Any serious student of Bhagavad Gita will come to the conclusion that Krishna is the Supreme Lord. But many people appreciate Gita and claim to read Gita but fail to accept that Krishna is the Supreme Lord.
Why is it so? It could be because they are not delving deep into Gita and reading it only superficially. Also, it is important that we study scriptures like Gita under the guidance of a bona fide guru.
A bona fide guru is one who has not just studied Bhagavad Gita but is also living his life as per the teachings of Bhagavad Gita.
Arjuna was fortunate because he had Krishna with him. He accepted Krishna as his guru and like a submissive student he studied under him. After hearing from Krishna, Arjuna understood that Krishna is the Supreme Lord.
Although Krishna did not have to prove that he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he did it for our own benefit. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna gives evidence that he is the Supreme Lord, and he also practically demonstrates while showing his universal form.
No truth superior to Krishna
For the first time in Bhagavad Gita Krishna reveals that he is the Supreme Lord when he says,
“O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” Bhagavad Gita 7.7
So, here Krishna is saying that just like pearls are held together by a string, similarly the entire universe consisting of multitude of galaxies, planets, stars, suns and moons rest upon him. The entire universe is always in perfect order, so we are surviving. But this order is possible only because of Krishna.
Now what about the material nature. Sun rises every morning in the eastern horizon and sets in the west. We have different seasons, summer, monsoon and winter. We sow the seed, and the trees and plants grow which is vital for our survival. Every moment we are getting oxygen without which we would die in few seconds.
This material nature is one of the energies of Krishna and it works under his direction.
“This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, producing all moving and nonmoving beings. Under its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” Bhagavad Gita 9.10
Krishna is the original father and mother
None of us suddenly appears in this world from nowhere. To take birth in this world, we need mother and father. And our mother and father also takes birth from their mother and father and so on. But the original father and mother of all living beings is Krishna.
“I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire.” Bhagavad Gita 9.17
But Krishna is unborn, ajanma. He does not have father and mother like us. Yes, to perform pastimes, he has mother and father like Yashoda and Nanda Maharaj.
Again, in Bhagavad Gita 14.4, Krishna confirms that he is the seed giving father of all species – ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā.
“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” Bhagavad Gita 14.4
Krishna is the source of all demigods
Vedic scriptures also talk about various demigods like Ganesha, Kartikeya, Indra, Chandra, Varun etc. There are millions of people who worship demigods because they consider them powerful and think that by pleasing them their desires will get fulfilled.
But in Bhagavad Gita 10.2, Krishna explains that there is no need to separately worship demigods because he is the source of the demigods.
What to speak of the demigods and ordinary beings like us, he says that he is the source of all the spiritual and material worlds, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, BG 10.8.
Universal form proves Krishna is the Supreme Lord
Arjuna does not dispute this fact. He too accepts that Krishna is the Supreme Lord and ultimate abode of all. And according to Arjuna, this fact is even corroborated by great sages like Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa. BG 10.12-13.
Whatever magnificent we see and extraordinary we perceive has its root in Krishna only.
For example, Krishna says, “Of the Ādityas I am Viṣṇu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Marīci, and among the stars I am the moon. Of the Vedas I am the Sāma Veda; of the demigods I am Indra, the king of heaven; of the senses I am the mind; and in living beings I am the living force [consciousness].” BG 10.21-22
Although Arjuna has no doubt that Krishna is the Supreme Lord but still, he requests Krishna to show his universal form,virāṭ-rūpa, so that no one ever doubts Krishna’s claim that he is the Supreme.
When Krishna shows his gigantic universal form which was spread throughout the universe then Arjuna sees the entire creation within Krishna. He sees the planets, the sky, the stars, the moon. He also sees within Krishna creation and annihilation, birth and death.
In fact, he sees everything within Krishna, “My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower, as well as Lord Śiva and all the sages and divine serpents.” BG 11.15
Arjuna sees in that universal form all powerful demigods and great sages are surrendering to Krishna and offering their prayers to him.
Demigods & sages surrender to Krishna
“All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying “All peace!” are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.” Bhagavad Gita 11.21.
“All the various manifestations of Lord Śiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvīs, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.” Bhagavad Gita 11.22
Now no other demigods have ever shown any universal form. Not just that many other religions of this world do not have any examples of their Gods showing any such universal form.
Conclusion
So, after studying Bhagavad Gita, we can conclude that Krishna indeed is the Supreme Lord. This great literature firmly establishes that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So, Gita Mahatmya says, let there be only one scripture, Gītopaniṣad or Bhagavad Gita, in the entire world which was spoken by the son of Devaki because this scripture alone can save the entire humanity.
