Gita 10.34
Vibhuti Yoga
मृत्युः सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् । कीर्तिः श्रीर्वाक्च नारीणां स्मृतिर्मेधा धृतिः क्षमा ॥३४॥
mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham udbhavaś ca bhaviṣyatām | kīrtiḥ śrīr vāk ca nārīṇāṁ smṛtir medhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā ||34||
In essence: God is both the all-devouring death that humbles every ego and the origin of all futures - proving that endings and beginnings are one divine movement.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How can I worship a God who is 'all-devouring death'? This terrifies me, not inspires me."
Guru: "What exactly terrifies you about death?"
Sadhak: "Losing everything - my body, my relationships, my experiences, everything I've built."
Guru: "And who is it that loses these things?"
Sadhak: "'I' lose them - myself."
Guru: "But which 'I'? The body? It was never really 'you' - it changed completely every seven years. The mind? It changes moment to moment. The ego-identity? It's a construction. What death 'devours' is everything that was never truly yours to begin with. The awareness that witnesses all this - the consciousness reading these words - death cannot touch it because it's not a thing that can be taken. Krishna being death means even this apparent loss is divine, is held by God, is a transition rather than annihilation. What would it mean to trust that what devours your temporary identities is the same loving presence that gave them?"
Sadhak: "Why are these seven qualities associated with the feminine? Men can also have fame, intelligence, forgiveness..."
Guru: "They're not exclusive to women but represent aspects of śakti - divine creative power, which Indian tradition associates with the feminine principle. Śiva without Śakti is inert; consciousness without power is static. These seven qualities are powers - active forces that create, preserve, and heal. Fame spreads merit. Speech creates relationship. Memory sustains identity. Intelligence discriminates truth. Steadfastness endures. Forgiveness transforms. Men certainly manifest these qualities, but they're doing so through what the tradition calls feminine divine energy. The verse honors the śakti-dimension of divinity - not biology but cosmic principle."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Death contemplation (maraṇa-smṛti): Spend 2-3 minutes acknowledging mortality. Not morbidly, but truthfully: 'This body will end. All I accumulate will be released. The One who gives life will take it back.' Feel how this clarity dissolves petty concerns and highlights what truly matters. Then ask: 'Given finite time, what is my highest priority today?' Let remembrance of death purify action.
Śakti recognition: Notice the seven feminine qualities as they appear in yourself and others today. When you recall something useful, recognize smṛti-śakti. When you speak effectively, recognize vāk-śakti. When you or another shows forgiveness, recognize kṣamā-śakti. Each recognition becomes a moment of seeing the Divine in action. This practice honors both women (as beings who often exemplify these qualities) and the feminine divine principle working through all.
Udbhava contemplation: Before sleep, consider what you're anticipating for tomorrow, next week, next year - your 'bhaviṣyatām' (things to come). Recognize that all future possibilities arise from the same Divine source. Entrust your futures to the One who is both their origin and the death of all things. Feel how the same God holds your past (what has died), present (what now lives), and future (what is yet to be). Sleep in this trust.