1 · Learn3 of 6 · 5 min
Study a Verse
Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 9.17
पिताहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामह: ।
वेद्यं पवित्रम् ॐकार ऋक् साम यजुरेव च ॥ १७ ॥
pitāham asya jagato
mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ
vedyaṁ pavitram oṁ-kāra
ṛk sāma yajur eva ca
I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oṁ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Kṛṣṇa is the universe’s father, mother, support and grandfather. He is the object of knowledge, the purifier, oṁ and the Vedas.
Prabhupāda explains that all living beings, including our relatives, are parts of Kṛṣṇa, and all the Vedas aim toward Him.
Study the Vedas with the aim of understanding Kṛṣṇa.
Krishna as all the relationships — In the material existence, we create different relationships with different living entities who are nothing but Krishna’s marginal energy; under the creation of ‘praktrti’, some of them appear as our father, mother, grandfather, creator etc. But actually they are parts and parcels of Krishna
Study translation for all points
Only the important terms are clarified here:
Father, Mother, Support and Grandsire — All these relationships in the material world are part and parcel of Krishna which implies they are all Krishna.
Dhata — implies creator or supporter
Purifier — That subject matter which helps us purify our constitution position is also Krishna
Omkara — A transcendental sound vibration in all Vedic mantras, is therefore Krishna
All the Vedas — Because all the hymns have ‘Omkara’, therefore it is Krishna
Duratmas – Fools who think Krishna’s form is ordinary are defeated in their endeavours (9.11 – 9.12)
Mahatmas – Those who know that Krishna has a transcendental form take shelter of Him and worship Him (9.13 – 9.14)
Indirect worshippers – All who take shelter of a conception of Supreme and worship it, are ultimately worshipping Krishna, but they worship Him indirectly – These are of 3 types:
Ekatvena – the monist, the lowest, worships himself as one with the Supreme (9.11 – 9.12)
Visvato-mukham – a worshiper of the material, universal form is the best (9.16 – 9.19)
Prthakvena – a demigod worshiper, is situated higher than the ‘ekatvena’ (9.20 – 9.25)
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: bhagavān, vibhūti.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 9.17 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to krishna’s nature?
Notice something excellent and see it as His opulence.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.