BhG 8.4

syntax

he deha-bhṛtāṁ vara (O best of those who hold the body!),
kṣaraḥ (perishable) bhāvaḥ (existence) adhi-bhūtam [ucyate] (is called the Supreme Being),
puruṣaḥ ca (and Man) adhi-daivatam [ucyate] (is called the Supreme Divinity).
atra dehe (in this body) aham eva (I indeed) adhi-yajñaḥ [asmi] (I am the Supreme Sacrifice).

grammar

adhi-bhūtam	–	adhi-bhūta 1n.1 n. – the Supreme Being (from: adhi – over, above; √bhū – to be, PP bhūta – been, real, world);
kṣaraḥ	–	kṣara 1n.1 m. – perishable (from: √kṣar – to flow, to perish);
bhāvaḥ	–	bhāva 1n.1 m. – state, existence, nature, emotions (from: √bhū – to be);
puruṣaḥ	–	puruṣa 1n.1 m. – a person (from: √pur – to precede, to lead or √pṝ – to fill, to nourish, puru – abundance, pūru – people);
ca	–	av. – and;
adhi-daivatam	–	adhi-daivata 1n.1 n. – the Supreme Divinity (from: adhi – over, above; √div – to shine, to play, devatā – divinity, daivata – divine, związany z bóstwem);
adhi-yajñaḥ	–	adhi-yajña 1n.1 m. – the Supreme Sacrifice (from: adhi – over, above; √yaj – to consecrate, to sacrifice, to worship, yajña – sacrifice, worship);
aham	–	asmat sn. 1n.1 – I;
eva	–	av. – certainly, just, merely;
atra	–	av. – here;
dehe	–	deha 7n.1 m. – in the body (from: √dih – to anoint, to smear);
deha-bhṛtām	–	deha-bhṛt 6n.3 m.; ye dehaṁ bibhrati teṣām – of those who hold the body (from: √dih – to anoint, to smear, deha – a form, shape, body; √bhṛ – to bear, to carry, to hold, bhṛt – suffix: bearer, holder);
vara	–	vara 8n.1 m. – chosen, the best, most excellent (from: √vṛ – to choose, to like);

textual variants

adhi-bhūtaṃ kṣaro → adhi-bhūto ‘kṣaro / adhi-bhūtaṃ karo / adhi-bhūtākṣaro (imperishable is the Supreme Being / doer is the Supreme Being / the imperishable Supreme Being);
cādhi-daivatam → cādi-daivatam / cādya-daivatam (and the first divinity);
adhi-yajño ‘ham → adhi-yajñoṁ tam / adhi-yajño ‘yam (that Supreme Sacrifice);

Śāṃkara

adhibhūtaṃ prāṇi-jātam adhikṛtya bhavatīti | ko’sau ? kṣaraḥ kṣaratīti kṣaro vināśī, bhāvo yat kiṃcit janimat vastv ity arthaḥ | puruṣaḥ pūrṇam anena sarvam iti, puri śayanāt vā, puruṣaḥ ādityāntargato hiraṇyagarbhaḥ, sarva-prāṇi-karaṇānām anugrāhakaḥ, so’dhidaivatam | adhiyajñaḥ sarva-yajñābhimāninī viṣṇv-ākhyā devatā, yajño vai viṣṇuḥ [sthitaittsarv 1.7.4] iti śruteḥ | sa hi viṣṇur aham eva | atrāsmin dehe yo yajñas tasyāham adhiyajñaḥ | yajño hi deha-nirvartyatvena deha-samavāyīti dehādhikaraṇo bhavati, deha-bhṛtāṃ vara!

Rāmānuja

aiśvaryārthināṃ jñātavyatayā nirdiṣṭam adhibhūtaṃ kṣaro bhāvaḥ viyadādibhūteṣu vartamānaḥ tatpariṇāmaviśeṣaḥ kṣaraṇasvabhāvo vilakṣaṇaḥ śabdasparśādis sāsrayaḥ / vilakṣaṇāḥ sāśrayāś śabdasparśarūparasagandhāḥ aiśvaryārthibhiḥ prāpyās tair anusandheyāḥ / puruṣaś cādhidaivatam adhidaivataśabdanirdiṣṭaḥ puruṣaḥ adhidaivatam devatopari vartamānaḥ, indraprajāpatiprabhṛtikṛtsnadaivatopari vartamānaḥ, indraprajāpatiprabhṛtīnāṃ bhogyajātad vilakṣaṇaśabdāder bhoktā puruṣaḥ / sā ca bhoktṛtvāvasthā aiśvaryārthibhiḥ prāpyatayānusandheyā / adhiyajño ‚ham eva / adhiyajñaḥ yajñair ārādhyatayā vartamānaḥ / atra indrādau mama dehabhūte ātmatayāvasthito ‚ham eva yajñair ārādhya iti mahāyajñādinityanaimittikānuṣṭhānavelāyāṃ trayāṇām adhikāriṇām anusandheyam etat

