Chapter 10: Glimpses of the Divine Glory

📘 Editorial Note:

Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita, known as “Vibhuti Yoga”—The Yoga of Divine Glories—unfolds a magnificent vision of Krishna’s boundless majesty. In this sacred dialogue, Lord Krishna begins to draw back the veil that conceals His infinite presence within all things.

Arjuna, filled with wonder and humility, longs to understand how the Lord—unseen, eternal, and formless—manifests within the world of forms. In response, Krishna speaks gently but powerfully, illuminating a truth both profound and beautiful: “I am the source of all creation. Everything proceeds from Me. The wise, who know this, worship Me with love.”

All that is glorious, powerful, radiant, or beautiful—whether in nature, in human achievements, in the arts, in the might of kings, the wisdom of sages, or the brilliance of stars—is but a spark of Krishna’s splendor, a mere reflection of His limitless divinity. The grandeur of the Himalayas, the melody of sacred chants, the courage of warriors, the depth of the ocean—all are partial manifestations of His divine essence.

He declares, “Of the Adityas, I am Vishnu; of lights, I am the radiant sun; of the Maruts, I am Marichi; and among the stars, I am the moon.” Through these vivid expressions, Krishna reveals how He pervades and animates every aspect of existence—not as a distant deity, but as the life and soul of the universe, ever-present, yet profoundly intimate.

Krishna’s divine opulence is not just about outward greatness. He is the intelligence of the intelligent, the strength of the strong, the compassion of the kind, and the silence of the mystic. He is the sacred within the sacred, the eternal witness dwelling silently in all hearts.

By contemplating these divine manifestations, Krishna tells Arjuna, the devotee can begin to feel His presence in all things, awakening to the truth that the whole cosmos is His temple, and all paths of sincere devotion lead back to Him.

Ultimately, Krishna concludes, “What need is there for all this detailed knowledge, O Arjuna? With a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support the entire universe.” In this, He invites all seekers to look beyond appearances and recognize the One behind the many—the Supreme Beloved, whose glories are infinite and whose grace is ever-flowing.

🔹 Original Chapter Text:

The Blessed Lord said:

SLOKA 1

Again, O mighty-armed, do thou listen to My supreme word, which I, wishing thy welfare, will tell thee who art delighted (to hear Me). 1

SLOKA 2

Neither the hosts of Devas, nor the great Rishis, know My origin, for in every way I am the source of all the Devas and the great Rishis. 2

SLOKA 3

He who knows Me, birthless and beginningless, the great Lord of worlds—he, among mortals, is undeluded, he is freed from all sins. 3

SLOKA 4-5

Intellect, knowledge, non-delusion, forbearance, truth, restraint of the external senses, calmness of heart, happiness, misery, birth, death, fear, as well as fearlessness, non-injury, evenness, contentment, austerity, benevolence, good name, (as well as) ill-fame;—(these) different kinds of qualities of beings arise from Me alone. 4

SLOKA 6

The seven great Rishis as well as the four ancient Manus, possessed of powers like Me (due to their thoughts being fixed on Me), were born of (My) mind; from them are these creatures in the world. 6

SLOKA 7

He who in reality knows these manifold manifestations of My being and (this) Yoga power of Mine, becomes established in the unshakable Yoga; there is no doubt about it. 7

SLOKA 8

l am the origin of all, from Me everything evolves;—thus thinking the wise worship Me with loving consciousness. 8

SLOKA 9

With their minds wholly in Me, with their senses absorbed in Me, enlightening one another, and always speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted. 9

SLOKA 10

To them, ever steadfast and serving Me with affection, I give that Buddhi Yoga by which they come unto Me. 10

SLOKA 11

Out of mere compassion for them, I, abiding in their hearts, destroy the darkness (in them) born of ignorance, by the luminous lamp of knowledge. 11

Arjuna said:

SLOKA 12-13

The Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Abode, the Supreme Purifier, art Thou. All the Rishis, the Deva-Rishi Nârada as well as Asita, Devala and Vyâsa have declared Thee as the Eternal, the Self-luminous Purusha, the first Deva, Birth-less and All-pervading. So also Thou Thyself sayest to me.

