Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 32

सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन । अध्यात्मविद्या विद्यानां वादः प्रवदतामहम्

sargāṇāmādirantaśca madhyaṃ caivāhamarjuna | adhyātmavidyā vidyānāṃ vādaḥ pravadatāmaham

Translation

Of creations I am the beginning and the middle and also the end; of all knowledges I am the knowledge of the Self, and Vāda of disputants.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

sargāṇām

of creations

ādiḥ

the beginning

antaḥ

the end

ca

and

madhyam

the middle

ca

and

eva

even

aham

I

arjuna

O Arjuna

adhyātmavidyā

concerning the self, the science

vidyānām

of sciences

vādaḥ

the speech

pravadatām

of orators

aham

I

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

I am the source, the stay and the end of all evolution. At the commencement (x.20) it was said that He is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all sentient existence; but here the whole creation in general is referred to. The knowledge of the Self is the chief among all knowledges, because it leads to mokṣa. By 'disputants' we should here understand the several kinds of disputation — vāda, jalpa, vitaṇḍā. Vāda is the chief of them, as it is a means of determining truth.