Devanagari
अधिभूतं क्षरो भाव: पुरुषश्चाधिदैवतम् ।
अधियज्ञोऽहमेवात्र देहे देहभृतां वर ॥ ४ ॥
Verse text
adhibhūtaṁ kṣaro bhāvaḥ
puruṣaś cādhidaivatam
adhiyajṣo ’ham evātra
dehe deha-bhṛtāṁ vara
Synonyms
adhibhūtam
—
the physical manifestation
;
kṣaraḥ
—
constantly changing
;
bhāvaḥ
—
nature
;
puruṣaḥ
—
the universal form, including all the demigods, like the sun and moon
;
ca
—
and
;
adhidaivatam
—
called adhidaiva
;
adhiyajṣaḥ
—
the Supersoul
;
aham
—
I (Kṛṣṇa)
;
eva
—
certainly
;
atra
—
in this
;
dehe
—
body
;
deha-bhṛtām
—
of the embodied
;
vara
—
O best.
Translation
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly changing, is called adhibhūta [the material manifestation]. The universal form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajṣa [the Lord of sacrifice].
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
4. Adhibhūta refers to all the temporary material objects. Adhidaiva refers to the universal body of the Lord. I, on the other hand, am the adhiyajṣa situated in the body, O Arjuna, best among souls situated in a body.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
4. Adhibhūta refers to the temporary material body. Adhidaiva refers to the universal body of the Lord. I, on the other hand, am the adhiyajṣa situated in the body, O best among souls situated in a body.
Purport
The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass through six stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for some duration, they produce some by-products, they dwindle, and then they vanish. This physical nature is called adhibhūta. It is created at a certain point and will be annihilated at a certain point. The conception of the universal form of the Supreme Lord, which includes all the demigods and their different planets, is called adhidaivata. And present in the body along with the individual soul is the Supersoul, a plenary representation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Supersoul is called the Paramātmā or adhiyajṣa and is situated in the heart. The word eva is particularly important in the context of this verse because by this word the Lord stresses that the Paramātmā is not different from Him. The Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seated beside the individual soul, is the witness of the individual soul’s activities and is the source of the soul’s various types of consciousness. The Supersoul gives the individual soul an opportunity to act freely and witnesses his activities. The functions of all these different manifestations of the Supreme Lord automatically become clarified for the pure Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee engaged in transcendental service to the Lord. The gigantic universal form of the Lord called adhidaivata is contemplated by the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or virāṭ-puruṣa, whose legs are considered the lower planets, whose eyes are considered the sun and moon, and whose head is considered the upper planetary system.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The word adhibhūta refers to temporary objects (kṣaro bhāvaḥ) such as pots and cloth. The word adhidaiva refers to the person representing the totality of the universe, understood from the derivation of the word adhidaiva as “He within whom all the devatās exist as His subjects”. In the body (atra), I, the Paramātmā, am the adhiyajṣa, the person who induces others to perform actions like yajṣa.
But why should the word eva (for emphasis) be used with aham, since the Paramātmā, antaryāmī, is only My expansion or aṁśa? It is because this antaryāmī, though an aṁśa, is not different from Me, whereas the other items such as adhyātma (jīva) are different from Me.
O best person (vara), among those having bodies (deha-bhṛtam), you are the best of all in this body, because you have a direct relationship with Me as friend.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
I call the gross material body (bhāva), which transforms at every moment (kṣara), adhibhūta. Adhibhūta literally means that which rules (adhikṛtya) the living entity (bhūta). Adhidaiva refers to the bodily form of the aggregate of matter, the universal form (puruṣaḥ). Adhidaiva literally means that which rules over the existing devatās such as Āditya. Adhiyajṣa means he who rules over sacrifice. In this body, I alone am adhiyajṣa, since I inspire worship and give results for that worship.
Each of these terms which should be explained is also self-explanatory. The word eva rejects anyone else as the adhiyajṣa. The question “How does the adhiyajṣa exist in the body?” is then answered. Residing as the regulator within the body with a form measuring one pradeśa, I inspire performance of sacrifice and other acts.
Moreover, by service to My form, one attains without difficulty the real meaning of these seven words. One understands that brahma (jīva) and adhiyajṣa (the Lord) are worthy of realizing, and the other items (impressions, karma, gross body, and universal form) as worthy of rejection.
Surrender Unto Me
'Adhibhuta' means (possibly) the presiding deity of the material manifestation. In that it makes clear Krsna's point in 7:30 "to those who are in full consciousness of Me, who know Me as the governing principle of the material manifestation..." It is not exactly just the material manifestation but is the Lord of the material manifestation (which is constantly changing).
All the demigods and their planets constitute the Universal Form. If one is worshiping the material manifestation, he is actually worshiping Krsna indirectly. If one is worshiping the demigods, he is actually worshiping Krsna indirectly. If one performing yajnas, he is actually worshiping Krsna indirectly because He is the Lord of the sacrifices.
Krsna says in 7:30 " I am the governing principle of the material manifestation, of the demigods and of all methods of sacrifice...". The point is to know Krsna.
Also Ramanujacarya comments that this 'adhibhuta' means the Lord or the presider over the 'bhutas' or the ghosts. Adhidaiva is of the demigods and adiyajna is of the sacrifices.
Krsna is the presider of all these things and no matter who is worshiping and no matter how one is worshiping ‑ one is ultimately worshiping Krsna. And if one remembers Krsn knows Him as the Lord and Master of all these different aspects, then he will remember Krsna at the time of death. That is how relates with 7:30.
Krsna made the point: "If you know these things, you can remember Me at the time of death." Therefore Arjuna wanted to know these things, because he is in a battlefield just before a great battle and Krsna is urging him to fight. It is very worthwhile for him to learn how to know Krsna at the time of death.
[ B . REMEMBERING KRSNA (8. 5‑8)
In answering Arjuna's eighth question, Krsna says that whomever quits his body remembering Him obtains Him. In fact, one attains whatever he remembers at the time of death. Krsna therefore recommends that Arjuna undeviatingly meditate on dedicate his activities to Him, and thus attain Him. ]
After describing those seven concepts, Krsna in this Section is going to answer to the eighth question about how one can know Him, Krsna, even at the time of death. (this all as to do with the end of the 7th Chapter)