{
  "chapter": 10,
  "lang": "en",
  "verses": [
    {
      "id": "10.1",
      "translation": "Once again, O mighty-armed one, listen to my supreme word, which I will speak to you for your good, since you delight in hearing it.",
      "explanation": "Krishna begins the tenth chapter by speaking again to Arjuna, whom he calls \"mighty-armed\" (mahābāho). He says he will share a supreme teaching, out of affection and concern for Arjuna's welfare (hita). What follows is an account of Krishna's divine glories (vibhūti), showing him as the source of all beings, gods and sages."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.2",
      "translation": "Neither the hosts of gods nor the great sages know my origin, for I am the source of the gods and of the great sages in every way.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues speaking to Arjuna about his supreme nature. He says even the gods (devas) and great sages (maharṣi) cannot fully know his origin (prabhava), because he is the source from which they themselves come. Traditions differ on emphasis: devotional readings stress Krishna as the personal Supreme, while non-dualist readings see him as the one Reality behind all beings."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.3",
      "translation": "Whoever knows me as unborn and beginningless, the great Lord of the worlds, is free from delusion among mortals and is freed from all sins.",
      "explanation": "Krishna has just said that neither gods nor great sages know his origin, since he is the source of them all. Here he says that whoever truly knows him as unborn (aja), without beginning (anādi), and the great Lord of the worlds (lokamaheśvara) is free from confusion (asammūḍha) and from all wrongdoing (pāpa). Traditions differ on whether this knowing is devotional realization of a personal God or insight into the Absolute behind all things."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.4",
      "translation": "Understanding, knowledge, freedom from confusion, patience, truth, self-restraint, inner calm, pleasure and pain, coming into being and passing away, fear and fearlessness too…",
      "explanation": "Krishna is explaining that he is the source of all beings, and begins listing the many inner states and qualities that come from him. This verse names understanding (buddhi), knowledge (jñāna), patience (kṣamā), self-restraint (dama) and calm (śama), but also pleasure, pain, birth, death and fear. The list continues in the next verse, where he says all these states arise from him alone."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.5",
      "translation": "Non-violence, evenness of mind, contentment, austerity, giving, fame and disgrace — these varied states of living beings arise from me alone.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues the list begun in the previous verse of qualities and conditions found in living beings, both admirable and unwelcome. Here he names non-violence (ahiṃsā), evenness of mind (samatā), contentment (tuṣṭi), austerity (tapas), giving (dāna), fame and disgrace. He says that all these different states (bhāvāḥ) come from him alone, which prepares for the account of his divine glories (vibhūti) in this chapter."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.6",
      "translation": "The seven great sages of old, and likewise the four Manus, were born from my mind and share my nature. From them came all these creatures in the world.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing how everything in creation has him as its source. The seven great sages (maharṣi) and the four Manus, the primal progenitors of humankind, were born from his mind and carry his nature (bhāva). Commentators differ on who the \"four Manus\" are, and some also read \"the four\" as referring to the four Kumaras; the verse's core point is the same."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.7",
      "translation": "Whoever truly knows this glory and this yoga of mine is established in unwavering yoga. Of this there is no doubt.",
      "explanation": "Krishna has just described how the great sages and the Manus, and through them all beings, came from him. Here he says that truly knowing his glory (vibhūti) and his yoga leads to steady, unwavering yoga, a firm and unshakable inner connection. Commentators differ on whether \"yoga\" here means his creative power, his lordship, or the discipline of devotion, but all agree the knowledge must be real, not just heard."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.8",
      "translation": "I am the origin of everything, and from me everything unfolds. Understanding this, the wise worship me, filled with devotion.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing his divine glory (vibhūti). He says he is both the source (prabhava) of all beings and the power by which the world keeps functioning. Those who truly grasp this, the wise (budhāḥ), respond with heartfelt devotion (bhāva), meaning deep love and inner absorption. Traditions differ on whether bhāva here stresses loving devotion or contemplative insight, and the verse supports both readings."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.9",
