Arjuna Asks Krishna to Describe His Glories

Context: where the question appears

In the Bhagavad Gītā — the Krishna-centred dialogue framed in the Mahābhārata — Arjuna asks Krishna to describe his glories at the start of Chapter 10 (commonly called Vibhūti Yoga, “the yoga of divine opulences”). The request follows Krishna’s teaching on knowledge, action and devotion: Arjuna, seeking certainty about Krishna’s nature, asks for a clear account of the Lord’s most manifest powers. Krishna responds with a catalogue of “vibhūti” — vibhūti meaning divine manifestations, opulences or special powers — and later the dialogue culminates in Arjuna’s plea to behold Krishna’s universal form in Chapter 11 (Viśvarūpa-darśana).

What Krishna says in Chapter 10 — the form of the reply

Krishna’s reply in Chapter 10 combines theology, poetry and pedagogy. He begins by asserting the primacy of his role in the cosmos with the famous line often translated as “I am the source of all” (aham sarvasya prabhavo, Gītā 10.8). He then gives a series of short, vivid statements naming the realms and qualities in which his presence is most conspicuous: the brilliance in the sun and moon, the taste in water, the fragrance in earth, the splendour among the splendid, the teacher among the learned, and the strength of the strong. These are not an exhaustive metaphysical taxonomy but a devotional catalogue meant to show how the divine pervades particular, recognizable features of the world.

Representative list (select examples)

• “I am the taste in water” — an example of immanence in ordinary substances.
• “I am the light of the sun and the moon” — divine presence in cosmic luminaires.
• “I am the syllable Om” — linkage with sacred sound and spiritual practice.
• “I am the splendour in rich ones and the might in the mighty” — attributes manifest in persons and powers.
• “I am the beginning, the middle and the end of creation” — statement of temporal sovereignty.

Literary and religious purposes

The list-style rhetoric serves several purposes. Poetically, it provides memorable images that invite devotional feeling. Pedagogically, it responds to Arjuna’s need for a concrete index of the divine: if Krishna is the support of one’s duty (dharma), where might one see him? Ethically and soteriologically, the enumeration integrates knowledge (jñāna), action (karma) and devotion (bhakti): knowing the Lord’s vibhūti is meant to strengthen trust and motivate right action.

How different schools read these verses

Classical commentators interpret the chapter through their doctrinal lenses. In Advaita Vedānta (e.g., Śaṅkara), the vibhūti are seen as symbolic manifestations of an underlying, non-dual Brahman; Krishna’s “I” points ultimately to an impersonal absolute whose apparent qualities are māyā (cosmic illusion) for the unenlightened. In Viśiṣṭādvaita (Rāmānuja), the vibhūti are real attributes of a personal God (Vishnu/Krishna) who is one with but not identical to the cosmos: divine opulences are genuine, not merely illusory. Dvaita (Madhva) affirms a strict distinction between God and individual souls and reads the list as evidence of Krishna’s supreme, distinct lordship. Bhakti traditions — both southern and northern — typically emphasise the devotional import: seeing Krishna as present in varied forms fosters love and surrender.

Relation to Chapter 11 (the universal form)

Chapter 10 sets the stage for Chapter 11, where Arjuna asks to see Krishna’s viśvarūpa — the cosmic, transcendent form — and is granted a theophany. Scholars and teachers often describe the sequence as movement from immanence to transcendence: first Krishna shows how he pervades everything in particular ways; then he discloses the all-encompassing, awe-inspiring totality. Together these chapters balance intimacy (God near in everyday things) with transcendence (God beyond and greater than the world).

Practical and devotional use in living traditions

Chapter 10 is frequently read and chanted in study circles, temple discourses and gharana (household) devotion as a way to cultivate awareness of the divine in ordinary life. Different communities emphasise different verses: some focus on the identification of Krishna with sacred sound (Om), others on cosmic sovereignty or on practical inspiration for performing one’s duty. The chapter features in Gītā recitations on Gītā Jayantī and in commentaries and songs composed by medieval and modern bhakti saints.

Interpretive cautions and a note on practice

Interpretations vary widely because the Gītā itself is multilayered; what reads as literal theophany to one tradition may be read allegorically by another. Readers should be attentive to context: Krishna’s catalogue aims to console, clarify and inspire a warrior on a battlefield, not to provide a modern cosmology. For those who practice visualization or prolonged contemplative exercises inspired by these chapters, a brief caution: intense spiritual practices can be mentally and emotionally powerful—approach them under guidance if you have concerns about mental health or stability.

Why it still matters

Arjuna’s request and Krishna’s answer retain modern resonance because they model a dialogue between doubt and assurance, intellect and devotion. The vibhūti passages give devotees and seekers language to recognise the sacred in limited, familiar terms while also pointing beyond those terms to the mystery that remains. Whether read devotionally, philosophically or poetically, Chapter 10 invites a practical, lived theology: the divine is both the force that orders the cosmos and the presence that can be known in the small, everyday elements of life.