Kṛṣṇa’s indecipherable opulences

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In the tenth chapter of the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa describes His vibhūtis, or divine opulences. The purpose of these descriptions is not to give us a catalog of cosmic manifestations but to teach us to see Kṛṣṇa behind all wonderful manifestations. When we learn to see Kṛṣṇa behind all attractive manifestations and objects, the vision of the world starts bringing us closer to Kṛṣṇa, instead of distracting us from Him.

Some of the manifestations Kṛṣṇa mentions are easy to understand. Of immovable things, He is the Himālayas, and of vibrations, He is the transcendental oṁ. However, other manifestations can be difficult to explain.

In this article, we will try to answer some of the questions you may have while reading it.

What does “I am” mean?

While describing His opulences, Kṛṣṇa identifies Himself with each one of them with the expression “I am.” We can understand that Kṛṣṇa is Viṣnu, but Kṛṣṇa being the lion or the shark may sound confusing.

The point is that Kṛṣṇa’s “I am” for each manifestation does not imply the same type of relationship in every case. Sometimes the manifestation is an extraordinary living entity like Airāvata, sometimes an empowered incarnation, as in the case of Nārada Muni or the four Kumāras, and sometimes it is a direct incarnation, as in the case of Kapila and Vāmanadeva. The common point is, therefore, not that all these manifestations belong to the same exact category, but that they manifest Kṛṣṇa’s opulence in different ways.

Nārada, Prahlāda and Garuḍa

Nārada is supreme among the great sages and demigods because of his exceptional quality of devotional service. While most of the other empowered beings are mentioned because of exceptional material qualities, Nārada is mentioned because of his extraordinary potency in giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. Wherever he goes, knowledge of Kṛṣṇa and devotional service follows. Nārada can enter the life of a materially conditioned person like Mṛgāri or Prācīnabarhi and redirect their whole existence toward Kṛṣṇa.

Prahlāda is supreme among the demons because of his extraordinary steadfastness in devotion to Kṛṣṇa, while Garuḍa is supreme among birds because of his service as the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu. Their excellence is thus not measured by material power, but by their extraordinary devoti