      "translation": "With their minds fixed on me and their lives devoted to me, they enlighten one another and speak of me always. They are content, and they rejoice.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing the wise devotees from the previous verse, who worship him knowing he is the source of everything. Their minds (citta) and very life-breath (prāṇa) are turned toward him, and they find fulfilment in sharing insight and speaking of him together. Some commentators read \"life-breath\" as the whole life given over to him; others stress the shared conversation as a practice in its own right."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.10",
      "translation": "To those who are always steadfast and who worship me with love, I give that yoga of understanding by which they come to me.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing his devotees from the previous verse, those whose minds are fixed on him. He says he gives them the yoga of understanding (buddhiyoga), a disciplined clarity of insight, and through it they reach him. Traditions differ on emphasis: devotional schools stress this as grace responding to love, while Advaita readings take it as the insight that reveals oneness with the Self."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.11",
      "translation": "Out of compassion for them alone, I dwell within their own heart and destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues from the previous verse, where he says he gives devoted people the yoga of understanding (buddhi-yoga). Here he explains that, out of compassion (anukampā), he abides in their inner self (ātma-bhāva) and removes the darkness born of ignorance (ajñāna) with the bright lamp of knowledge (jñāna). Commentators differ on whether ātma-bhāva means the devotee's own heart or mind, or the state of the Self, but all agree that the knowledge is a grace that comes through devotion."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.12",
      "translation": "You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier — the eternal, divine Person, the original God, unborn and all-pervading…",
      "explanation": "Arjuna responds to Krishna's teaching about his own glory, and here he begins to affirm who Krishna is. He calls him the supreme Brahman (the ultimate reality), the highest abode (dhāman), and the supreme purifier (pavitra). The verse continues into the next one, where Arjuna adds that the sages also say this. Traditions differ on whether 'Brahman' here points to an impersonal absolute or to Krishna as the personal Supreme, since the verse calls him both Brahman and Purusha."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.13",
      "translation": "All the sages speak of you in this way, and so do the divine sage Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa; and now you yourself tell me so.",
      "explanation": "Arjuna is responding to Krishna's teaching about his divine glories. In the previous verse he called Krishna the supreme Brahman and supreme abode. Here he supports that by citing ancient seers (ṛṣi), meaning sages who directly perceived deep truths: Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa all taught the same. He adds that Krishna now confirms it in his own words."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.14",
      "translation": "I take all of this that you tell me to be true, O Keshava. Truly, O Lord, neither the gods nor the danavas know your manifestation.",
      "explanation": "Arjuna responds to Krishna's description of his divine glories, saying he accepts it all as true, just as the sages he named in the previous verse also declare. He adds that even gods (devas) and the demonic danavas cannot fully know Krishna's manifestation (vyakti), meaning how the Lord comes into view or appears. Some readers take vyakti as the Lord's actual nature, others as his manifest forms and powers."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.15",
      "translation": "You yourself know yourself by yourself, O Supreme Person, source of beings, Lord of beings, God of gods, Master of the world.",
      "explanation": "Arjuna continues speaking to Krishna. In the previous verse he said that not even gods or demons truly know Krishna's manifestation. Here he says only Krishna knows himself, through himself, and he addresses him with a string of titles. In the next verse he goes on to ask Krishna to describe his divine glories (vibhūti)."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.16",
      "translation": "You should tell me, leaving nothing out, of your divine glories — the glories by which you pervade these worlds and abide in them.",
      "explanation": "Arjuna has just said that only Krishna truly knows himself, so he now asks Krishna to describe his divine manifestations. Vibhuti (vibhūti) means a glory or power through which the Divine shows itself in the world. Arjuna asks for a complete account of how Krishna pervades and sustains all the worlds."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.17",
      "translation": "O Yogi, how am I to know you as I constantly contemplate you? And in which particular things, O Lord, should I think of you?",
      "explanation": "Arjuna has just asked Krishna to describe his divine manifestations (vibhūti). Here he asks how he can come to know Krishna through steady meditation, and in which particular things or states he should contemplate him. The word yogin means a master of yoga (spiritual discipline and union), here referring to Krishna's mystic power."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.18",
