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The Deity said :
This everlasting 1 (system of) devotion I declared to the sun, the sun declared it to Manu 2, and Manu communicated it to Ikshvâku. Coming thus by steps, it became known to royal sages. But, O terror of (your) foes! that devotion was lost to the world by long (lapse of) time. That same primeval devotion I have declared to you to-day, seeing. that you are my devotee and friend, for it is the highest mystery.
Arguna said :
Later is your birth the birth of the sun is prior. How then shall I understand that you declared (this) first?
The Deity said :
I have passed through many births, O Arguna I and you also. I know them all, but you, O terror of (your) foes! do not know them. Even though I am unborn and inexhaustible in (my) essence, even though I am lord of all beings, still I take up the control of my own nature 3, and am born by means of my delusive power. Whensoever, O descendant of Bharata! piety languishes, and impiety is in the ascendant, I create myself. I am born age after age, for the protection of the good, for the destruction of evil-doers, and the establishment of piety. Whoever truly knows thus my divine birth and work, casts off (this) body and is not born again. He comes to me, O Arguna! Many from whom affection, fear 4, and wrath have departed, who are full of me, who depend on me, and who are purified by the penance of knowledge 5, have come into my essence. I serve men in the way in which they approach me 6. In every way, O son of Prithâ! men follow in my path 7. Desiring the success of actions 8, men in this world worship the divinities, for in this world of mortals, the success produced by action is soon obtained. The fourfold division of castes was created by me according to the apportionment of qualities and duties.
Foot Notes :
1. Because its fruit is imperishable, viz. final emancipation.
2. In the Khândogya-upanishad, Manu is the channel of communication for some doctrine taught by Pragâpati, which Manu teaches the 'people,' interpreted by Sankara to mean Ikshvâku, &c.
3. Nature is what goes to the formation of the material form in which he is born; the 'power' includes knowledge, omnipotence, &c. It is delusive because he is still really 'unborn.'
4. Cf. Sutta Nipâta,
5. Cf. infra,
6. I. e. I give to each worshipper what is proper for him.
7. The original words used here occur before in a different sense. Here the meaning is that to whomsoever directly addressed, all worship is worship of me . In the whole passage, Krishna says that the Deity is not chargeable with partiality on account of the variety of human qualities and states.
8. Such as acquisition of sons, cattle, &c.
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