Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 The Yoga of Divine Manifestations

Shloka 1 The Lord Speaks Again Out of Love for Arjuna's Welfare śhrī bhagavān uvācha | bhūya eva mahābāho śhṛiṇu me paramaṁ vachaḥ | yat te ’haṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣhyāmi hitakāmyayā || 10.1 || The Blessed Lord said: O mighty-armed one, listen once more to My supreme words, which I shall speak to you, who are dear to Me, out of the desire for your welfare. → Shloka 2 The Source of Gods and Sages Is Beyond Their Knowing na me viduḥ suragaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ na maharṣhayaḥ | aham ādir hi devānāṁ maharṣhīṇāṁ cha sarvaśhaḥ || 10.2 || The Blessed Lord said: Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know My origin, for I am indeed the source of the gods and the great sages in every way. → Shloka 3 Knowing the Unborn Lord Frees One from All Sins yo mām ajam anādiṁ cha vetti lokamaheśhvaram | asammūḍhaḥ sa martyeṣhu sarvapāpaiḥ pramuchyate || 10.3 || The Blessed Lord said: One who knows Me as unborn, without beginning, and the Supreme Lord of all the worlds is undeluded among mortals and is freed from all sins. → Shloka 4 The Many Inner States of Beings Arise from the Lord buddhir jñānam asammohaḥ kṣhamā satyaṁ damaḥ śhamaḥ | sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo ’bhāvo bhayaṁ chābhayam eva cha || 10.4 || The Blessed Lord said: Intellect, knowledge, freedom from delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, pleasure and pain, birth and death, fear and also fearlessness. → Shloka 5 All Qualities of Living Beings Come from the Lord Alone ahiṁsā samatā tuṣhṭis tapo dānaṁ yaśho ’yaśhaḥ | bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṁ matta eva pṛithagvidhāḥ || 10.5 || The Blessed Lord said: Non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame, and infamy—these diverse qualities of living beings arise from Me alone. → Shloka 6 Sages and Manus Are Born of the Lord's Mind maharṣhayaḥ sapta pūrve chatvāro manavas tathā | madbhāvā mānasā jātā yeṣhāṁ loka imāḥ prajāḥ || 10.6 || The Blessed Lord said: The seven great sages, the four ancient sages before them, and the Manus as well, endowed with My nature, were born from My mind; from them have come all the beings of this world. → Shloka 7 Knowing the Lord's Glory Leads to Unwavering Yoga etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ cha mama yo vetti tattvataḥ | so ’vikampena yogena yujyate nātra saṁśhayaḥ || 10.7 || The Blessed Lord said: One who truly knows this glory and divine power of Mine becomes united with Me through unwavering yoga; there is no doubt about this. → Shloka 8 The Wise Worship the Source of All with Devotion ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate | iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāvasamanvitāḥ || 10.8 || The Blessed Lord said: I am the origin of all, and everything proceeds from Me. Understanding this, the wise worship Me with deep devotion. → Shloka 9 The Joy of Devotees Who Speak of the Lord Together machchittā madgataprāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam | kathayantaśh cha māṁ nityaṁ tuṣhyanti cha ramanti cha || 10.9 || The Blessed Lord said: With their minds fixed on Me and their lives dedicated to Me, they always enlighten one another and speak of Me; they remain content and rejoice. → Shloka 10 The Lord Grants the Wisdom That Leads to Him teṣhāṁ satatayuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prītipūrvakam | dadāmi buddhiyogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te || 10.10 || The Blessed Lord said: To those who are constantly steadfast and worship Me with love, I give that divine wisdom by which they come to Me. → Shloka 11 The Lamp of Knowledge Destroys the Darkness of Ignorance teṣhām