Chapter 11: The Cosmic Vision · Verse 43

पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य त्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् |

न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव ॥४३॥

pitāsi lokasya carācarasya tvamasya pūjyaśca gururgarīyān |

na tvatsamostayabhyadhikaḥ kuto'nyo lokatraye'pyapratimaprabhāva ||43||

You are the father of this entire world, of all that moves and does not move. You are its most venerable teacher, the greatest guru. No one is equal to You in the three worlds — how then could there be anyone greater, O one of incomparable power?

father supreme-teacher incomparable reverence hierarchy

Synthesis

Arjuna declares Krishna the father of the world, the most venerable teacher, the one whose power nothing can equal in all three worlds. Shankaracharya sees this as the highest possible declaration of divine supremacy. Ramanujacharya reads 'none is equal' as the definitive statement of the Lord's incomparability. Madhva establishes the dual role of supreme authority and protective love inherent in the father metaphor. Abhinavagupta sees three aspects of Shiva: source, illuminator, and most venerable. Vallabha affirms the Lord's categorical uniqueness — not merely greatest but categorically different from all. Tilak reads incomparable power as the ultimate assurance for the warrior. Vivekananda sees the universe as a family with a parent who combines authority, wisdom, and infinite power. Together, these perspectives establish the most comprehensive vision of the divine: not merely the most powerful being but the very source, teacher, and protector of all that exists — a reality so unique that no comparison is possible and no rival exists.

Commentaries 8 traditions

Advaita Vedanta/Adi Shankaracharya

Shankara explains that as father, the Lord is the material and efficient cause of creation; as the greatest guru, He is the source of all liberating knowledge; as the incomparable one, He is the Absolute beyond all comparison. These three roles exhaust all categories of supremacy.

Apply This Verse

Personal Growth

Honor the sources that created you, the teachers that guided you, and the principles that are incomparably greater than any individual. Reverence for what is truly above you is a mark of wisdom, not weakness.

Questions this verse answers

  • ?"Who are the sources, teachers, and incomparable influences in my life?"
  • ?"Do I honor what is genuinely greater than me?"
  • ?"How do I express reverence without losing my own dignity?"
  • ?"What in my life is truly beyond comparison?"