तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च। अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सत्त्वम् असत्त्वं च अहम् अर्जुन।।9.19।।
tapāmi ahaṁ ahaṁ varṣaṁ nigṛhṇāmi utsṛjāmi ca amṛtaṁ caiva mṛtyuḥ ca sattvaṁ asattvaṁ ca ahaṁ arjuna
Translation
I give heat and I withhold rain, and I also send forth rain. I am both immortality and death, spirit and matter, O Arjuna.
Word Meanings
तपामि — I give heat; अहम् — I; वर्षम् — rain; निगृह्णामि — I withhold; उत्सृजामि — I send forth; च — and; अमृतम् — immortality; च — and; एव — certainly; मृत्युः — death; च — and; सत्त्वम् — spirit; असत्त्वम् — matter; च — and; अहम् — I; अर्जुन — O Arjuna
Understanding the Verse
Verse 9.19 reveals the all‑encompassing nature of the Divine, emphasizing that God is the source and controller of every duality that exists in the world.
The opening word "तपामि" (tapāmi) signifies the Lord’s role as the giver of heat, a metaphor for the life‑sustaining energy of the sun. In Vedic thought, heat is essential for growth, transformation, and the very act of manifestation. By stating "I give heat," the Lord identifies Himself as the primordial fire that ignites creation, the catalyst that drives all processes, both visible and subtle.
Following this, "वर्षं" (varṣaṁ) refers to rain, another vital element that nurtures the earth. The verse juxtaposes two opposite actions: "निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च" (nigṛhṇāmi utsṛjāmi ca) – I withhold and I release. This duality reflects the Divine’s sovereign control over the cycles of abundance and scarcity. When the Lord withholds rain, the world experiences drought and austerity; when He releases it, it brings fertility and prosperity. The simultaneity of these powers underscores the concept that the Divine is not bound by human notions of good or bad, but operates beyond them, maintaining cosmic balance.
The next pair of terms, "अमृतं" (amṛtaṁ) and "मृत्यु" (mṛtyuḥ), deepen this paradox. Immortality (amṛta) represents the eternal, unchanging essence of the soul, while death (mṛtyu) is the transient, material endpoint of physical existence. By proclaiming "अमृतं... मृत्युश्च" (amṛtaṁ ca mṛtyuḥ ca), the Lord affirms that He embodies both the ultimate liberation and the temporal end. This illustrates the non‑dual Advaita view that the same reality can appear as both the immutable Absolute and the ever‑changing forms within Maya.
Finally, "सत्त्वम् असत्त्वं" (sattvaṁ asattvaṁ) denotes spirit and matter, the subtle and gross dimensions of existence. In Sankhya philosophy, sattva (purity, consciousness) and asatta (materiality) are the two primary constituents of prakriti. By claiming ownership of both, the Divine expresses that He pervades the innermost consciousness of every being as well as the gross, tangible world. Hence, the Lord is both the witness within and the manifest world outside.
Addressing Arjuna directly, "अहम् अर्जुन" (ahaṁ arjuna), personalizes this cosmic truth, reminding the warrior that the same Divine force guiding the universe is also his inner guide. This verse therefore serves as a profound reminder that all dualities—heat and rain, withholding and granting, immortality and death, spirit and matter—are expressions of a single, indivisible reality. Recognizing this unity dissolves the illusion of separateness, leading the seeker toward self‑realization and surrender to the divine will.