      "translation": "Tell me again, in full detail, of your yoga and your manifestations, O Janardana; for however much I hear of this nectar, I never have enough.",
      "explanation": "Arjuna continues his request from the previous verse, asking Krishna (Janardana, \"he who stirs people\") to describe at length his yoga, meaning his divine power or mystical capacity, and his vibhūti, his glorious manifestations in the world. He calls Krishna's words \"nectar\" (amṛta), the drink of immortality, because he can never hear enough of them. Commentators differ on whether \"yoga\" here means Krishna's power of divine mastery or the way to know him, and both readings are widely held."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.19",
      "translation": "Very well, I will tell you of my divine manifestations, O best of the Kurus, but only the chief ones, for there is no end to the extent of my glories.",
      "explanation": "Arjuna has just asked Krishna to describe his glories (vibhūti) at length, so Krishna agrees. He says he will name only the principal ones, since his manifestations are endless. The following verses then list these examples, beginning with Krishna as the Self (ātman) in all beings."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.20",
      "translation": "I am the Self, O Gudakesha, seated in the heart of every being. I am the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings.",
      "explanation": "Krishna has just promised to describe his divine manifestations (vibhūti), and he begins with the most intimate one: the Self (ātman) dwelling in the heart of every living being. He then says he is the origin, the middle and the end of all beings, meaning that creation, continuance and dissolution all rest in him. Gudakesha is a name for Arjuna, often read as 'conqueror of sleep' or 'thick-haired'."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.21",
      "translation": "Among the Adityas I am Vishnu; among lights, the radiant sun; among the Maruts I am Marichi; among the stars I am the moon.",
      "explanation": "Krishna is continuing his list of divine manifestations (vibhūti) for Arjuna, picking out the foremost example in each category. Here these are Vishnu among the twelve Adityas (solar deities), the sun among luminaries, Marichi among the Maruts (storm gods), and the moon among the stars. The point is that the divine shows up most clearly in what is most excellent in each class."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.22",
      "translation": "Among the Vedas I am the Samaveda; among the gods I am Vasava (Indra). Among the senses I am the mind, and among living beings I am consciousness.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming what is foremost in each class: the melodic Samaveda, Indra as king of the gods, the mind (manas) as the leading sense that coordinates the others, and consciousness (cetanā) as the living principle in beings. Each is a pointer to the divine presence in what is most excellent."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.23",
      "translation": "Among the Rudras I am Shankara; among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, I am Vittesha, the lord of wealth. Among the Vasus I am Pavaka, the fire; and among mountains with peaks, I am Meru.",
      "explanation": "Continuing his list of divine manifestations (vibhūti), Krishna names the finest example in each class: Shankara (Shiva) among the eleven Rudras, Kubera, lord of wealth, among Yakshas and Rakshasas, fire among the eight Vasus, and Mount Meru among peaks. The point is that whatever is most excellent in any category reflects his power. Vittesha, 'lord of wealth', is traditionally understood as Kubera."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.24",
      "translation": "Among household priests, know me, O Partha, as Brihaspati, the foremost. Among army commanders I am Skanda, and among bodies of water I am the ocean.",
      "explanation": "Krishna is listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) for Arjuna, saying that in each category he is the finest example. Brihaspati is the priest and teacher of the gods, Skanda is the god of war and commander of the divine armies, and the ocean is the greatest gathering of waters. The point is that excellence of any kind points back to him."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.25",
      "translation": "Among great sages I am Bhrigu; among words I am the single syllable. Among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of quiet repetition; among things that do not move, I am the Himalaya.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues telling Arjuna where his divine presence is most visible (vibhūti), by naming the best in each category. Bhrigu is a foremost ancient sage, and the \"single syllable\" (ekam akṣaram) is traditionally understood as Om. The sacrifice of repetition (japa-yajña) is the quiet, murmured or mental repeating of a sacred name or mantra, and the Himalaya stands for the greatest of immovable things."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.26",
