Chapter 10 of 18

विभूतियोग

Divine Manifestations

Krishna describes his divine manifestations throughout creation — the best, the most powerful, the most beautiful in every category. Everything extraordinary is a spark of his splendor.

42 of 42 verses available

1

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

śrībhagavānuvāca |

The Supreme Lord says: O mighty-armed Arjuna, listen once more to My supreme word, which I shall speak to you who are dear to Me, for your benefit.

divine lovesupreme knowledgeguru-disciple +2
2

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

śrībhagavānuvāca |

Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know My origin, for I am the source of all the gods and great sages in every way.

divine mysterytranscendencehumility +2
3

यो मामजमनादिं च वेत्ति लोकमहेश्वरम् |

yo māmajamanādiṃ ca vetti lokmaheśvaram |

One who knows Me as unborn, without beginning, and the great Lord of all worlds — that person, undeluded among mortals, is freed from all sins.

liberationknowledgefreedom from sin +2
4

बुद्धिर्ज्ञानमसम्मोहः क्षमा सत्यं दमः शमः |

buddhirjñānamasammohaḥ kṣamā satyaṃ damaḥ śamaḥ |

Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control, calmness, happiness, sorrow, birth, death, fear, and fearlessness —

divine qualitiesemotional spectrumwholeness +2
5

अहिंसा समता तुष्टिस्तपो दानं यशोऽयशः |

ahiṃsā samatā tuṣṭistapo dānaṃ yaśo'yaśaḥ |

Non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and infamy — all these diverse states of beings arise from Me alone.

non-violenceequanimitydivine origin +2
6

महर्षयः सप्त पूर्वे चत्वारो मनवस्तथा |

maharṣayaḥ sapta pūrve catvāro manavastathā |

The seven great sages of old and the four Manus were born of My mind and partake of My nature. From them all these beings in the world have descended.

cosmic lineagedivine origincreation +2
7

एतां विभूतिं योगं च मम यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः |

etāṃ vibhūtiṃ yogaṃ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ |

One who truly knows this divine glory and power of Mine becomes united with Me through unwavering yoga — of this there is no doubt.

unwavering uniondivine glorycertainty +2
8

अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते |

ahaṃ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṃ pravartate |

I am the source of everything; from Me all creation proceeds. Knowing this, the wise worship Me with great devotion and conviction.

source of alldevotionwisdom +2
9

मच्चित्ता मद्गतप्राणा बोधयन्तः परस्परम् |

maccittā madgataprāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam |

With their minds fixed on Me, their lives surrendered to Me, enlightening one another, and always speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted.

satsangdevotional communityjoy +2
10

तेषां सततयुक्तानां भजतां प्रीतिपूर्वकम् |

teṣāṃ satatayuktānāṃ bhajatāṃ prītipūrvakam |

To those who are ever united with Me and worship Me with love, I give that yoga of understanding by which they come to Me.

buddhi yogadivine gracedevotion +2
11

तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः |

teṣāmevānukampārthamahamajñānajaṃ tamaḥ |

Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling within their hearts, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.

inner lightcompassionlamp of knowledge +2
12

अर्जुन उवाच |

arjuna uvāca |

Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Purifier, the Eternal Divine Being, the Primeval God, Unborn and All-pervading.

recognitionsupreme praisefaith +2
13

आहुस्त्वामृषयः सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा |

āhustvāmṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣirnāradastathā |

All the sages proclaim this of You, as do the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa — and now You Yourself are telling me.

authorityvalidationsage tradition +2
14

सर्वमेतदृतं मन्ये यन्मां वदसि केशव |

sarvametadṛtaṃ manye yanmāṃ vadasi keśava |

O Keshava, I accept as truth all that You have told me. Indeed, O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons know Your manifestation.

faithacceptancehumility +2
15

अर्जुन उवाच |

arjuna uvāca |

Arjuna said: You alone know Yourself by Your own Self, O Supreme Person, O origin and Lord of all beings, O God of gods, O Lord of the universe.

self-knowledgedivine sovereigntyArjuna's devotion +2
16

वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः |

vaktumarhasyaśeṣeṇa divyā hyātmavibhūtayaḥ |

Please describe fully Your divine glories — the vibhutis — by which You pervade and sustain all these worlds.

