Bhagwad Gita - Post 125

Verse 22

Vedaanaam saamavedo’smi

Devaanaam asmi vaasavah;

Indriyaanaam manashchaasmi

Bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa.

Vedānāṁ sāmavedo’smi: “I am the Sama Veda among the Vedas.” Because of its intonation, the beauty of its melody and the belief that it is the quintessence of even the Rigveda—and, in addition, it is set to music—the Sama Veda is considered to be especially sacred.

Devānām asmi vāsavaḥ: “I am Indra among the Gods” because he is the king of the Gods. 

Indriyāṇāṁ manaś cāsmi: “Of all the perceptive capacities, I am the mind.” This is because even though the sense organs are organs of perception, no doubt, without the mind they cannot perceive anything; the eyes cannot see, the ears cannot hear, etc. 

The central cognitive or perceptive faculty is the mind. The mind is the king in this body, operating its satellites which are the sense organs. So “I am the mind among the sense organs—that is, the cognitive functions.”

Bhūtānām asmi cetanā: “I am consciousness among all people. Wherever there is awareness, consider Me as manifest there.”

Verse 23

Rudraanaam shankarashchaasmi

Vittesho yaksharakshasaam;

Vasoonaam paavakashchaasmi

Meruh shikharinaamaham.

Rudrāṇāṁ śaṁkaraś cāsmi: Just as there are twelve Adityas, there are eleven Rudras, of which the most peaceful and compassionate one—the salubrious and most easily approachable, calm and quiet one—is Siva. Rudra is supposed to be very angry, ferocious and active; but all forms of Rudra are not like that. 

 

Rudra is also Siva. There is the Siva aspect which is calm and blessed and subdued, and there is also Rudra which is fierce. “There are eleven Rudras, of which the glorious, peaceful Sankara am I, radiating love and compassion.”

It is said that Ravana worshipped Rudra in all the forms. Ravana had ten heads. The story goes that Ravana cut off one of his heads and offered it to one form of Rudra. He then cut off another head and offered it to the second Rudra. In this manner he offered his ten heads to ten Rudras; but the eleventh Rudra could not be appeased because Ravana did not have eleven heads.

The eleventh Rudra became angry because nothing had been offered to him, so he appeared in the form of fierce Hanuman.

It is said that Hanuman in Lanka was a manifestation of the eleventh Rudra — Rudravatara — who destroyed Lanka because Ravana could not satisfy him. It seems that Ravana wept and said, “If I had eleven heads, I would not have suffered like this. I had only ten.” 

Vitteśo yakṣarakṣasām: “Among the Yakshas and Rakshasas—the demi-gods, who are neither brutal Rakshasas nor Gods, but are something midway between them—I am Kubera, the Lord of riches, the treasurer of Rudra, or Siva.”

Vasūnāṁ pāvakaś cāsmi: “There are eight Vasus, called Ashtavasu, who are also demigods. Of them I am Agni, the fire God.”

Meruḥ śikhariṇām aham: “Of all the highest mountains with towering peaks, I am Meru Parvata.”

Verse 24

Purodhasaam cha mukhyam

Maam viddhipaartha brihaspatim;

Senaaneenaamaham skandah

Sarasaamasmi saagarah.

Purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim  “Among all preceptors, guides, and all Gurus, I am Brihaspati.” This is because Brihaspati is supposed to be the most intelligent and wisest of all teachers. He is the Guru of the Gods, and is a God himself.

Senānīnām ahaṁ skandaḥ: “Among military generals, I am Skanda.” Skanda, or Kartikeya, was the most powerful leader of armies.

Sarasām asmi sāgaraḥ: “Among reservoirs of water, I am the ocean” because it is the vastest reservoir of water. 

Thus, as given in the introduction to these verses in the previous post, in all these declaration, Sri Krishna is either pointing out at highest physical power or vastness (of all other than human beings) or  highest intellect (when it is about Living beings). When Sri Krishna is referring to any incarnation (like Skanda), all powers, physical and intelligence and even beyond, are all considered together.

Love.