s energy that creates these experiences. He is saying that He can bring heat and sunshine, but He can also hold back rain when needed, like during dry seasons, or send it down heavily when it’s time for rain.
Krishna is also saying something profound about life and death. He mentions that He embodies both immortality (eternal life) and death (the end of life). This means that while we may think of life as something separate from death, in reality, both of these experiences are part of Krishna. He is saying that life (what we call 'being') and the lack of life (what we call 'nonbeing') are both connected to Him.
When we look at life, we often worry about death or think of it as something fearful and negative. However, Krishna teaches that death is just another part of the cycle of life. In His view, there’s no real difference between life and death; they are both part of a bigger picture. This perspective comes from recognizing that everything is connected through Krishna.
When someone reaches a higher level of understanding—what is called 'Krishna consciousness'—they start to see this reality: that everything in life is connected to Krishna. They realize that whether something is living or lifeless, joyful or sorrowful, it all comes from the same source, which is Krishna. Therefore, in this understanding, one learns to appreciate all aspects of life without fear of death or clinging too tightly to life. This advanced understanding brings peace and a feeling of unity with everything around them.