Bhagavad Gita · 10.11 · Yoga through Appreciating the Infinite Opulences of God·11 of 42
तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः।नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ॥
teṣhām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśhayāmyātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
Sanskrit recitation
The source behind everything · 10.1–10.11 · Teaching
Translation
Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their selves, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the luminous lamp of knowledge.
Meaning
Luminous lamp of knowledge The Lord dwells in the heart of the devotees who constantly think of Him and destroys the veil or the darkness born of ignorance due to the absence of discrimination, by the luminous lamp of knowledge fed by the oil of pure devotion, fanned by the wind of profound meditation on Him, provided with the wick of right intuition, generated by the constant cultivation of celibacy, piety and other divine virtues held in the chambers of the heart free from worldliness, placed in the innermost recesses of the mind free from the wind of senseattractions (withdrawn from the objects of the senses) and untainted by likes and dislikes, and shining with the light of knowledge of the Self caused by the constant practice of meditation.The lamp is not in need of an instrument or means or any sort of practice for the removal of darkness. The generation of the light itself is ite sufficient to remove the darkness. As soon as the darkness is removed by the light, the pot, the chair and the other articles are seen. Even so the dawn of knowledge of the Self itself is ite sufficient to remove ignorance. No other Karma or,practice is necessary. After the ignorance is removed by the knowledge of the Self, Brahman alone shines in Its pristine glory.
After Swami Sivananda
The source behind everything· 10.1–10.11→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 10.1The Blessed Lord said, Again, O mighty-armed Arjuna, listen to my supreme word which I will declare to you, who are beloved, for your welfare.
- 10.2Neither the hosts of the gods nor the great sages know My origin; for I am the source of all the gods and the great sages in every way.
- 10.3He who knows Me as unborn and beginningless, as the great Lord of the worlds, he among mortals is undeluded and is liberated from all sins.
- 10.4Intellect, wisdom, non-delusion, forgiveness, truth, self-restraint, calmness, happiness, pain, existence or birth, non-existence or death, fear, and also fearlessness.
- 10.5Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, austerity, beneficence, fame, and ill-fame—these different qualities of beings arise from Me alone.
- 10.6The seven great sages, the ancient four, and the Manus, possessing powers like Mine (due to their minds being fixed on Me), were born from My mind; from them, these creatures have been born in this world.
- 10.7He who truly knows these manifold manifestations of My Being and this Yoga-power of Mine, becomes established in unshakable Yoga; there is no doubt about it.
- 10.8I am the source of all; from me everything evolves; Understanding this, the wise, endowed with meditation, worship me.
- 10.9With their minds and lives wholly absorbed in Me, they enlighten each other and ever speak of Me, being satisfied and delighted.
- 10.10To those who are ever steadfast, worshipping me with love, I give the yoga of discrimination, by which they come to me.
10.11Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their selves, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the luminous lamp of knowledge.
Word-by-word→
- eva
- only
- aham
- I
- dīpena
- with the lamp
- jñāna
- of knowledge
- sthaḥ
- dwelling
- tamaḥ
- darkness
- teṣhām
- for them
- bhāsvatā
- luminous
- ajñāna-jam
- born of ignorance
- nāśhayāmi
- destroy
- ātma-bhāva
- within their hearts
- anukampā-artham
- out of compassion
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