Chapter 10: Divine Manifestations · Verse 2

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

न मे विदुः सुरगणाः प्रभवं न महर्षयः |

अहमादिर्हि देवानां महर्षीणां च सर्वशः ॥२॥

śrībhagavānuvāca |

na me viduḥ suragaṇāḥ prabhavaṃ na maharṣayaḥ |

ahamādirhi devānāṃ maharṣīṇāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ ||2||

Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know My origin, for I am the source of all the gods and great sages in every way.

divine mystery transcendence humility origin of creation unknowable

Synthesis

Krishna declares that His origin is unknowable even to the most exalted beings — gods and rishis — because He is their very source. Shankaracharya explains that the effect cannot comprehend the cause. Ramanujacharya emphasizes that only through grace can one begin to understand God. Madhva explains that the Lord's unknowability stems from His absolute independence, which categorically exceeds all dependent beings. Abhinavagupta interprets this as the infinite nature of Consciousness — the eye cannot see itself. Vallabha reads it as affirming that Brahman's fullness can never be contained by finite minds. Tilak draws a practical lesson: partial understanding is sufficient grounds for right action. Vivekananda sees liberation from the tyranny of intellectual completeness — the seeker can approach God through love and direct experience. The Bhakti tradition finds an invitation to awe and wonder. Together, these perspectives reveal that the divine mystery is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be revered, approached through humility, devotion, and the recognition that the infinite will always exceed our grasp.

Commentaries 8 traditions

Advaita Vedanta/Adi Shankaracharya

Shankara explains that since Brahman is the material and efficient cause of all beings including gods and sages, none of them can know Its origin. The effect cannot comprehend the cause from which it arises — only through self-knowledge can one approach this mystery.

Apply This Verse

Personal Growth

Accepting that some things are beyond your full comprehension is not weakness but wisdom. Intellectual humility opens doors that certainty keeps shut.

Questions this verse answers

  • ?"How do I embrace mystery instead of needing to know everything?"
  • ?"Why does admitting I don't know feel so uncomfortable?"
  • ?"How do I stay curious when I feel like I should already have answers?"
  • ?"What is beyond my ability to understand, and how do I make peace with that?"