evānukampārtham aham ajñānajaṁ tamaḥ | nāśhayāmy ātmabhāvastho jñānadīpena bhāsvatā || 10.11 || The Blessed Lord said: Out of compassion for them alone, I, dwelling within their hearts, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge. → Shloka 12 Arjuna Declares Krishna as the Supreme Reality arjuna uvācha | paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān | puruṣhaṁ śhāśhvataṁ divyam ādidevam ajaṁ vibhum || 10.12 || Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode, and the supreme purifier. You are the eternal, divine Person, the primal God, unborn and all-pervading. → Shloka 13 Sages Confirm What Krishna Himself Declares āhus tvām ṛiṣhayaḥ sarve devarṣhir nāradas tathā | asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ chaiva bravīṣhi me || 10.13 || Arjuna said: All the sages declare You to be so, as do the celestial sage Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa; and now You Yourself are telling me the same. → Shloka 14 Arjuna's Faith: Even Gods and Demons Cannot Know the Lord sarvam etad ṛitaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśhava | na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ vidur devā na dānavāḥ || 10.14 || Arjuna said: O Krishna, I accept as true all that You tell me. O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons truly know Your manifestation. → Shloka 15 Only the Lord Truly Knows Himself svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣhottama | bhūtabhāvana bhūteśha devadeva jagatpate || 10.15 || Arjuna said: O Supreme Person, You alone know Yourself by Yourself. O Creator of beings, Lord of beings, God of gods, and Lord of the universe. → Shloka 16 Arjuna Asks the Lord to Reveal His Divine Glories vaktum arhasy aśheṣheṇa divyā hy ātmavibhūtayaḥ | yābhir vibhūtibhir lokān imāṁs tvaṁ vyāpya tiṣhṭhasi || 10.16 || Arjuna said: You alone are able to describe completely Your divine glories, by which You abide pervading all these worlds. → Shloka 17 How Can the Lord Be Contemplated in Everything? kathaṁ vidyām ahaṁ yogiṁs tvāṁ sadā parichintayan | keṣhu keṣhu cha bhāveṣhu chintyo ’si bhagavan mayā || 10.17 || Arjuna said: O Master of yoga, how shall I know You by constantly contemplating You? And in which various forms, O Lord, are You to be contemplated by me? → Shloka 18 Arjuna's Thirst for the Nectar of the Lord's Words vistareṇātmano yogaṁ vibhūtiṁ cha janārdana | bhūyaḥ kathaya tṛiptir hi śhṛiṇvato nāsti me ’mṛitam || 10.18 || Arjuna said: O Janārdana, describe again in detail Your yogic power and Your glory, for I am never satisfied by hearing Your nectar-like words. → Shloka 19 The Lord Promises to Describe His Chief Glories śhrī bhagavān uvācha | hanta te kathayiṣhyāmi divyā hy ātmavibhūtayaḥ | prādhānyataḥ kuruśreṣhṭha nāsty anto vistarasya me || 10.19 || The Blessed Lord said: Yes, I shall describe to you My divine glories, O best of the Kurus, only the prominent ones, for there is no end to My expanse. → Shloka 20 The Lord Dwells in the Heart of Every Being aham ātmā guḍākeśha sarvabhūtāśhayasthitaḥ | aham ādiśh cha madhyaṁ cha bhūtānām anta eva cha || 10.20 || The Blessed Lord said: O Guḍākeśha, I am the Soul seated in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings. → Shloka 21 The Lord as the Radiant Among Ādityas, Lights, Winds and Stars ādityānām ahaṁ viṣhṇur jyotiṣhāṁ ravir aṁśhumān | marīchir marutām asmi nakṣhatrāṇām ahaṁ śhaśhī || 10.21 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Ādityas I am Vishnu; among the luminaries I am the radiant sun; among the Maruts I am Marīchi; and among the stars I am the moon. → Shloka 22 The Lord as the Sāma Veda, Indra, the Mind and Consciousness vedānāṁ sāmavedo ’smi devānām asmi vāsavaḥ | indriyāṇāṁ manaśh chāsmi bhūtānām asmi chetanā || 10.22 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Vedas