Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 8.4

adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ
puruṣaś cādhidaivatam
adhiyajño ’ham evātra
dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara

Word for word: 

adhibhūtam — the physical manifestation; kṣaraḥ — constantly changing; bhāvaḥ — nature; puruṣaḥ — the universal form, including all the demigods, like the sun and moon; ca — and; adhidaivatam — called adhidaiva;adhiyajñaḥ — the Supersoul; aham — I (Kṛṣṇa); eva — certainly; atra — in this; dehe — body; deha–bhṛtām — of the embodied; vara — O best.

Translation: 

O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhūta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajña [the Lord of sacrifice].

 

So now He is giving further definitions here 

adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ, the physical manifestation is constantly changing it is called as adhibhūta, kṣaro bhāvaḥ, kṣara means change so interestingly Sri Krishna has used akṣaraṁ brahma paramaṁ in previous verse so what is Brahma? He said that which is akṣara that which is unchangeable, unchangeability is the characteristic of spirit in general, here change doesn’t refer to inner changes, souls emotion may change, Krishna’s emotion may also change but here changeability refers to change in intrinsic substance, material nature we see that there is growth, there is deterioration, there is destruction, there are six kinds of changes which material nature undergoes where as spiritual natures doesn’t undergo these kinds of changes, so this is what is referred to so Brahma is akṣara it does not undergo any change it is not destructible where as adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ, adhibhūta is kṣara it keeps changing. 

Here Sri Krishna has used three words 

  1. Adhibhūta
  2. Ādhidaiva
  3. Adhiyajña

So these are different words from what we normally use let us try to understand this briefly 

So Adhibhūta refers in this particular definition as material nature. And what is the characteristic of material nature? It is constantly changing.

Now interestingly Sri Krishna has said earlier Sadi-Bhutadi Daivam Mam, Sadi-Yagum, one who underatnd Me to be Adhibhūta, Ādhidaiva And Adhiyajña that person is in knowledge and well situated for remembering Me at the time of death.

So earlier He said understand Me to be Adhibhūta and now He is saying Adhibhūta is kṣaro bhāvaḥ.

So actually we have to understand the concept of Achintya Bheda Bhed over here, which means there is simultaneously oneness and difference which is inconceivable. So Krishna has His own independence self-existence in spiritual world, where he has got nothing to do with the material nature, which is transcendental but even the material nature is His energy and in one sense the energy and energetic are none different. And because the energy and energetic are none different therefore they are interrelated. 

So adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ, so in one sense they are one so Krishna is telling that understand that material nature is Me only but what is the characteristic that Krishna manifest as material energy, material energy has a characteristic of constant change and then adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ and then puruṣaś cādhidaivatam, so ādhidaivatam means The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. (From SP translation)

So adhidaiva, Srila Prabhupada explains as Virata Rupa, puruṣaś cādhidaivatam, so the word Purusa can be used for many purposes, we can have Purasa Avatara as Maha Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, SP referred to them in the Ch7 purport when he is talking about material nature. Purusha can also refer to Virata Purusha. Purusha can also refer to conscious enjoyer the principal person as contrasted with Prakriti who is unconscious. So here Purusha refers to Virata Purusha as Srila Prabhupada has referred, the universal form.

We will discuss more elaborately what exactly Universal form.

Universal form is a media (tool) for directing the thought from nature to Lord of nature. When we see a grandeur of nature at that time one contemplate, O it is so big. The sun and moon are the eyes of the Lord. So this is actually described as Kalpitah in Bhagavatam as Kalpitah and Srila Prabhupada explain that the great thinkers imagine. Srila Prabhupada clearly uses the word imagine, it is a conceptual thing (tool).

So Sri Krishna is explaining here puruṣaś cādhidaiva,

So what is Adhidaiva, the term Adhidaiva refers to Purusha. So Krishna is saying understand that also to be Me. The chapter in SB which talks about Virata Purusa is called the first step in God realisation. So ultimately even that is meant for us to move closer to God to understand God, and to love God. So this is puruṣaś cādhidaiva, so one moves progressively towards attaining that Purusha, the absolute truth. And after that 

adhiyajño ’ham evātra, 

dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara

So Sri Krishna is also referring to Arjuna very respectfully over here deha-bhṛtāṁ vara, you are best among those who are deha-bhṛtāṁ vara. deha-bhṛtāṁ, those who have accepted the body.

dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara, so among those who have accepted the body, Arjuna, you are the best.

adhiyajño ’ham evātra

So Krishna He identifies Himself directly with all the three, He said one has to understand that all three are Me only but He is also explaining that there is a difference so adhibhūta refers to material nature which is also Sri Krishna’s energy that means Him only, puruṣaś cādhidaivatam, Virata Purusha is also He because that is conceptual representation of Krishna, and in adhiyajño ’ham evātra, so adhiyajño is also Krishna now Krishna is saying adhiyajño ’ham evātra, I am directly adhiyajña. Why He is saying this? This will be clear more in 9th chapter Aham He serva Yajnanam Bokta rev Prabhu e ren ca. In 9.24 Sri Krishna mentions that ultimately all the Yagjna are meant to satisfy Him. So adhiyajño ’ham evātra, I am the Lord of sacrifice. Sometimes people are thinking that Indra is the lord of sacrifice or Shiva is the Lord of sacrifice, yes they are but they are subordinate Lord of Sacrifice. Krishna is Superordinate, He is the ultimate Lord of sacrifice. 

adhiyajño ’ham evātra
dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara

I am situated in the body of all living beings, this point is mentioned several time in BG. 

Here Krishna is saying all sacrifices are meant for Him and that is the way living entity can move closer to Him.

End of transcription.