      "translation": "Among all trees I am the ashvattha (sacred fig); among divine sages, Narada; among the gandharvas, Chitraratha; and among the perfected ones, the sage Kapila.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming the finest example in each class of being. The ashvattha is the sacred fig tree; Narada is a celestial sage; the gandharvas are heavenly musicians, with Chitraratha as their chief; and the siddhas are perfected beings, of whom the sage Kapila is foremost. Kapila is traditionally identified with the founder of the Sankhya philosophy."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.27",
      "translation": "Among horses, know me as Uchchaihshravas, born of the nectar of immortality; among lordly elephants, as Airavata; and among humans, as the king.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) for Arjuna, picking out the finest example in each category. Uchchaihshravas and Airavata are the celestial horse and elephant that, in the well-known myth, emerged when the gods and demons churned the ocean for the nectar of immortality (amṛta). The \"king\" (narādhipa) is the ruler of humans, whose power and duty to protect make him a fitting image of the divine."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.28",
      "translation": "Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows I am Kamadhuk, the cow that grants wishes. I am Kandarpa, the love that brings forth offspring; among serpents I am Vasuki.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming the finest example in each category. Here these are Indra's thunderbolt (vajra), the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhuk, Kandarpa as the desire that leads to procreation, and Vasuki, chief of the serpents. The point is that what is most excellent in each class expresses his power; the verse specifies desire for offspring, not desire in general."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.29",
      "translation": "Among the nagas I am Ananta; among the water beings I am Varuna. Among the ancestors (pitris) I am Aryaman, and among those who restrain, I am Yama.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming the finest example in each category. Ananta is the great serpent king, Varuna is lord of the waters, Aryaman is chief of the ancestors (pitṛ), and Yama is the god who governs restraint and law, including judgment after death. The verse presents the divine as the highest expression of each class of beings."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.30",
      "translation": "Among the Daityas I am Prahlada; among those who reckon, I am Time. Among beasts I am the lord of beasts, the lion, and among birds I am Vainateya, Garuda.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti), naming the finest example in each class. Prahlada, famed for his unshakable devotion to Vishnu, is the finest of the Daityas (a class of demons), and Time (kāla) is what measures and ends all things. The lion is the chief of beasts, and Garuda, son of Vinata, is the chief of birds. Commentators take \"those who reckon\" (kalayatām) either as those who count and measure or as those who subdue and consume; either way Time is supreme among them."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.31",
      "translation": "Among purifiers I am the wind, and among wielders of weapons I am Rama. Among fish I am the makara, and among flowing rivers I am the Jahnavi (the Ganga).",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his \"manifestations\" (vibhūti), the finest example in each category, to help Arjuna see the divine in the world. Here he names the wind (pavana), Rama (the ideal warrior-king), the makara (a legendary sea creature, often read as a crocodile or shark), and the Ganga, called Jahnavi. The word pavatām can mean \"purifiers\" or \"movers/swift ones\"; both readings are found among commentators, and the verse works with either."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.32",
      "translation": "Of creations I am the beginning, the end and also the middle, O Arjuna. Among branches of knowledge I am the knowledge of the Self, and among those who debate I am reasoned discussion (vada).",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) for Arjuna, showing that he is the source, sustainer and end of all that is created. Here \"knowledge of the Self\" (adhyātma-vidyā) is the wisdom about the inner self and ultimate reality. \"Vāda\" is honest debate aimed at reaching the truth, as opposed to quarrelling merely to win; commentators differ somewhat on how they distinguish its types, but all see it as the best form of argument."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.33",
      "translation": "Among letters I am the letter \"a\"; among compounds I am the dvandva. I alone am imperishable Time, and I am the Sustainer whose face is turned in every direction.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming the finest example in each category. The letter \"a\" is the first and most basic sound of Sanskrit, and the dvandva is a compound that joins its members as equals (like \"day-and-night\"). He is also endless Time (kāla) and the all-facing Sustainer (dhātā); some commentators take this as the Creator or the giver of the results of actions, while others read it as the Lord who sustains the universe."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.34",
