Verse 10.26
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः | गन्धर्वाणां चित्ररथः सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनिः ||२६||
Transliteration (IAST)
asvatthah sarva-vrksanam devarsinam ca naradah | gandharvanam citraratah siddhanam kapilo munih ||26||
Word-by-Word Meanings
asvatthah-the sacred fig tree
sarva-vrksanam-of all trees
devarsinam-of divine sages
naradah-Narada
gandharvanam-of the Gandharvas
citraratah-Chitraratha
siddhanam-of perfected beings
kapilah munih-the sage Kapila
Translation
Among trees I am the ashvattha (sacred fig tree); among divine sages I am Narada; among the Gandharvas I am Chitraratha; and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.
Commentary
The ashvattha (pipal) tree is sacred in Vedic tradition as a symbol of the cosmos itself (cf. 15.1). Narada represents the ideal devotee-sage who moves freely between worlds spreading divine knowledge. Kapila is the founder of Sankhya philosophy. Shankaracharya notes that each vibhuti represents the pinnacle of excellence in its category.
Themes
bhaktijnana