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Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita says the following in Verse 7.9:

I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.

However in my opinion , where there is heat there is fire and where there is fire there is heat. Heat is generated by coming together of fuel , fire and consciousness. Consciousness alone can not generate heat. Therefore in my opinion heat can not be separated from fire and in conclusion we can say that Parmatma is the fire and not just the heat of fire.

My questions are:

1.Is Parmatma the fire or the heat of the fire ?

2.If Parmatma is heat of the fire then how can one separate the heat and the cause of heat?

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    This is a logic question and belongs in philosophy.SE. But since you asked, paramatma is both the heat and the fire of the heat. The fire of the heat is what enlivens entities-both animate and inanimate. Without this fire ,we are dead. That is what the above means- the paramatma is the essential life force of all that lives and breathes. The fire and its heat are usually used as a simile for the paramatma and his shakti (goddess).
    – user1195
    Sep 27, 2017 at 16:46
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    The proper/appropriate translation would be "I am brilliance in the fire".
    – Pandya ♦
    Sep 27, 2017 at 18:02
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    "The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings, not to speak of this fire. When He shines, everything shines after Him; by His light everything is lighted." - Katha 2.2.15 = Mundaka 2.2.10 = Shvetashvatar 6.14!
    – Pandya ♦
    Sep 27, 2017 at 18:07
  • @Pandya Can you provide the links ?
    – Dheeraj Verma
    Sep 27, 2017 at 18:24
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    @DheerajVerma For various translations and commentaries on Bhagavad-Gita, you may refer Gita Supersite, for translation on Upanishads, you may refer Vedanta Spiritual Library. Btw, you can join the chat-room Vedanta & Philosophy to discuss with site users!
    – Pandya ♦
    Sep 28, 2017 at 2:56

2 Answers 2

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Bijehankurastilw tailamagnAvushnam ravau prabhA |
Chandre jyotsnAhanalaha kAsthaw Pushpe gandho jale dravaha||.... Shive Shakti|.

This is verse no 53, of Chapter 3 from KulArnava Tantram.

The purport of this verse is:

Just like in a seed always resides the seedling (Bija and Ankura), in Tila the oil, in fire the heat (Agni and Ushnata), in Sun its brightness (Surya and PrabhA), in Moon its light, in flower its essence, in water its liquidity, words in their meaning, similarly Paramatma (Shiva ) and his Shakti are inseparable and always reside in each other.

So, if we say Shiva=Paramatman, then Fire=Shiva and Heat of Fire=Shakti. Whereas, if we say Fire=Shakti then the equation is just reversed.

So, simply put, Paramataman can be taken as both.

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Discussing "heat" or "fire" is moot here, because the translation of BG 7.9 is wrong. Hence, in past it was recommended to avoid those from Prabhupada.

Most others have got it correct:

पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ। जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु

BG 7.9 - I am also the sweet fragrance in the earth; I am the brilliance in the fire, and the life in all beings; and I am the austerity of the ascetics.

Tejasvi also means, the brightness.

Having said that, even if we go with correct translation, avoid taking them in a literal sense. The whole chapter 10 is dedicated to various forms of God, where lord says "I am X among Y". One of them is, "I am gambling among cheaters".

Many of the things were local in that time and were according to Arjuna's perspective.
Krishna means: whatever influences you, is actually a fragment of the "Self" ("Me") only.

BG 10.41 — Whichever influential excellence(Sattva) [entity] certainly has prosperity(Shrimad) or energy(Urjita); those you know to be possible as part of 'My' aura only.

Suppose, if the fire & its light doesn't bother you then that's not something where you may find the form of supreme. However, if in a game of cricket, if Sachin Tendulkar highly influences you, then nothing wrong in calling him [form of] "God" as many Indians do (personally I don't). All the forms of god are for easy reference to remember God.

BG 10.17 - O Yogi, how shall I remember You by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? And through what objects, O Lord, are You to be meditated on by me?

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