      "translation": "I am death that seizes all, and I am the origin of all that is yet to be. Among feminine qualities I am fame, prosperity, speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna. He is both death, which takes everything, and the source of future beings, so he stands behind end and beginning alike. He then names seven qualities traditionally personified as feminine: fame (kīrti), prosperity or beauty (śrī), speech (vāk), memory (smṛti), intelligence (medhā), steadfastness (dhṛti) and patience (kṣamā)."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.35",
      "translation": "Among the Sama chants I am the Brihat-sama, and among metres I am the Gayatri. Among months I am Margashirsha, and among seasons I am spring, rich in flowers.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues describing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming the finest example in each category. Here these are the Brihat-sama chant (from the Sama Veda), the Gayatri metre (chandas, the verse-rhythms of the Vedas), the month of Margashirsha (roughly November–December) and spring (kusumākara, 'the abode of flowers'). The point is that whatever is most excellent in a class points back to him."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.36",
      "translation": "Among deceivers I am gambling, and among the radiant I am radiance. I am victory, I am resolve, and among the good I am their goodness (sattva).",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) for Arjuna, picking the finest example in each category. Gambling stands for the power of trickery, while radiance, victory, resolve (vyavasāya) and goodness (sattva, the clear, luminous quality among the three gunas) are his presence in excellence. Including gambling is often read as showing that his power underlies everything, even what is morally questionable, without endorsing it."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.37",
      "translation": "Among the Vrishnis I am Vasudeva, and among the Pandavas, Dhananjaya. Among sages I am Vyasa too, and among poets, the poet Ushanas.",
      "explanation": "Krishna is describing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, naming the finest example in each group. Vasudeva here is Krishna himself, Dhananjaya is Arjuna, Vyasa is the sage traditionally credited with compiling the Vedas and the Mahabharata, and Ushanas is the poet-sage Shukra. Calling himself the best of each kind shows that excellence in every realm comes from him."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.38",
      "translation": "Among those who subdue, I am the rod of punishment; among those who seek victory, I am statecraft. Among secrets, I am silence, and among those who have knowledge, I am knowledge itself.",
      "explanation": "Krishna continues listing his divine manifestations (vibhūti) to Arjuna, picking the finest example in each category. Here these are the authority of punishment that keeps order, wise policy (nīti) in those seeking victory, silence that guards what is secret, and the wisdom (jñāna) of the wise. The verse is generally read the same way across traditions."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.39",
      "translation": "And whatever is the seed of all beings, that too am I, Arjuna. Nothing moving or unmoving can exist without me.",
      "explanation": "Krishna is concluding his list of divine manifestations (vibhūti) for Arjuna. Here he names the seed (bīja), the original source from which every being arises, as himself, and says nothing moving or unmoving exists apart from him. Traditions generally take this as Krishna being the underlying cause of creation, though Advaita and devotional schools differ on whether the world is identical with him or dependent on him."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.40",
      "translation": "There is no end to my divine glories, O Scorcher of Foes. What I have told you is only a brief sketch of the extent of my glory.",
      "explanation": "Krishna closes his long description of his manifestations in this chapter. He tells Arjuna that his divine glories (vibhūti) are endless, and that the examples he gave were only a summary. The point is that no list can capture the whole of the divine."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.41",
      "translation": "Whatever being you find that is endowed with glory, splendor, or exceptional power, know that it has arisen from just a fragment of my radiance.",
      "explanation": "Krishna has just said that his manifestations (vibhūti) are endless and that he has named only a few. Here he gives Arjuna a simple rule for recognizing them: anything glorious, beautiful or powerful comes from a small portion of his splendor (tejas). Traditions differ on emphasis: Advaita readers see this as the one reality appearing through excellence, while devotional schools stress the personal Lord as the source of all power."
    },
    {
      "id": "10.42",
      "translation": "Or what use is there, Arjuna, in your knowing all this in such detail? I stand supporting this entire world with just a single part of myself.",
      "explanation": "This closes Krishna's chapter on his manifestations (vibhūti). Having listed many of them, he tells Arjuna that a long catalogue is not needed: the whole universe rests on just one portion (aṁśa) of him. Traditions differ on emphasis: Advaita readings stress his transcendence beyond the world, while devotional schools stress his personal, all-sustaining lordship, but all take the verse as pointing to his vastness."
    }
  ]
}