Glossary

विभूति

vibhūti

Read this term in हिन्दी

The Lord's splendour: all the greatness, beauty and power seen in the world, whose source is the Lord.

Vibhuti means the Lord's splendour: whatever is great, beautiful and mighty is His glory. In the Gita this word stands at the centre of chapter 10. The Lord says that one who knows in truth His glory and His power is joined to Him by unwavering devotion (Gita 10.7). The verse has the word in the form vibhutim.

To know the glory is not to memorise a list. It is to see that all greatness has one source. That seeing is what turns love from habit into something that lasts. Later in the chapter the Lord names His chief glories and says there is no end to His expanse (Gita 10.19). At the end He adds that there is no need to know all these details, since one part of Him upholds the whole world (Gita 10.42).

Common misreading: that vibhuti means miraculous powers or special accomplishments.

Better sense: the Lord's glory as it shows in the world, whose sight wakes devotion.

The whole passage is in Knowing His Glory Leads to Devotion.

Key shlokas

Related terms

  • Tejas
  • Bija

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