10.15 You alone know yourself Arjuna speaks
स्वयमेवात्मनाऽत्मानं वेत्थ त्वं पुरुषोत्तम
भूतभावन भूतेश देवदेव जगत्पते
swayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣhottama
bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśha deva-deva jagat-pate
You alone know yourself by yourself, highest person, source of beings, lord of beings, god of gods, ruler of the world.
Explanation
You alone know yourself by yourself.
Which is the conclusion 10.2 forces. If nothing can locate its own source, then the only witness available is the source itself.
Arjuna has worked this out rather than been told it, and it is the ground for the request he makes next: he cannot find out, so he has to ask.
Word by word
- swayam
- yourself
- eva
- indeed
- ātmanā
- by yourself
- ātmānam
- yourself
- vettha
- know
- tvam
- you
- puruṣha-uttama
- the Supreme Personality
- bhūta-bhāvana
- the Creator of all beings
- bhūta-īśha
- the Lord of everything
- deva-deva
- the God of gods
- jagat-pate
- the Lord of the universe
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