Bhagavad Gita BG 10.12
Chapter 10, Verse 12 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अर्जुन उवाच । परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान् । पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यं आदिदेवमजं विभुम् ॥
arjuna uvaca param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan purusham shashvatam divyam adidevam ajam vibhum
Meaning
Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode, the supremely purifying. You are the eternal divine Purusha, the primordial God, unborn, all-pervading.
Understanding
Arjuna's spontaneous recognition of Krishna's full nature, building on the teaching received so far. A six-fold declaration: (1) Param brahma (Supreme Brahman — the Absolute). (2) Param dhama (Supreme Abode — the ultimate ground). (3) Pavitram paramam (supremely purifying). (4) Purusham shashvatam divyam (eternal divine Purusha). (5) Adidevam (primordial God — the first/origin of all deities). (6) Ajam vibhum (unborn and all-pervading). This is Arjuna's first full recognition before the Vishvarupa experience of Chapter 11.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| परं ब्रह्म | param brahma | Supreme Brahman |
| परं धाम | param dhama | Supreme Abode |
| पवित्रम् | pavitram | purifying, the pure |
| आदिदेवम् | adidevam | primordial God, origin of all deities |
| विभुम् | vibhum | all-pervading, omnipresent |
| अर्जुन उवाच | arjuna uvāca | Arjuna said |
| परम् | param | supreme |
| ब्रह्म | brahma | Brahman, the Absolute |
| परम् | param | supreme |
| धाम | dhāma | abode, light |
| परमम् | paramam | the highest |
| भवान् | bhavān | You |
| पुरुषम् | puruṣam | the Person |
| शाश्वतम् | śāśvatam | eternal |
| दिव्यम् | divyam | divine |
| आदिदेवम् | ādidevam | the primeval God |
| अजम् | ajam | unborn |