SLOKA 14

I regard all this that Thou sayest to me as true, O Keshava. Verily, O Bhagavân, neither the Devas nor the Dânavas know Thy manifestation. 14

SLOKA 15

Verily, Thou Thyself knowest Thyself by Thyself, O Purusha Supreme, O Source of beings, O Lord of beings, O Deva of Devas, O Ruler of the world.

SLOKA 16

Thou shouldst indeed speak, without reserve, of Thy divine attributes by which, filling all these worlds, Thou existest. 16

SLOKA 17

How shall I, O Yogin, meditate ever to know Thee? In what things, Bhagavân, art Thou to be thought of by me? 17

SLOKA 18

Speak to me again in detail, Jnanârdana, of Thy Yoga-powers and attributes; for I am never satiated in hearing the ambrosia (of Thy speech). 18

The Blessed Lord said:

SLOKA 19

I shall speak to thee now, O best of the Kurus, of My divine attributes, according to their prominence; there is no end to the particulars of My manifestation. 19

SLOKA 20

I am the Self, O Gudâkesha, existent in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings. 20

SLOKA 21

Of the Adityas, I am Vishnu; of luminaries, the radiant Sun; of the winds, I am Marichi; of the asterisms, the Moon.

SLOKA 22

I am the Sâma-Veda of the Vedas, and Vâsava (Indra) of the gods; of the senses I am Manas, and intelligence in living beings am I.

SLOKA 23

And of the Rudras I am Sankara, of the Yakshas and Râkshasas the Lord of wealth (Kuvera), of the Vasus I am Pâvaka, and of mountains, Meru am I.

SLOKA 24

And of priests, O son of Prithâ, know Me the chief, Brihaspati; of generals, I am Skanda; of bodies of water, I am the ocean.

SLOKA 25

Of the great Rishis I am Bhrigu; of words I am the one syllable “Om”; of Yajnas I am the Yajna of Japa (silent repetition); of immovable things the Himâlaya. 25

SLOKA 26

Of all trees (I am) the Ashvattha, and Nârada of Deva-Rishis; Chitraratha of Gandharvas am I, and the Muni Kapila of the perfected ones.

SLOKA 27

Know Me among horses as Uchchaisshravas, Amrita-born; of lordly elephants Airâvata, and of men the king. 27

SLOKA 28

Of weapons I am the thunderbolt, of cows I am Kâmadhuk; I am the Kandarpa, the cause of offspring; of serpents I am Vâsuki.

SLOKA 29

And Ananta of snakes I am, I am Varuna of water-beings; and Aryaman of Pitris I am, I am Yama of controllers.

SLOKA 30

And Prahlâda am I of Diti’s progeny, of measurers I am Time; and of beasts I am the lord of beasts, and Garuda of birds.

SLOKA 31

Of purifiers I am the wind, Râma of warriors am I; of fishes I am the shark, of streams I am Jâhnavi (the Ganges).

SLOKA 32

Of manifestations I, am the beginning, the middle and also the end; of all knowledges I am the knowledge of the Self, and Vâda of disputants. 32

SLOKA 33

Of letters the letter A am I, and Dvandva of all compounds; I alone am the inexhaustible Time, I the Sustainer (by dispensing fruits of actions) All-formed. 33

SLOKA 34

And I am the all-seizing Death, and the prosperity of those who are to be prosperous; of the feminine qualities (I am) Fame, Prosperity (or beauty), Inspiration, Memory, Intelligence, Constancy and Forbearance.

SLOKA 35

Of Sâmas also I am the Brihat-Sâma, of metres Gâyatri am I; of months I am Mârgashirsha, of seasons the flowery season. 35

SLOKA 36

I am the gambling of the fraudulent, I am the power of the powerful; I am victory, I am effort, I am Sattva of the Sâttvika. 36

SLOKA 37

Of the Vrishnis I am Vâsudeva; of the Pândavas, Dhananjaya; and also of the Munis I am Vyâsa; of the sages, Ushanas the sage.

