Chapter 9 Verse 19
Rāja Vidyā Yog
तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च। अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन।।9.19।।
tapāmyaham ahaṁ varṣhaṁ nigṛihṇāmyutsṛijāmi cha amṛitaṁ chaiva mṛityuśh cha sad asach chāham arjuna
Word Meanings
| tapāmi | radiate heat |
| aham | I |
| aham | I |
| varṣham | rain |
| nigṛihṇāmi | withhold |
| utsṛijāmi | send forth |
| cha | and |
| amṛitam | immortality |
| cha | and |
| eva | also |
| mṛityuḥ | death |
| cha | and |
| sat | eternal spirit |
| asat | temporary matter |
| cha | and |
| aham | I |
| arjuna | Arjun |
Translation
As the sun, I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also death, existence and non-existence, O Arjuna.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
In this verse Krishna says he is the power behind natural cycles. Like the sun giving heat and the rain coming and going, the divine controls the giving and withholding in life. He is the source of birth and the reality of death, of what lasts and what changes.
Philosophically, this teaches that the ultimate reality includes both sides of every situation. Life and death, presence and absence, gain and loss are not separate from the divine. Seeing this helps us understand that change is part of a larger order and not a personal failure.
Spiritually, the verse invites trust and inner steadiness. When we recognize a deeper, unchanging presence beneath change, we can act with care and let go of fear about outcomes.
Life Application
- When things are gained or lost, pause and remember it is part of natural change; avoid clinging or blaming yourself.
- Do your duties with sincerity, but accept that outcomes are not fully under your control.
- Treat nature and others with respect, knowing the same source gives and takes; this encourages compassionate action rather than selfish grasping.
Reflection Question
What one fear about loss or change can I soften by seeing it as part of a larger flow?