10.28 Among causes of birth, desire Krishna speaks
आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक्
प्रजनश्चास्मि कन्दर्पः सर्पाणामस्मि वासुकिः
āyudhānām ahaṁ vajraṁ dhenūnām asmi kāmadhuk
prajanaśh chāsmi kandarpaḥ sarpāṇām asmi vāsukiḥ
Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows, the wish-granting cow; among causes of birth, desire; and among serpents, Vasuki.
Explanation
And among causes of birth, desire.
The thunderbolt among weapons, the wish-granting cow among cows, Vasuki among serpents — and kandarpaḥ, desire, among the causes of generation.
Chapter 3 named desire the enemy. Here it appears in a list of glories, which is the same refusal to divide the world that puts death in the list six verses on.
Word by word
- āyudhānām
- amongst weapons
- aham
- I
- vajram
- the Vajra (thunderbolt)
- dhenūnām
- amongst cows
- asmi
- I am
- kāma-dhuk
- Kamdhenu
- prajanaḥ
- amongst causes for procreation
- cha
- and
- asmi
- I am
- kandarpaḥ
- Kaamdev, the god of love
- sarpāṇām
- amongst serpents
- asmi
- I am
- vāsukiḥ
- serpent Vasuki
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