SLOKA 38

Of punishers I am the sceptre; of those who seek to conquer, I am statesmanship; and also of things secret I am silence, and the knowledge of knowers am I.

SLOKA 39

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

SLOKA 40

There is no end of My divine attributes, O scorcher of foes; but this is a brief statement by Me of the particulars of My divine attributes.

SLOKA 41

Whatever being there is great, prosperous or powerful, that know thou to be a product of a part of My splendour.

SLOKA 42

Or what avails thee to know all this diversity, O Arjuna? (Know thou this,. that) I exist, supporting this whole world by a portion of Myself.

Footnotes

• 219:1 Supreme—as revealing the unsurpassed truth.
• 220:2 Prabhavam—higher origin (birth);—though birthless, yet taking various manifestations of power. Or it may mean, great Lordly power. In every way: not only as their producer, but also as their efficient cause, and the guide of their intellect, &c.
• 220:3 All sins—consciously or unconsciously incurred.
• 221:4 Arise &c.—according to their respective Karma.
• 222:6 The four ancient Manus: The four Manus of the past ages known as Savarnas.
• 222:7 This Yoga power—i.e., the fact that the great Rishis and the Manus possessed their power and wisdom, as partaking of a very small portion of the Lord’s infinite power and wisdom. Unshakable Yoga: Samâdhi, the state of steadiness in right realisation.
• 223:8 Loving consciousness—of the One Self in all.
• 223:9 Satisfied: when there is cessation of all thirst. Says the Purâna: All the pleasures of the senses in the world, and also all the great happiness in the divine spheres, are not worth a sixteenth part of that which comes from the cessation of all desires.
• 224:10 Buddhi Yoga—Devotion of right knowledge, through Dhyâna, of My essential nature as devoid of all limitations. See II. 39.
• 225:11 Luminous lamp of knowledge—characterised by discrimination; fed by the oil of contentment due to Bhakti; fanned by the wind of absorbing meditation on Me; furnished with the wick of pure consciousness evolved by the constant cultivation of Brahmacharyam and other pious virtues; held in the reservoir of the heart devoid of worldliness; placed in the wind-sheltered recess of the mind, withdrawn from the sense-objects, and untainted by attachment and aversion; shining with the light of right knowledge, engendered by incessant practice of concentration.—Sankara.
• 226:14 Bhagavân—is he in whom ever exist in their fulness, all powers, all Dharma, all glory, all success, all renunciation and all freedom. Also he that knows the origin and dissolution and the future of all beings, as well as knowledge and ignorance, is called Bhagavân.
• 227:16 Since none else can do so.
• 228:17 In what things &c.: In order that the mind even thinking of external objects, may be enabled to contemplate Thee in Thy particular manifestations in them.
• 228:18 Janârdana—to whom all pray for prosperity and salvation.
• 229:19 According to their prominence, i.e., only where they are severally the most prominent.
• 230:20 Gudâkesha—conqueror of sleep. Beginning etc.—That is, the birth, the life, and the death of all beings.
• 232:25 Yajna of Japa—because there is no injury or loss of life involved in it, it is the best of all Yajnas.
• 233:27 Amrita-born: Brought forth from the ocean when it was churned for the nectar.
• 235:32 Vâda. Discussion is classified under three heads: 1. Vâda; 2. Vitandâ; 3. Jalpa. In the first, the object is to arrive at truth; in the second, idle carping at the arguments of another, without trying to establish the opposite side of the question; and in the third, the assertion of one’s own opinion, and the attempt to refute that of the adversary by overbearing reply or wrangling rejoinder.
• 236:33 Inexhaustible Time, i.e., Eternity. Kâla spoken of before is finite time.
• 237:35 Mârgashirsha—month including parts of November and December. Flowery season—Spring.
• 237:36 I am victory, I am effort: I am victory of the victorious, I am the effort of those who make an effort.