Yoga through Appreciating the Infinite Opulences of God
Verse 10.16
वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः। याभिर्विभूतिभिर्लोकानिमांस्त्वं व्याप्य तिष्ठसि।।10.16।।
vaktum arhasyaśheṣheṇa divyā hyātma-vibhūtayaḥ yābhir vibhūtibhir lokān imāṁs tvaṁ vyāpya tiṣhṭhasi
Word Meanings
vaktum—to describe; arhasi—please do; aśheṣheṇa—completely; divyāḥ—divine; hi—indeed; ātma—your own; vibhūtayaḥ—opulences; yābhiḥ—by which; vibhūtibhiḥ—opulences; lokān—all worlds; imān—these; tvam—you; vyāpya—pervade; tiṣhṭhasi—reside;
Translation · English
You should indeed tell, without reserve, of your divine glories by which you exist, pervading all these worlds. (No one else can do so.)
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Arjuna moves beyond a simple request for information to a state of profound contemplative awe. Having already accepted Krishna as the Supreme Person (Purushottama), Arjuna now invites the Lord to manifest His cosmic architecture within the field of his understanding. The word 'aśheṣheṇa' (completely) indicates an earnest longing to perceive the totality of God’s manifestation, reflecting the seeker's desire to see not just the world, but the divine hand that sustains it. By asking Krishna to describe His 'vibhūtis' (opulences), Arjuna is shifting his focus from the external, fleeting nature of the world to the underlying substratum of divinity that animates it. This is a crucial transition from material perception to spiritual vision. Philosophically, this underscores the Advaitic truth that the many are merely expressions of the One. Arjuna’s request acknowledges that the entire cosmos—from the majestic to the mundane—is not separate from Krishna but is, in fact, the pervasive presence of the Divine (vyāpya tiṣhṭhasi). The seeker realizes that every spark of excellence, beauty, or power witnessed in the world is but a faint reflection of the Lord’s own glory. This inquiry serves to stabilize Arjuna’s devotion, shifting his perception from being an actor within the world to being a witness of the Lord’s infinite play, thereby preparing his heart to behold the Universal Form (Vishvarupa) in subsequent chapters.
True spiritual vision begins when we recognize that all extraordinary manifestations of existence are not independent phenomena, but the pervasive, subtle presence of the Divine.
Connected Verses
This reflects the culmination of Arjuna’s awe, where he realizes that the Lord is everything, being both the manifest and the unmanifest.
This confirms Arjuna’s understanding that any instance of beauty or power is merely a tiny fragment of the Lord’s infinite splendor.
It highlights the paradox that while the entire universe is pervaded by the Lord, He remains transcendent and distinct from His creation.
This verse reinforces the theme of God as the essence of all things, such as the taste in water and the light in the sun.
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