Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 10 · Vibhuti Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 10.17 कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन्
श्लोक 10.17
कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् ।
केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया ॥
kathaṃ vidyāmahaṃ yogiṃstvāṃ sadā paricintayan |
keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyo'si bhagavanmayā ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
हे योगेश्वर! निरंतर आपका चिंतन करते हुए मैं आपको कैसे जानूँ? हे भगवन्! किन-किन भावों में मैं आपका चिंतन करूँ?
Meaning in English
O Master of Yoga, how may I know you as I constantly meditate on you? In what various forms, O Lord, should I think of you?
Bhagavad Gita 10.17 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| कथम् | katham | how |
| विद्याम् | vidyām | may I know |
| अहम् | aham | I |
| योगिन् | yogin | O master of yoga |
| त्वाम् | tvām | you |
| सदा | sadā | always |
| परिचिन्तयन् | paricintayan | meditating on |
| केषु केषु | keṣu keṣu | in which various |
| च | ca | and |
| भावेषु | bhāveṣu | forms, things |
| चिन्त्यः असि | cintyaḥ asi | are you to be meditated upon |
| भगवन् | bhagavan | O Lord |
| मया | mayā | by me |
Explanation
Arjuna asks a practical question: O master of yoga, how may I come to know you by constantly meditating on you? In which particular forms and things should I think of you, O Lord? He wants concrete supports for meditation, places in the world where his mind can find Krishna.
Shankara explains that because the Lord's unmanifest nature is hard to meditate upon, Arjuna asks for specific objects in which he can be contemplated. Ramanuja reads the question as Arjuna wanting to see the Lord as the inner controller in all things. Krishna is called yogin here, the master of yoga, linking back to verse 7. This verse is often cited to show that the Gita accepts meditation on God through forms and symbols as a valid path, a theme developed further in Chapter 12.
भावार्थ
हे योगेश्वर, मैं सदा आपका चिन्तन करते हुए आपको कैसे जानूँ? हे भगवन, किन-किन भावों और वस्तुओं में मैं आपका चिन्तन करूँ? अर्जुन ध्यान के लिए ऐसे ठोस आधार चाहते हैं जिनमें वे भगवान को पहचान सकें।
Living it today
Choose a few everyday things, such as sunrise, a river or a kind act, as reminders of the sacred. Concrete anchors make reflection easier.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 10.17?
Arjuna asks a practical question: O master of yoga, how may I come to know you by constantly meditating on you? In which particular forms and things should I think of you, O Lord? He wants concrete supports for meditation, places in the world where his mind can find Krishna.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 10.17?
Arjuna speaks this verse, in Chapter 10 (Vibhuti Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 10.17 in daily life?
Choose a few everyday things, such as sunrise, a river or a kind act, as reminders of the sacred. Concrete anchors make reflection easier.
Reflected on verse 10.17?
Light a diya, add a note, or share this verse.