vibhutisdivine immanencesacred seeing +2
17

कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् |

kathaṃ vidyāmahaṃ yogiṃstvaṃ sadā paricintayan |

O Yogi, how may I know You by constant contemplation? And in what particular forms are You to be meditated upon by me, O Blessed Lord?

meditation practicesmaranadivine contemplation +2
18

विस्तरेणात्मनो योगं विभूतिं च जनार्दन |

vistareṇātmano yogaṃ vibhūtiṃ ca janārdana |

Tell me again in full, O Janardana, of Your yoga and vibhutis — for I am never satiated listening to Your nectar-like words.

spiritual hungersravananectar of wisdom +2
19

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

śrībhagavānuvāca |

The Blessed Lord said: Yes, I shall tell you of My divine glories, but only the prominent ones, O best of the Kurus, for My extent is limitless.

divine infinityvibhutisprioritization +2
20

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः |

ahamātmā guḍākeśa sarvabhūtāśayasthitaḥ |

I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings.

Atmaninner Selfdivine immanence +2
21

आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्ज्योतिषां रविरंशुमान् |

ādityānāmahaṃ viṣṇurjyotiṣāṃ raviramśumān |

Among the Adityas I am Vishnu; among lights I am the radiant sun; among the Maruts I am Marici; among the stars I am the moon.

cosmic vibhutisAdityassun and moon +2
22

वेदानां सामवेदोऽस्मि देवानामस्मि वासवः |

vedānāṃ sāmavedosmi devānāmasmi vāsavaḥ |

Among the Vedas I am the Sama Veda; among the gods I am Vasava (Indra); among the senses I am the mind; among beings I am consciousness.

consciousnessmindSama Veda +2
23

रुद्राणां शंकरश्चास्मि वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम् |

rudrāṇāṃ śaṃkaraścāsmi vitteśo yakṣarakṣasām |

Among the Rudras I am Shankara (Shiva); among the Yakshas and Rakshasas I am Kubera (the lord of wealth); among the Vasus I am Agni (fire); among mountains I am Meru.

ShivaAgniMeru +2
24

पुरोधसां च मुख्यं मां विद्धि पार्थ बृहस्पतिम् |

purodhasāṃ ca mukhyaṃ māṃ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim |

Among priests know Me as their chief, Brihaspati; among generals I am Skanda; among bodies of water I am the ocean.

BrihaspatiSkandaocean +2
25

महर्षीणां भृगुरहं गिरामस्म्येकमक्षरम् |

maharṣīṇāṃ bhṛgurahaṃ girāmasmy ekamakṣaram |

Among the great sages I am Bhrigu; among words I am the single syllable OM; among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of japa (repetition); among immovable things I am the Himalaya.

OMjapaHimalaya +2
26

अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः |

aśvatthaḥ sarvavṛkṣāṇāṃ devarṣīṇāṃ ca nāradaḥ |

Among all trees I am the Ashvattha (sacred fig); among divine sages I am Narada; among Gandharvas I am Chitraratha; among perfected beings I am Kapila Muni.

AshvatthaNaradaKapila +2
27

उच्चैःश्रवसमश्वानां विद्धि माममृतोद्भवम् |

uccaiḥśravasamaśvānāṃ viddhi māmamṛtodbhavam |

Among horses know Me as Ucchaishravas, born of nectar; among lordly elephants know Me as Airavata; and among human beings I am the king.

UcchaishravasAiravatasamudra manthan +2
28

आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक् |

āyudhānāmahaṃ vajraṃ dhenūnāmasmi kāmadhuk |

Among weapons I am the thunderbolt (Vajra); among cows I am the wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu; among progenitors I am Kandarpa (the god of love); among serpents I am Vasuki.

VajraKamadhenuKandarpa +2
29

अनन्तश्चास्मि नागानां वरुणो यादसामहम् |

anantaścāsmi nāgānāṃ varuṇo yādasāmaham |

Among the Nagas I am Ananta; among aquatic beings I am Varuna; among the ancestors (pitrs) I am Aryama; among controllers I am Yama (the lord of death).

