BG 10.37 vrsinam vasudevo smi... cited

Expressions researched:
"kavinam usana kavih" |"muninam apy aham vyasah" |"pandavanam dhananjayah" |"vrsninam vasudevo 'smi"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 10.37, Translation and Purport:

Of the descendants of Vṛṣṇi I am Vāsudeva, and of the Pāṇḍavas I am Arjuna. Of the sages I am Vyāsa, and among great thinkers I am Uśanā.

Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva is Kṛṣṇa's immediate expansion. Both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva appeared as sons of Vāsudeva, so both of Them may be called Vāsudeva. From another point of view, because Kṛṣṇa never leaves Vṛndāvana, all the forms of Kṛṣṇa that appear elsewhere are His expansions. Vāsudeva is Kṛṣṇa's immediate expansion, so Vāsudeva is not different from Kṛṣṇa. It is to be understood that the Vāsudeva referred to in this verse of Bhagavad-gītā is Baladeva, or Balarāma, because He is the original source of all incarnations and thus He is the sole source of Vāsudeva. The immediate expansions of the Lord are called svāṁśa (personal expansions), and there are also expansions called vibhinnāṁśa (separated expansions).

Amongst the sons of Pāṇḍu, Arjuna is famous as Dhanañjaya. He is the best of men and therefore represents Kṛṣṇa. Among the munis, or learned men conversant in Vedic knowledge, Vyāsa is the greatest because he explained Vedic knowledge in many different ways for the understanding of the common mass of people in this Age of Kali. And Vyāsa is also known as an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa; therefore Vyāsa also represents Kṛṣṇa. Kavis are those who are capable of thinking thoroughly on any subject matter. Among the kavis, Uśanā, Śukrācārya, was the spiritual master of the demons; he was an extremely intelligent and far-seeing politician. Thus Śukrācārya is another representative of the opulence of Kṛṣṇa.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Kīrtiḥ śrīr vāk ca nārīṇām, smṛtir medhā and dhṛtiḥ and kṣamā. These are the feminine qualities. "There I am. I am kṣamā, I am dhṛtiḥ, I am medhā, I am smṛtir and I am the melodious sound of women. I am kīrtiḥ and I am śrīr."

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Dr. Patel:

bṛhat-sāma tathā sāmnāṁ

gāyatrī chandasām aham

māsānāṁ mārga-śīrṣo 'ham

ṛtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ

dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi

tejas tejasvinām aham

jayo 'smi vyavasāyo 'smi

sattvaṁ sattvavatām aham

vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo 'smi

pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ

Prabhupāda: Ah. (laughs) Pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ.

Dr. Patel: "I am you." That means "I am you."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Munīnām apy ahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnām uśanā kaviḥ.

Prabhupāda: Not "I am you." That is Māyāvāda. Dhanañjaya especially, not the rascals.

Dr. Patel: "You" means he is talking with whom? Dhanañjaya.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, Dhanañjaya. You can take, Dhanañjaya. Not that general people.

Dr. Patel: But that is what He says, that "I am you." Kṛṣṇa says...

Prabhupāda: Not you, Dhanañjaya. "You" means... Why you are changing the word? No, no, it is said, Dhanañjaya. You say Dhanañjaya.

Dr. Patel: Pārtha, Dhanañjaya, He is...

Prabhupāda: Yes. And after...

Dr. Patel: But he is talking with Dhanañjaya.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. You cannot make it an impersonal. As soon as you say Dhanañjaya, He is person.

Dr. Patel: Oh yes, that way. That way you are right. Vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo 'smi. That means He is the father of even Himself.

vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo 'smi

pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ

munīnām apy ahaṁ vyāsaḥ

kavīnām uśanā kaviḥ

Prabhupāda: Yes, Vyāsadeva is incarnation of God.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. That is knowledge.

Dr. Ramachandra: Sa mahātmā.

Prabhupāda: Sa mahātmā. If you do not know vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), śrama eva hi kevalam: (SB 1.2.8) simply you have labored hard. That's all. You have gained nothing. And if you understood Vāsudeva, then you understood everything. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati.

Dr. Ramachandra: How do you explain vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo 'smi?

Prabhupāda: Yes, He's the chief of everything. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). That is the... He is the origin of everything. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. If you know the root, then you know the whole tree, where to water. If you water the root, so it, water goes. It goes to the highest twigs. You haven't got to take trouble to go to the up to pour water. You pour water in the root. This is the way.

Guest (1): Once He says, vāsudevaḥ sarvam, and again He says, vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo 'smi. So the meaning of that word is...

Prabhupāda: So does it mean that He is not sarvam? One who does not understand vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), particular, "It is also vāsudeva. It is also vāsudeva. It is also vāsudeva," that is called less intelligent. Otherwise one who is intelligent, he'll under..., vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti: (BG 7.19) "Everything is vāsudeva." Sa mahātmā. But if he has no intelligence, then "I am this, I am God. I am Kṛṣṇa." The same example, just like here is a tree. If I say, "The root, you pour water," here is everything. Otherwise this is also tree, the leaf is also tree, the twig also tree, the flower is also tree... You go on like that. They are of the same value. But if one is intelligent, he will understand, "Here is everything," vāsudevaḥ sarvam, the root. That's all. What is that?

Devotee: I was just telling this gentleman that the reporters may have some other questions also.

Prabhupāda: Then that is his wish. (pause) This is our movement.