This stanza indicates how Krishna is capable of explaining the Supreme which is not known by the denizens of the heaven or the hoards of the other kingdom. The Self is, of course, not known as an ‘object’ through the intervention of our instruments of knowing, nor can It be apprehended as the ‘subject’ — either through the best, or the worst in us. But, at the same time, the Self being Awareness, It in Itself is Knowledge — and to ‘know’ Knowledge, no other knowledge is needed. Therefore, it is said by Arjuna “YOU YOURSELF KNOW YOURSELF BY YOURSELF.”In the Sankhyan philosophy, the Spark-of-Life in each individual is called the Purusha, in Whose presence, the matter-envelopments constituting Prakriti, become vitalised. Here Krishna is addressed as ‘Purushottama’ meaning “the Self of all selves, the One-without-a-second.” In the Geeta, the term Purushottama is sometimes used as the ‘most glorious of men’ and sometimes in the purely technical usage as the “Supreme Self.”
Lord Krishna is now being recognised and glorified by Arjuna as the Pure Brahman, when he addresses Him as “THE SOURCE OF BEINGS, THE LORD OF BEINGS, THE DEVA OF DEVAS, AND THE RULER OF THE WORLD.” The essential stuff in any object is the ruler and maintainer of its qualities. The quality of gold rules over all the qualities of various gold ornaments whatever their shape, design, polish, etc. More than this is the controlling and the ruling power of the Consciousness in our lives, inasmuch as, without Consciousness, we know nothing, can do nothing. An awareness or knowledge of a thing or an event is possible only when the mental and intellectual disturbances caused by it are illumined by the Pure Consciousness.
AFTER THE ABOVE INTRODUCTORY WORDS, EXPRESSING HIS SENSE OF WONDER, REVERENCE, AND DEVOTION, ARJUNA IS NOW EXPRESSING DIRECTLY HIS INTELLECTUAL DEMAND TO THE LORD:
