Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 36

Chapter 10 – Vibhuti Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ।
जयोऽस्मि व्यवसायोऽस्मि सत्त्वं सत्त्ववतामहम् ॥

Transliteration

dyūtaṃ chalayatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham .
jayo.asmi vyavasāyo.asmi sattvaṃ sattvavatāmaham ॥

Meaning

Of the deceitful I am gambling; I am the splendour of the splendid. I am victory, I am resolute effort, and I am the goodness of the good.

Word meanings

द्यूतम् – gambling, the game of dice
छलयताम् – of the deceitful, cheats
अस्मि – I am
तेजः – splendour, power
तेजस्विनाम् – of the splendid
अहम् – I
जयः – victory
अस्मि – I am
व्यवसायः – resolve, effort
अस्मि – I am
सत्त्वम् – goodness, sattva
सत्त्ववताम् – of the good
अहम् – I

Anvaya (word order)

छलयतां द्यूतम् अस्मि, तेजस्विनां तेजः अहम् (अस्मि); जयः अस्मि, व्यवसायः अस्मि, सत्त्ववतां सत्त्वम् अहम् (अस्मि) ।

Explanation

Dyutam chhalayatam asmi, ‘of the deceitful I am gambling’. At first sight this glory is startling, for the game of dice brought about the ruinous events of the Mahabharata. It must be understood carefully. Krishna is not praising gambling or encouraging it. He is saying only that among all the means of cheating, dice is the most powerful, able to strip kings of their kingdoms and the wise of their judgement. Shankara says that among the devices of the deceitful, dice is supreme.

The deeper point is that nothing lies outside the Lord’s sway, neither the auspicious nor the inauspicious. Whatever power and allure there is in gambling also derives ultimately from that one supreme power, as electricity can save life in a hospital and cause harm when misused. The fault is not in the power but in its misuse. Ramanuja too notes that the Lord’s rule extends even over the cunning. For the seeker this is also a warning to stay far from so potent a temptation.

Tejas tejasvinam aham, ‘I am the splendour of the splendid’. The radiance of great souls, before whom people spontaneously bow, is the Lord’s. Jayo ’smi, ‘I am victory’ in the victorious. Vyavasayo ’smi, ‘I am resolve’, firm determination and tireless effort; Shankara glosses vyavasaya as udyama, exertion. Success comes from effort and steady resolve, and both are gifts of the Lord.

Sattvam sattvavatam aham, ‘I am the goodness of the good’. In those in whom sattva, the quality of purity, knowledge, peace and light, predominates, that sattva is the Lord’s own radiance. Thus the verse spans the Lord’s presence from the lowest, gambling, to the highest, sattva.

Context

Verse 35 named glories in the Brihat Sama, Gayatri, Margashirsha and spring. This verse names gambling, splendour, victory, resolve and goodness. In the next verse Krishna names Vasudeva among the Vrishnis, Arjuna among the Pandavas, Vyasa among sages and Ushana among poets.

Life lesson

Every power comes from God, but whether we use it well or badly is up to us. Beware of alluring forces like gambling. Embrace firm resolve and effort for success, and grow in sattva to bring light into life.

Key terms

Dyuta: gambling, the strongest instrument of deceit
Tejas: splendour, radiance, power
Vyavasaya: firm resolve, exertion
Sattva: the quality of purity, knowledge and peace