8.4 The rest, and one surprise Krishna speaks
अधिभूतं क्षरो भावः पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम्
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर
adhibhūtaṁ kṣharo bhāvaḥ puruṣhaśh chādhidaivatam
adhiyajño ’ham evātra dehe deha-bhṛitāṁ vara
The ground of matter is perishable nature; the ground of the gods is the cosmic person; and I am the lord of offerings, here in this body, best of the embodied.
Explanation
The remaining answers, and then one that is not a definition.
- the ground of matter is perishable nature
- the ground of the gods is the cosmic person
- the lord of offerings is — I am, here in this body
The last one breaks the pattern. Krishna has been naming principles; now he says the receiver of every offering is already present in the body he is speaking to. Nothing has to be travelled to. That is the claim the rest of the chapter rests on.
Word by word
- adhibhūtam
- the ever changing physical manifestation
- kṣharaḥ
- perishable
- bhāvaḥ
- nature
- puruṣhaḥ
- the cosmic personality of God, encompassing the material creation
- cha
- and
- adhidaivatam
- the Lord of the celestial gods
- adhiyajñaḥ
- the Lord of all sacrifices
- aham
- I
- eva
- certainly
- atra
- here
- dehe
- in the body
- deha-bhṛitām
- of the embodied
- vara
- O best
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