Bhagavad-Gita: Chapter 8, Verse 9

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

Again it is iterated by Lord Krishna about the specifics of the Supreme Being to be meditated upon. The verse begins with kavim meaning omniscient,the Supreme Being knows everything. He is puranam or beginningless, existing eternally. He is anusasitaram or the regulator of creation. He is less perceptible then the anor or atom, subtler than the subtlest. He is dhataram or the sustainer of everything, of infinite glory. He is acintya-rupam or of divine inconceivable form, not comprehensible to the mind and intellect of the impure. He is aditya-varnam or self resplendent like the sun. He is parastat or transcendental to material nature. The Svetasvatara Upanisad III.VIII states: I have known that Supreme Being who exists beyond material nature and who is resplendent like the sun.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Now Lord Krishna speaks about the goal in this verse. The word kavim means omniscient, one who knows everything. The Brahma Purana states: The Supreme Being is kavi or all knowing. He is the seer of everything because He knows all things. The word dhaaratam means sustainer, maintainer. What does this also indicate? That the Supreme Being is the maintainer and sustainer of supreme wisdom for those living entities so inclined. The Moksa Dharma states: Commencing with Brahma the architect of the universes and Rudra the termination principle of the universes, all by the grace of the Supreme Personality desiring the Ultimate Reality achieve their goal. He is acintya or inconceivable by the mind and senses. He is tamasah parastat or transcendental to the constraints of the physical body as well as the unmanifest, far beyond the scope of prakriti or the material substratum pervading all existence which is in obscurity and darkness. The Pippalada Samhita states: Death is indeed tamas or darkness but the illumination emanating from the immortal form of the Supreme Being is transcendental to the dark pale of death.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

Lord Krishna begins with the word kavim meaning omniscient. Sarvasya meaning of everything refers to He who is omniscient of everything. Puranam means primeval or beginningless. Anusitaram means the establisher of the rules of creation. Dhataram means the maintainer and sustainer of all. Acintya-rupam means possessing an inconceivable form means not conceivable by comparing it with anything in the material existence. Aditya-varnam means possessing a self luminous resplendent and glorious divine glow far beyond our limited material conceptions.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:

Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Beginning with the word kavin meaning omniscient Lord Krishna succinctly defines the characteristics of the Supreme Being to be revealed. He who is puranam or without beginning, anusasitaram or the ruler of all, acintya or inconceivable, dhataram the universal sustainer, aditya-varnam or effulgent like the sun. Such a Supreme Being is tamasah parastat or transcendental to the darkness of material nature and time, completely different.