Śrīdhara

kiṃ ca adhibhūtam iti | kṣaro vinaśvaro bhāvo dehādi-padārthaḥ | bhūtaṃ prāṇi-mātram adhikṛtya bhavatīty adhibhūtam ucyate | puruṣo vairājaḥ sūrya-maṇḍala-madhyavartī svāṃśa-bhūta-sarva-devatānām adhipatir adhidaivatam ucyate | adhidaivatam adhiṣṭhātrī devatā |
sa vai śarīrī prathamaḥ sa vai puruṣa ucyate |
ādikartā sa bhūtānāṃ brahmāgre samavartata || iti śruteḥ |

atrāsmin dehe ‚ntaryāmitvena sthito ‚ham evādhiyajño yajñādi-karma-pravartakas tat-phala-dātā ca | katham ity asyāpy uttaram anenaivoktaṃ bhraṣṭavyam | antaryāmiṇo ‚saṅgatvādibhir guṇair jīva-vailakṣaṇyena dehāntarvartitvasya prasiddhatvāt | tathā ca śrutiḥ-

dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyā
samānaṃ vṛkṣaṃ pariṣasvajāte |
tayor anyaḥ pippalaṃ svādv atty
anaśnann anyo ‚bhicākaśīti || [MuṇḍU 7.1.1]

deha-bhṛtāṃ madhye śreṣṭheti sambodhayaṃs tvam apy evambhūtam antaryāmiṇaṃ parādhīna-sva-pravṛtti-nivṛtty-anvaya-vyatirekābhyāṃ boddhum arhasīti sūcayati

Madhusūdana

sampraty agrima-praśna-trayasyottaram āha adhibhūtam iti | kṣaratīti kṣaro vināśī bhāvo yat kiṃcij janimad vastu bhūtaṃ prāṇi-jātam adhikṛtya bhavatīty adhibhūtam ity ucyate | puruṣo hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samaṣṭi-liṅgātmā vyaṣṭi-sarva-karaṇānugrāhakaḥ ātmaivedam agra āsīt puruṣavidhaḥ ity upakramya sa yat pūrvo ‚smāt sarvasvmāt sarvān pāpmana auṣattasmāt puruṣaḥ ity ādi-śrutyā pratipāditaḥ | ca-kārāt-

sa vai śarīrī prathamaḥ sa vai puruṣa ucyate |
ādikartā sa bhūtānāṃ brahmāgre samavartata ||

ity ādi-smṛtyā ca pratipāditaḥ | adhidaivataṃ daivatāny ādityādīn adhikṛtya cakṣur-ādi-karaṇāny anugṛhṇātīti | tathocyate adhiyajñaḥ sarva-yajñādhiṣṭhātā sarva-yajña-phala-dāyakaś ca | sarva-yajñābhimāninī viṣṇv-ākhyā devatā yajño vai viṣṇuḥ iti śruteḥ | sa ca viṣṇur adhiyajño ‚haṃ vāsudeva eva na mad-bhinnaḥ kaścit | ataeva para-brahmaṇaḥ sakāśād atyantābhedenaiva pratipattavya iti katham iti vyākhyātam | sa cātrāsmin manuṣya-dehe yajña-rūpeṇa vartate buddhyādi-vyatirikto viṣṇu-rūpatvāt | etena sa kim asmin dehe tato bahir vā dehe cet ko ‚tra buddhyādis tad vyatirikto veti sandeho nirastaḥ | manuṣya-dehe ca yajñasyāvasthānaṃ yajñasya manuṣya-deha-nirvartyatvāt | puruṣo vai yajñaḥ puruṣas tena yajño yad enaṃ puruṣas tanute ity ādi śruteḥ |

he deha-bhṛtāṃ vara sarva-prāṇināṃ śreṣṭheti sambodhayan pratikṣaṇaṃ mat-sambhāṣaṇāt kṛtakṛtyas tvam etad-bodha-yogyo ‚sīti protsāhayaty arjunaṃ bhagavān | arjunasya sarva-prāṇi-śreṣṭhatvaṃ bhagavad-anugrahātiśaya-bhājanatvāt prasiddham eva

Viśvanātha

kṣaro naśvaro bhāvaḥ padārtho ghaṭa-paṭādir adhibhūtam adhibhūta-śabda-vācyaḥ puruṣaḥ samaṣṭi-virāḍ-adhidaivata-śabda-vācyaḥ | adhikṛtya vartamānāni sūryādi-daivatāni yatra iti tan-nirukteḥ | atra dehe ‚dhiyajño yajñādi-karma-pravartako ‚ntaryāmy ahaṃ mad-aṃśakatvād aham evety eva-kāreṇa kathaṃ jñeya ity asyottaram antaryāmitve ‚ham eva mad-abhinnatve naiva jñeyo na tu adhyātmādir ive mad-bhinnatvenety arthaḥ | dehe deha-bhṛtāṃ vareti tvaṃ tu sākṣān mat-sakhatvāt sarva-śreṣṭha eva bhavasīti bhāvaḥ

Baladeva

adhīti | kṣaraḥ pratikṣaṇa-pariṇāmī bhāvaḥ sthūlo dehaḥ sa mayādhibhūtam it ucyate | bhūtaṃ prāṇinam adhikṛtya bhavatīti vyutpatteḥ | puruṣaḥ samaṣṭi-virāṭ sa mayādhidaivam ity ucyate adhikṛtya vartamānāny ādityādīni daivatāny atreti vyutpatteḥ | atra dehe ‚dhiyajño yajñam adhikṛtya vartata iti vyutpattes tat-pravartakas tat-phala-pradaś cāham eva | pratyākhyeyāni tu svayam evohyāni | eva-kāreṇa svasmāt tasya bhedo nirākṛtaḥ | anena katham ity asyāpy uttaram uktaṃ prādeśa-mātra-vapustvenāntar-niyamayann ahaṃ yajñādi-pravartaka ity arthaḥ | tathā ca mad-arcā-sevanād etān brahmādīn saptārthān svarūpato ‚ śrameṇa vindatīti | tatra brahmādhiyajñau prāpyatayādhyātmādīni tu heyatayeti