I am the Sāma Veda; among the gods I am Indra; among the senses I am the mind; and among living beings I am consciousness. → Shloka 23 The Lord as Shankara, Kubera, Agni and Mount Meru rudrāṇāṁ śhaṅkaraśh chāsmi vitteśho yakṣharakṣhasām | vasūnāṁ pāvakaśh chāsmi meruḥ śhikhariṇām aham || 10.23 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Rudras I am Shankara; among the Yakṣhas and Rākṣhasas I am Kubera, the lord of wealth; among the Vasus I am Agni, the fire; and among mountains I am Meru. → Shloka 24 The Lord as Bṛihaspati, Skanda and the Ocean purodhasāṁ cha mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛihaspatim | senānīnām ahaṁ skandaḥ sarasām asmi sāgaraḥ || 10.24 || The Blessed Lord said: Among priests, O Pārtha, know Me to be the chief, Bṛihaspati; among generals I am Skanda; and among bodies of water I am the ocean. → Shloka 25 The Lord as Bhṛigu, the Sacred Syllable, Japa and the Himalayas maharṣhīṇāṁ bhṛigur ahaṁ girām asmy ekam akṣharam | yajñānāṁ japayajño ’smi sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ || 10.25 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the great sages I am Bhṛigu; among utterances I am the single syllable Om; among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of silent chanting; and among immovable things I am the Himalayas. → Shloka 26 The Lord as the Peepal Tree, Nārada, Chitraratha and Kapila aśhvatthaḥ sarvavṛikṣhāṇāṁ devarṣhīṇāṁ cha nāradaḥ | gandharvāṇāṁ chitrarathaḥ siddhānāṁ kapilo muniḥ || 10.26 || The Blessed Lord said: Among all trees I am the peepal tree; among the celestial sages I am Nārada; among the Gandharvas I am Chitraratha; and among the perfected beings I am the sage Kapila. → Shloka 27 The Lord as Uchchaiḥśravā, Airāvata and the King uchchaiḥśhravasam aśhvānāṁ viddhi mām amṛitodbhavam | airāvataṁ gajendrāṇāṁ narāṇāṁ cha narādhipam || 10.27 || The Blessed Lord said: Among horses know Me to be Uchchaiḥśhravā, born of the nectar of immortality; among lordly elephants, Airāvata; and among human beings, the king. → Shloka 28 The Lord as the Thunderbolt, Kāmadhenu, Kandarpa and Vāsuki āyudhānām ahaṁ vajraṁ dhenūnām asmi kāmadhuk | prajanaśh chāsmi kandarpaḥ sarpāṇām asmi vāsukiḥ || 10.28 || The Blessed Lord said: Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am Kāmadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow; I am Kandarpa, the god of love, the cause of procreation; and among serpents I am Vāsuki. → Shloka 29 The Lord as Ananta, Varuṇa, Aryamā and Yama anantaśh chāsmi nāgānāṁ varuṇo yādasām aham | pitṝīṇām aryamā chāsmi yamaḥ saṁyamatām aham || 10.29 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Nāgas I am Ananta; among the dwellers of the waters I am Varuṇa; among the ancestors I am Aryamā; and among those who administer law and restraint I am Yama. → Shloka 30 The Lord as Prahlāda, Time, the Lion and Garuḍa prahlādaśh chāsmi daityānāṁ kālaḥ kalayatām aham | mṛigāṇāṁ cha mṛigendro ’haṁ vainateyaśh cha pakṣhiṇām || 10.30 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Daityas I am Prahlāda; among those who reckon I am Time; among animals I am the lion, the king of beasts; and among birds I am Garuḍa, the son of Vinatā. → Shloka 31 The Lord as the Wind, Rāma, the Makara and the Ganges pavanaḥ pavatām asmi rāmaḥ śhastrabhṛitām aham | jhaṣhāṇāṁ makaraśh chāsmi srotasām asmi jāhnavī || 10.31 || The Blessed Lord said: Among purifiers I am the wind; among wielders of weapons I am Rāma; among fishes I am the makara; and among flowing rivers I am the Ganges. → Shloka 32 The Lord as the Beginning, Middle and End of Creation sargāṇām ādir antaśh cha madhyaṁ chaivāham arjuna | adhyātmavidyā vidyānāṁ vādaḥ pravadatām aham || 10.32 || The Blessed Lord said: Of all creations I am the beginning, the end, and also the middle, O Arjuna; among the