Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10: Vibhuti Yoga
Wherever there is excellence and glory, see a spark of the divine.
विभूतियोग — जहाँ भी श्रेष्ठता और तेज है, उसे ईश्वर की विभूति का अंश जानो।
Chapter 10 of 18 · 42 verses · “The Yoga of Divine Glories”
Chapter 10 summary
Out of affection for Arjuna, Krishna continues to reveal his nature. He is the source of everything; knowing this, the wise worship him with deep feeling (10.8). To those who are always devoted, he gives the understanding by which they reach him, and out of compassion he destroys the darkness of ignorance with the lamp of knowledge (10.10–11). Verses 10.8–10.11 are often called the four essential verses (chatuh-shloki) of the Gita.
Arjuna, deeply moved, asks how he should think of Krishna in daily life. Krishna lists his vibhūtis — divine manifestations: among lights he is the sun, among bodies of water the ocean, among mountains the Himalaya, among rivers the Ganga, among words the single syllable Om. He concludes that there is no end to his glories; whatever is glorious, beautiful or powerful springs from a spark of his splendour (10.41), and he holds the entire universe with a single fragment of himself (10.42).
Key teachings of chapter 10
- The divine is the source of all things (10.8).
- Excellence, beauty and power anywhere are a spark of the divine (10.41).
- Knowledge given out of compassion dispels inner darkness (10.11).
Key verses of chapter 10
अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते। इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विताः॥
I am the source of everything; from me all things arise. Knowing this, the wise turn to me with deep feeling.
हिंदी अर्थ: मैं ही सबकी उत्पत्ति का कारण हूँ, मुझसे ही सब कुछ प्रवृत्त होता है। ऐसा जानकर बुद्धिमान लोग श्रद्धा और भाव से मेरा भजन करते हैं।
- I am the source of everything; from me all things arise. Knowing this, the wise worship me with deep feeling. — Gita 10.8
- I am the self seated in the hearts of all beings; I am their beginning, middle and end. — Gita 10.20
- Whatever is glorious, beautiful or mighty — know that it springs from a spark of my splendour. — Gita 10.41
What chapter 10 means today
Chapter 10 trains the eye to see greatness without envy. When you admire someone’s talent, a mountain view or a well-made thing, the Gita invites you to treat it as a glimpse of something larger — which turns comparison into gratitude.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita?
Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga, has 42 verses in the standard (Gita Press) numbering.
What are the vibhutis in the Gita?
Vibhūtis are the divine manifestations Krishna lists in chapter 10 — the best in every category, such as the sun among lights and the ocean among waters — to help Arjuna see the divine in the world.
What are the four essential verses of the Gita?
Gita 10.8–10.11 are traditionally called the chatuh-shloki (four verses), summarising devotion: the divine is the source of all, the wise worship with love, and the divine grants them understanding and removes their ignorance.