Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 19

English Translation

The Blessed Lord said O best of the Kurus, now, according to their importance, I shall described to you My onw glories, which are indeed divine. There is no end to my manifestations.

Detailed Commentary

।।10.19।। Explanation — 'Hanta te kathayishyāmi divyā hyātma-vibhūtayaḥ' — Accepting Arjuna's prayer to speak of His Yoga and Vibhutis, the Lord says, "I will declare to you My divine, transcendental, wondrous manifestations." (The topic of Yoga is addressed by the Lord later in the forty-first verse). The meaning of 'Divya' is that whatever distinctiveness exists in any object, person, event, etc., it truly belongs to the Lord. Therefore, to perceive it from the Lord's perspective is *divyata* (divinity), and to perceive it from the perspective of the object, person, etc., is *adivyata* or *laukikata* (non-divinity or worldliness). 'Prādhānyataḥ kurushreṣṭha nāstyanto vistarasya me' — When Arjuna said, "O Lord! Describe Your *Vibhutis* in detail," the Lord said, "I will tell you My *Vibhutis* in brief, because there is no end to My manifestations." However, later in the eleventh chapter, when Arjuna, with hesitation, says, "I wish to see Your Universal Form, and if it is possible, please show it," the Lord says, 'Pashya me Pārtha rūpāṇi' (11.5), meaning "Behold, O Partha, My forms." How many forms? Hundreds and thousands of forms. Here, at Arjuna's request, the Lord speaks of His *Vibhutis* concisely, and there He offers to show numerous forms. It is astonishing that the power of hearing is greater, but the power of sight is more limited than that of the ears. Yet, when Arjuna asked to hear about the *Vibhutis* in detail, the Lord spoke briefly, and when he expressed his inability to see even one form, the Lord showed many forms. The reason for this is that Arjuna's knowledge of the Lord continuously increases. In this chapter, when the Lord said that there is no end to His *Vibhutis*, Arjuna's gaze turned towards the Lord's infinitude. He understood, "I know nothing about the Lord, because the Lord is infinite, boundless, immeasurable." However, Arjuna had unknowingly said, "Tell me all the *Vibhutis*." Therefore, he becomes cautious later and requests to see just one form. Even though the power of the eyes is limited, the Lord grants permission to see many forms by bestowing *divya drishti* (divine sight). Secondly, there is a difference between asking a speaker for information and praying to know something for oneself with ignorance and unworthiness. When Arjuna desired to know the *Vibhutis* in detail, the Lord said, "I will speak briefly, because they are unfathomable." In the eleventh chapter, when Arjuna prayed to see the Lord's immutable form with ignorance and unworthiness, the Lord granted permission and the ability (*divya drishti*) to see infinite forms. Therefore, a *sadhaka* (spiritual aspirant) should rely solely on the Lord, without any insistence or ego, because immeasurable things are received through reliance on the Lord. Connection — *Vibhutis* and Yoga — Among these, the Lord first describes eighty-two of His *Vibhutis* from the twentieth to the thirty-ninth verse.