branches of knowledge I am the science of the Self, and among debaters I am the discussion that seeks truth. → Shloka 33 The Lord as the Letter 'A', Dvandva and Imperishable Time akṣharāṇām akāro ’smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya cha | aham evākṣhayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṁ viśhvatomukhaḥ || 10.33 || The Blessed Lord said: Among letters I am the letter 'a'; among compounds I am the dvandva compound; I alone am imperishable Time, and I am the Sustainer whose face is turned in every direction. → Shloka 34 The Lord as Death, Origin and the Noble Qualities mṛityuḥ sarvaharaśh chāham udbhavaśh cha bhaviṣhyatām | kīrtiḥ śhrīr vāk cha nārīṇāṁ smṛitir medhā dhṛitiḥ kṣhamā || 10.34 || The Blessed Lord said: I am all-devouring death, and I am the origin of those who are yet to be born. Among feminine qualities I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, firmness, and forgiveness. → Shloka 35 The Lord as Bṛihatsāma, Gāyatrī, Mārgaśhīrṣha and Spring bṛihatsāma tathā sāmnāṁ gāyatrī chhandasām aham | māsānāṁ mārgaśhīrṣho ’haṁ ṛitūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ || 10.35 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Sāma hymns I am the Bṛihatsāma; among Vedic metres I am the Gāyatrī; among months I am Mārgaśhīrṣha; and among seasons I am spring, the bearer of flowers. → Shloka 36 The Lord as Splendor, Victory, Determination and Goodness dyūtaṁ chhalayatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham | jayo ’smi vyavasāyo ’smi sattvaṁ sattvavatām aham || 10.36 || The Blessed Lord said: Among deceivers I am gambling; among the splendid I am splendor; I am victory; I am determination; and among the virtuous I am goodness. → Shloka 37 The Lord as Vāsudeva, Dhanañjaya, Vyāsa and Uśhanā vṛiṣhṇīnāṁ vāsudevo ’smi pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ | munīnām apy ahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnām uśhanā kaviḥ || 10.37 || The Blessed Lord said: Among the Vṛiṣhṇis I am Vāsudeva; among the Pāṇḍavas I am Dhanañjaya; among the sages I am Vyāsa; and among the wise seers I am Uśhanā. → Shloka 38 The Lord as Punishment, Statecraft, Silence and Wisdom daṇḍo damayatām asmi nītir asmi jigīṣhatām | maunaṁ chaivāsmi guhyānāṁ jñānaṁ jñānavatām aham || 10.38 || The Blessed Lord said: Among those who punish I am the rod of punishment; among those who seek victory I am statesmanship; among secrets I am silence; and among the wise I am wisdom. → Shloka 39 The Lord Is the Seed of All Beings yach chāpi sarvabhūtānāṁ bījaṁ tad aham arjuna | na tad asti vinā yat syān mayā bhūtaṁ charācharam || 10.39 || The Blessed Lord said: Whatever is the seed of all beings, that I am, O Arjuna. There is no being, moving or unmoving, that can exist without Me. → Shloka 40 The Lord's Glories Have No End nānto ’sti mama divyānāṁ vibhūtīnāṁ parantapa | eṣha tūddeśhataḥ prokto vibhūter vistaro mayā || 10.40 || The Blessed Lord said: There is no end to My divine glories, O scorcher of foes. What I have spoken of the extent of My glory is only an indication. → Shloka 41 Every Glorious Being Is a Spark of the Lord's Splendor yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śhrīmad ūrjitam eva vā | tat tad evāvagachchha tvaṁ mama tejo ’ṁśhasambhavam || 10.41 || The Blessed Lord said: Whatever being is glorious, prosperous, or powerful, know that to have arisen from but a spark of My splendor. → Shloka 42 One Part of the Lord Supports the Entire Universe athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna | viṣhṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛitsnam ekāṁśhena sthito jagat || 10.42 || The Blessed Lord said: But what need is there, O Arjuna, for you to know all these details? I exist, supporting this entire universe with just one part of Myself. →