Bhagavad Gita 9.19

Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga · English Translation

(As the sun) I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also death, existence and non-existence, O Arjuna.

Sanskrit

तपाम्यहमहं वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च | अमृतं चैव मृत्युश्च सदसच्चाहमर्जुन ||९-१९||

Transliteration

tapāmyahamahaṃ varṣaṃ nigṛhṇāmyutsṛjāmi ca . amṛtaṃ caiva mṛtyuśca sadasaccāhamarjuna ||9-19||

What Does This Verse Mean?

In this verse, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that He is the ultimate source and controller of all natural forces and life states. Just as the sun gives heat or withholds it to bring rain, Krishna creates and sustains everything in existence while also governing death itself. The core teaching is that there are no opposing forces outside of Him; even immortality and non-existence (death) originate from His divine will.

The Teaching Behind It

This verse is a cornerstone of Jnana Yoga (the yoga of knowledge) as it reveals the non-dual nature of reality where the Creator encompasses all dualities. It establishes Krishna's identity as Brahman, demonstrating that existence and non-existence are not separate from God but expressions of His will.

Word by Word

तपामि give heat, अहम् I, अहम् I, वर्षम् rain, निगृह्णामि withhold, उत्सृजामि send forth, च and, अमृतम् immortality, च and, एव also, मृत्युः death, च and, सत् existence, असत् nonexistence, च and, अहम् I, अर्जुन O Arjuna

Classical Commentary

I radiate heat in the form of the sun. I send forth the rain in the form of Indra in the rainy season and I take it back during the rest of the year. Sat Existence, the manifested world (the effect).Asat Nonexistence, the unmanifested (the cause).Nonexistence does not mean nothingness. The subtle, unmanifested cause is spoken of as nonexitence. The Self or Brahman or the Eternal can never be altogether nonexistence. It always exists. It is Existence Absolute. If you say that the subtle unmanifested cause is nothing, it is impossible to conceive existence coming out of nothing. The Chhandogya Upanishad asks? How can existence come out of nonexistence It is simply absurd to conceive that existence has arisen out of nonexistence (nothing).For a Vedantin ( student or follower of Vedanta) Brahman (the Absolute) is Sat (existence) because It always exists and because It is unchanging. This manifested world is Asat or unreal. For the worldlyminded people who have neither understanding nor knowledge of Brahman, who are endowed with gross and impure mind, who do not have a sharp and subtle intellect, and who ca perceive the gross forms only, this manifested world is the Sat and the subtle unmanifested MulaPrakriti (the primordial Nature), the cause of this manifested world, is Asat. For them Brahman also is Asat. The unmanifested refers to MulaPrakriti and Para Brahman also because both are hidden. Every object has three states, viz., the gross (Sthula), the subtle (Sukshma) and the causal (Karana). Mahakarana (the great causeless cause) is Para Brahman. The gross and the subtle states are the effects of Karana. What you see outside is the physical body. This physical body is moved by the astral (the subtle) body made up of the mind, liferoce and the senses. The causal body is the seedbody. From this seedbody have sprung the subtle and the gross bodies. Take the case of an orange. The outer skin is its physical body the inner pulp or essence is the subtle body the innermost causal body which gives rise to the pulp and the outer skin is the seed. This is only a gross illustration. The orange has got another kind of subtle and causal bodies. The worldlyminded man beholds the physical body only and takes this as the Truth. For him, the astral and the causal bodies are unreal.

Where This Happens

This verse occurs in Chapter 9 of the Bhagavad Gita, set on the battlefield of Kurukshetra during the great Mahabharata war. Lord Krishna is speaking to Arjuna after revealing his cosmic form (Vishvarupa) and explaining His position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At this moment, Arjuna has just realized that he was fighting against his own relatives due to attachment, yet now Krishna assures him that He controls both the creation and destruction of worlds.

Living It Out Today

When you face a sudden job loss or financial crisis (a 'death' phase), remember that these are not random failures but part of a larger cycle of growth. Just as winter follows summer inevitably, difficult times eventually give way to new opportunities if your perspective remains steady. Instead of feeling like a victim of circumstance, trust the process and focus on your duty now, knowing that both success and failure are temporary states managed by a higher order.

Explained for Children

Imagine the sky as a giant playground run by one special friend named Krishna who does all the jobs to keep things running smoothly. Sometimes he sends sunshine so flowers can grow, other times he holds back the sun or lets it rain when needed. He is also like life itself: sometimes we feel very alive and strong (immortality), and sometimes things end or change (death). Nothing happens by accident; everything comes from him because he loves us all.

Daily Reflection

In moments where you feel overwhelmed by life's fluctuations, remember that both your joys and challenges are expressions of the same divine presence within you. You are not separate from the cycle of creation; rather, you participate in the eternal rhythm of giving and receiving, living and releasing fear. Trust that even in times of apparent silence or loss, the seed of immortality is being nurtured beneath the surface.

A Practice for Today

Close your eyes and visualize yourself as the sun, radiating warmth to all beings without discrimination or exhaustion. Contemplate how you can hold space for others' growth even when they seem distant, just as the sun holds back rain during a drought.

Key Teachings

The Dual Nature of Divine Action
God manifests as both the giver and restrainer of nature's forces, such as heat and rain. This teaches that every experience, whether pleasant or difficult, serves a specific purpose in the cosmic order.
Beyond Life and Death
The Supreme Self is simultaneously immortality (amrita) and death (mṛtyu), transcending the binary of existence. This means our true identity remains unchanged regardless of physical birth or dissolution.
Existence in Non-Existence
The Divine encompasses both 'sat' (eternal reality) and 'asat' (the transient world). Understanding this helps the seeker see the eternal truth hidden within temporary phenomena.

Themes

Divine OmnipotenceDuality of ExistenceSupreme ControllerCycles of NatureImmanence and TranscendenceDevotional Surrender

Related Verses

2.47 3.30 4.18 9.15 18.66

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Krishna say he is responsible for evil actions?

No, the verse speaks to His control over natural laws and states like death (mrityu) rather than moral evil or sin. It means that just as He governs physical life cycles, even the end of a soul's current existence comes from Him, but He does not force individuals to act wrongly.

Why does Krishna use the analogy of heat and rain?

Krishna uses this familiar natural phenomenon to show Arjuna His immediate control over the environment. Just as humans cannot create or stop the sun's heat or seasonal rains, they also cannot escape life and death, which are equally under His command.

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