The Lord describes His divine glories.
Therefore, I will describe My divine glories to you, but only the most prominent ones, for My splendor is infinite. I am the Supreme Soul, residing in the heart of every being. Of all, I am the beginning, the middle, and the end.
Among the Adityas, I am Vishnu, and among the sources of light, the radiant sun. Among the Maruts, I am Marici, and among the stars of the night, the moon.
Among the Vedas, I am the Sama Veda. Among the celestial beings, I am Indra, and among the senses, the mind. In beings, I am the vital force [consciousness]. Among the Rudras, I am Shiva. Of the Yakshas and Rakshasas, I am the celestial being of wealth [Kubera], and among the Vasus, I am Fire [Agni]. Among the mountains, I am Meru.
Among the priests, know that I am the chief, Brihaspati, the lord of devotion, and among the military leaders, Skanda, the lord of war. Among the waters, I am the ocean.
Among the great sages, I am Bhrigu. Among the vibrations of sound, I am Om, the absolute syllable, and among the sacrifices, japa, the chanting of the Holy Names. Among the immovable masses, I am the Himalayas.
Among the trees, I am the sacred fig tree, and among the sages and celestial beings, Narada. Among the Gandharvas, singers of the celestial beings, I am Chitraratha, and among the perfected souls, the sage Kapila. Among the horses, know that I am Uccaihsrava, born from the nectar of immortality. Among the noble elephants, I am Airavata, and among men, the monarch.
Among weapons, I am the thunderbolt, and among cows, Surabhi, the cow of abundant milk. Among those who procreate, I am Kandarpa, the celestial being of love, and among serpents, the king, Vasuki.
Among the Nagas, the celestial serpents, I am Ananta, and among the rulers of the waters, Varuna. Among the ancestors, I am Aryama, and among those who uphold the law, the celestial being of death.
Among the demonic Daityas, I am the devout Prahlada, and among those who subdue, I am Time. Among beasts, I am the lion, and among birds, Garuda, who carries Vishnu.
Among purifiers, I am the wind, and among those who bear arms, I am Rama. Among fish, I am the shark, and among rivers, the Ganges. Of all creation, I am the beginning and the end, and the middle. Among all sciences, I am the spiritual science of the soul, and of logicians, I am the conclusion, the ultimate truth.
Among letters, I am the A, and among compound words, the dvandva. I am also inexhaustible time, and among creators, Brahma, whose many faces look everywhere.
I am death, which devours all, and also the Source of all that is to come. In woman, I am the name, fortune, but also beautiful words, memory, intelligence, fidelity, and patience.
Among hymns, I am the Brhat-sama, which is sung for Indra, and among poems, the Gayatri, which is chanted daily by learned sages. Among months, I am November and December, and among seasons, the blossoming spring.
I am the game of deceivers, and the splendor of all that shines. I am victory, adventure, and the strength of the strong.
Among the descendants of Vrsni, I am Vasudeva, and among the Pandavas, Arjuna. Among sages, I am Vyasa, and among great thinkers, Usana.
Among punishments, I am the rod, and among those who seek to conquer, morality. Of secret things, I am silence, and of the wise, wisdom.
Furthermore, I am the Seed of all existence: Nothing mobile or immobile exists without Me. My divine glories know no limits. What I have revealed to you is merely an example, a tiny fraction of My infinite greatness. All that is beautiful, powerful, and glorious, know this, is but a mere fragment of My splendor. But what is the point of all this detail?
For, with a single spark of My Being, I permeate and sustain the entire universe.
I am the seed, that is, the fundamental principle of this world of mobile and immobile entities. I am the substance of matter, the material cause and the efficient spiritual cause.
Within Me lies unlimited power; therefore, I am known as infinite, or omnipresent. The cosmic manifestation appeared within Me from My material energy, and in this universal manifestation appeared the first being, Brahma, who had no material mother.