Krishna is both cosmic source and intimate nurturer.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
पिताहमस्य जगतो माता धाता पितामहः |वेद्यं पवित्रमोंकार ऋक्साम यजुरेव च ||९-१७||
pitāhamasya jagato mātā dhātā pitāmahaḥ . vedyaṃ pavitramoṃkāra ṛksāma yajureva ca ||9-17||
Use this verse when you need emotional support from Krishna.
Meaning
I am the father, mother, sustainer, and grandfather of this world. I am the knowable, purifier, Om, and the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna is the source, nurturer, sustainer, and sacred knowledge.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse gives a deeply relational view of Krishna. He is not only cosmic power; He is father, mother, support, purifier, and sacred sound.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna continues his self-revelation, now embracing the most intimate human relationships. He is the pita (father) and mata (mother) of all that is, the dhata who upholds and dispenses life's fruits, and even the pitamaha, the grandfather and primordial origin. The Divine is not a distant abstraction but the very source from which all kinship and care flow.
He is also the goal of all seeking — vedyam, 'that which is to be known' — and pavitram, the purifier of every taint. And he is the heart of sacred sound: the syllable Om and the three Vedas. By naming himself as both the nurturing parent and the highest knowledge, Krishna gathers tenderness and transcendence into one.
We need not choose between a God who loves us and a Truth we strive to understand; in him, the two are one.
In daily life
Relate to Krishna as support in every emotional role you need.
A lonely user can remember Krishna as mother, father, and friend.
Try this today
Pray to Krishna as father, mother, or sustainer.
Krishna supports and purifies my life.Reflect
Which form of Krishna’s support do I need today?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘पिता अहम् अस्य जगतः’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on source, in other chapters
- Verse 10.39Nothing whatsoever exists apart from the Divine — once you see this, you can find God everywhere.
- Verse 8.13Let your sacred practice be sound joined to love: the syllable Om carries you home only when filled with remembrance of the Divine.
- Verse 17.24Begin meaningful actions by dedicating them to the Divine — that remembrance lifts ordinary deeds into sacred offerings.
- Verse 7.6All that is born and all that dissolves rests in the one Source — so meet creation and loss alike with steady trust.
Swipe left for 9.18 · Krishna is the soul’s complete refuge.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 9.17
Who says Bhagavad Gita 9.17, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 9.17, in Chapter 9, Raja Vidya Yoga (Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 9.17 mean?
I am the father, mother, sustainer, and grandfather of this world. I am the knowable, purifier, Om, and the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 9.17 for daily life?
Relate to Krishna as support in every emotional role you need. A lonely user can remember Krishna as mother, father, and friend.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 9.17 mean?
पिता अहम् अस्य जगतः — I am the father of this world; माता — the mother; धाता — the sustainer / dispenser of fruits; पितामहः — the grandfather; वेद्यम् — the one to be known.
Where does verse 9.17 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 17 of 34 in Chapter 9, Raja Vidya Yoga. The next verse is 9.18.