Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 22
Vibhūti-yoga in the Bhāgavata: The Lord’s Manifest Opulences and the Discipline of Control
पुरोधसां वसिष्ठोऽहं ब्रह्मिष्ठानां बृहस्पति: । स्कन्दोऽहं सर्वसेनान्यामग्रण्यां भगवानज: ॥ २२ ॥
purodhasāṁ vasiṣṭho ’haṁ brahmiṣṭhānāṁ bṛhaspatiḥ skando ’haṁ sarva-senānyām agraṇyāṁ bhagavān ajaḥ
Di antara para pendeta Aku adalah Vasiṣṭha Muni, dan di antara mereka yang paling teguh dalam budaya Weda Aku adalah Bṛhaspati. Di antara panglima besar Aku adalah Skanda (Kārtikeya), dan di antara para perintis jalan luhur Aku adalah Bhagavān Aja—Brahmā.
FAQs
In Canto 11, Chapter 16, Krishna identifies Himself as the supreme excellence within many groups—here, as Vasiṣṭha among priests, Bṛhaspati among Brahman-realized teachers, Skanda among commanders, and as Aja among foremost leaders—showing that all greatness ultimately rests in Him.
Krishna is teaching Uddhava by giving recognizable examples of the highest representatives in key domains—priestly guidance, spiritual wisdom, military command, and leadership—so the listener can perceive the Lord’s presence as the source of all outstanding power and virtue.
See excellence, integrity, and true leadership as reflections of the Divine, and cultivate those qualities in your own role—seeking wise counsel (like a purohita), spiritual intelligence (brahma-niṣṭhā), disciplined strength (senānī), and selfless guidance (agraṇī).