AnantaYamacosmic law +2
30

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां कालः कलयतामहम् |

prahlādaścāsmi daityānāṃ kālaḥ kalayatāmaham |

Among the Daityas (demons) I am Prahlada; among reckoners I am Time (Kala); among beasts I am the lion; among birds I am Garuda.

PrahladaKalaGaruda +2
31

पवनः पवतामस्मि रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम् |

pavanaḥ pavatāmasmi rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāmaham |

Among purifiers I am the wind; among weapon-bearers I am Rama; among sea-creatures I am the Makara (crocodile/dolphin); among flowing rivers I am the Ganges.

divine immanencepurificationdharmic excellence +2
32

सर्गाणामादिरन्तश्च मध्यं चैवाहमर्जुन |

sargāṇāmādirантаśca madhyaṃ caivāhamarjuna |

Among creations I am the beginning, the middle, and the end, O Arjuna. Among all sciences I am the science of the Self, and among logicians I am the conclusive argument.

self-knowledgecreation and dissolutionsupreme science +2
33

अक्षराणामकारोऽस्मि द्वन्द्वः सामासिकस्य च |

akṣarāṇāmakāro'smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya ca |

Among letters I am the letter 'A'; among compound words I am the dual compound. I alone am inexhaustible Time; I am the Creator facing in all directions.

primordial soundtimecreation +2
34

मृत्युः सर्वहरश्चाहमुद्भवश्च भविष्यताम् |

mṛtyuḥ sarvaharaścāhamudbhavaśca bhaviṣyatām |

I am all-devouring Death, and I am the origin of all things yet to be. Among feminine qualities I am Fame, Prosperity, Speech, Memory, Intelligence, Steadfastness, and Forgiveness.

death and rebirthdivine feminineseven virtues +2
35

बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम् |

bṛhatsāma tathā sāmnāṃ gāyatrī chandasāmaham |

Among the Sama hymns I am the Brihat-sama; among poetic meters I am the Gayatri; among months I am Margashirsha (November-December); among seasons I am the flower-bearing spring.

sacred soundGayatriseasons +2
36

द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् |

dyūtaṃ chalayatāmasmi tejastejasvinām aham |

Among deceivers I am gambling; among the splendorous I am splendor; I am victory; I am effort or determination; I am the goodness (sattva) of the good.

divine risksplendordetermination +2
37

वृष्णीनां वासुदेवोऽस्मि पाण्डवानां धनञ्जयः |

vṛṣṇīnāṃ vāsudevo'smi pāṇḍavānāṃ dhanañjayaḥ |

Among the Vrishnis I am Vasudeva (Krishna Himself); among the Pandavas I am Dhananjaya (Arjuna); among the sages I am Vyasa; among seers and poets I am Ushanas (Shukracharya).

self-referencedivine friendshipknowledge transmission +2
38

दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् |

daṇḍo damayatāmasmi nītirasmi jigīṣatām |

Among restraining forces I am punishment; among those who seek victory I am statecraft (niti); among secrets I am silence; among the wise I am wisdom.

silencewisdomstatecraft +2
39

यच्चापि सर्वभूतानां बीजं तदहमर्जुन |

yaccāpi sarvabhūtānāṃ bījaṃ tadahamarjuna |

And whatever is the seed of all beings — that also am I, O Arjuna. There is no being — moving or unmoving — that can exist without Me.

seed of existencedivine immanencesustaining presence +2
40

नान्तोऽस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप |

nānto'sti mama divyānāṃ vibhūtīnāṃ parantapa |

There is no end to My divine manifestations, O scorcher of enemies. What I have declared is only a sampling of My boundless glory.

infinityinexhaustibilitydivine glory +2
41

यद्यद्विभूतिमत्सत्त्वं श्रीमदूर्जितमेव वा |

yadyadvibhūtimatsattvaṃ śrīmadūrjitameva vā |

Whatever being is glorious, prosperous, or powerful — know that each of these has arisen from a fraction of My splendor.

divine fragmentsrecognizing excellencetejas +2
42

अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन |

athavā bahunaitena kiṃ jñātena tavārjuna |

But what need is there for all this detailed knowledge, O Arjuna? I support this entire universe by pervading it with a single fragment of Myself.

cosmic sustainerekamshadivine transcendence +2