Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 10

Chapter 7 – Jnana Vijnana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥

Transliteration

bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam .
buddhirbuddhimatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham ॥

Meaning

Know Me, O Partha, to be the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the splendour of the splendid.

Word meanings

बीजम् – seed, root cause
माम् – Me
सर्वभूतानाम् – of all beings
विद्धि – know
पार्थ – O Partha
सनातनम् – eternal
बुद्धिः – intelligence
बुद्धिमताम् – of the intelligent
अस्मि – am
तेजः – splendour, brilliance
तेजस्विनाम् – of the splendid
अहम् – I

Anvaya (word order)

पार्थ, मां सर्वभूतानां सनातनं बीजं विद्धि; अहं बुद्धिमतां बुद्धिः, तेजस्विनां तेजः अस्मि ।

Explanation

Continuing the description of His all-pervading nature, Krishna offers a deep image: bijam mam sarva-bhutanam viddhi sanatanam — know Me as the eternal seed of all beings. A seed holds the whole tree hidden in subtle form — root, trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and fruit. In time it unfolds. Likewise the whole of creation rests in the Lord in subtle form and unfolds from Him.

The adjective sanatana, eternal, matters. An ordinary seed perishes once it becomes a tree, and one seed yields only one kind of tree. But the Lord is a seed that remains forever and from which countless kinds of beings arise. Shankara says the seed is eternal, not perishable like other seeds.

Then Krishna names two more glories. Buddhir buddhimatam asmi — I am the intelligence of the intelligent. The power of discernment that distinguishes right from wrong and truth from falsehood is the Lord's glory. Tejas tejasvinam aham — I am the splendour of the splendid. The influence, confidence and magnetic presence of a great person are also a portion of the Lord.

This vision protects us from pride. If our intelligence and influence come from the Lord, then rather than being proud of them we should devote them to His service and to the welfare of the world.

Context

Verses 7.8–9 described the Lord's presence in water, fire, earth and more. Here He calls Himself the eternal seed of all and the source of intelligence and splendour. In the next verse (7.11) He names His glory as strength and as desire in harmony with dharma.

Life lesson

Your intelligence and talent are gifts of God, not your private possessions. Use them not to belittle others but for service and good; then they shine even more.

Key terms

Bija: seed; the root cause from which all arises
Sanatana: eternal, never perishing
Buddhi: the power of discernment
Tejas: splendour, influence, inner strength