Bhagavad Gita Verse 37, Chapter 10

vrishneenaam vaasudevosmi paandavaanaam dhananjaya |
muneenaamapyaham vyaasaha kaveenaamushanaa kavihi || 37 ||
 
Among the Vrishnis, I am Vaasudeva and among the Paandavas, I am Dhananjaya. Also, among the sages I am Vyaasa and among the seers I am Ushanaa the seer.
 
vrishneenaam : among the Vrishnis
vaasudevaha : Vaasudeva
asmi : I am
paandavaanaam : among the Paandavas
dhananjaya : I am Dhananjaya
muneenaam : among the sages
api : also
aham : I am
vyaasaha : Vyaasa
kaveenaam : among the seers
ushanaa : Ushanaa
kavihi : the seer
 
One of the many names of Shri Krishna is Vaarshaneya, which means one who is born in the clan of Vrishni. The Vrishnis are said to have descended from king Yadu who started the major branch of the Chandravanshis, the lunar dynasty. Being the most prominent of the Vrishni clan, Shri Krishna declares himself as Ishvara’s manifestation.
 
The Bhagavad Gita could never have been possible without Arjuna asking the questions, and without Sage Vyaasa writing the Mahaabhaarata epic. In that regard, Shri Krishna declares both of them as Ishvara’s divine manifestations. Furthermore, both Arjuna and Vyaasa were prominent in their own right. Arjuna was the only undefeated warrior in the Mahaabhaarata war, and also the greatest archer of his time. Sage Vyaasa is credited with having divided the Vedas into four branches, and also with writing the major Puraanaas and the Brahma Sutra.
 
The word “Kavi” means one who is a visionary, one who can foresee what is coming due to the mastery of his academic prowess. Ushana, also known as Shukraachaarya, is revered in the Indian tradition as one of the foremost gurus or teachers. He learnt the technique of reviving the dead from Lord Shiva, also known as Sanjeevani vidya. He later became the guru of the asuraas or demons, but never inherited any of their traits. Shukra-vaar, the day of his birth, is the name used for Friday in India. Shri Krishna declares Shukraachaarya as Ishvara’s expression.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 10

aahustvaamrishayaha sarve devarshinaaradastathaa |
asito devalo vyaasaha svyayam chaiva braveeshi me || 13 ||
 
All the great sages and royal sages such as Naarada, Asita, Devala and Vyaasa speak this, and also you have said it to me.
 
aahuhu : speak
tvaam : to you
rishayaha : sages
sarve : all
devarshihi : divine sages
naaradasha : Naarada
tathaa : also
asitaha : Asita
devalaha : Devala
vyaasaha : Vyaasa
svyayam : yourself
cha : and
eva : also
braveeshi : said
me : to me
 
Further praising Ishvara, Arjuna added that several eminent individuals, over the course of history, have also praised Ishvara. He listed the names of the renowned sages Naarada, Asita, Devala and Vyaasa in this regard.
 
The Srimad Bhagavatam speaks of Naarada as the son of a maid-servant who served several priests. He grew up in an environment of spirituality and decided to seek the absolute truth in a forests after his mother passed away. His meditation bore fruit when he had a vision of Ishvara. After his death, he was reborn as the sage Naarada that many of us are familiar with. Naarada was learned in all the arts and sciences. He could travel anywhere in the universe, and talk to any deity that he wished.
 
Another sage mentioned here is Devalaha who was the son of a great sage named Asita, who was born as a result of Asita’s prayer to Lord Shiva. It is said that Devalaha was cursed by a celestial maiden named Rambha for not agreeing to marry her. He was reborn as Sage Ashtavakra, who is famous for writing the Ashtavakra Gita. And of course, Sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyaasa is the author of the great Indian epic Mahabhaarata.
 
So therefore, Arjuna accepted the authority of Shri Krishna to convey the true nature of Ishvara. But did he have any doubts or objections?