विबभाजात्मनात्मानमेकधा दशधा त्रिधा ॥७॥
sa vai viÅ›va-sá¹›jÄá¹ garbho
deva-karmÄtma-Å›aktimÄn
vibabhÄjÄtmanÄtmÄnam
ekadhÄ daÅ›adhÄ tridhÄ
saḥ - that; vai - certainly; viÅ›va-sá¹›jÄm - of the gigantic virÄá¹ form; garbhaḥ - total energy; deva - living energy; karma - activity of life; Ätma - self; Å›aktimÄn - full with potencies; vibabhÄja - divided; ÄtmanÄ - by Himself; ÄtmÄnam - Himself; ekadhÄ - in oneness; daÅ›adhÄ - in ten; tridhÄ - and in three.
The total energy of the mahat-tattva, in the form of the gigantic virÄá¹-rÅ«pa, divided Himself by Himself into the consciousness of the living entities, the life of activity, and self-identification, which are subdivided into one, ten and three respectively.
Consciousness is the sign of the living entity, or the soul. The existence of the soul is manifest in the form of consciousness, called jñÄna-Å›akti. The total consciousness is that of the gigantic virÄá¹-rÅ«pa, and the same consciousness is exhibited in individual persons. The activity of consciousness is performed through the air of life, which is of ten divisions. The airs of life are called prÄṇa, apÄna, udÄna, vyÄna and samÄna and are also differently qualified as nÄga, kÅ«rma, ká¹›kara, devadatta and dhanañjaya. The consciousness of the soul becomes polluted by the material atmosphere, and thus various activities are exhibited in the false ego of bodily identification. These various activities are described in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (2.41) as bahu-Å›ÄkhÄ hy anantÄÅ› ca buddhayo ’vyavasÄyinÄm. The conditioned soul is bewildered into various activities for want of pure consciousness. In pure consciousness the activity is one. The consciousness of the individual soul becomes one with the supreme consciousness when there is complete synthesis between the two.
The monist believes that there is only one consciousness, whereas the sÄtvatas, or the devotees, believe that although there is undoubtedly one consciousness, they are one because there is agreement. The individual consciousness is advised to dovetail with the supreme consciousness, as instructed by the Lord in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.66): sarva-dharmÄn parityajya mÄm ekaá¹ Å›araṇaá¹ vraja. The individual consciousness (Arjuna) is advised to dovetail with the supreme consciousness and thus maintain his conscious purity. It is foolish to try to stop the activities of consciousness, but they can be purified when they are dovetailed with the Supreme. This consciousness is divided into three modes of self-identification according to the proportion of purity: ÄdhyÄtmika, or self-identification with the body and mind, Ädhibhautika, or self-identification with the material products, and Ädhidaivika, or self-identification as a servant of the Lord. Of the three, Ädhidaivika self-identification is the beginning of purity of consciousness in pursuance of the desire of the Lord.
