Bhagavad Gita 10.7
Spoken by Krishna · Verse 7 of 42
एतां विभूतिं योगं च मम यो वेत्ति तत्त्वतः | सोऽविकम्पेन योगेन युज्यते नात्र संशयः ||७||
etāṃ vibhūtiṃ yogaṃ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ | so'vikampena yogena yujyate nātra saṃśayaḥ || 7 ||
Who truly knows My vibhūtis and yoga-power becomes united in unshakeable yoga — of this there is no doubt.
Word by word (3)
- etāṃ vibhūtiṃ yogaṃ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ
- — Who knows in truth this vibhūti and yoga-power of Mine · etāṃ = this (feminine accusative — referring to what has been stated: the divine's vibhūti as described in V2-V6). vibhūtiṃ = divine manifestation, glorious power (vi + bhūti = 'special becoming, glorious manifestation'; from vi + √bhū = to be gloriously; vibhūti = 'divine magnificence, special manifestation, prosperous power' — THIS is the first explicit use of the word vibhūti in Ch.10; everything before V7 has been preparation for the actual vibhūti teaching). yogaṃ = yoga-power (in this context: the divine's cosmic creative/sustaining power — the 'yoga' here is the supreme mystical power/aiśvarya of the divine, not just the practice of yoga). ca = and. mama = My (genitive). yo = who (relative pronoun). vetti = knows (√vid = to know; present tense). tattvataḥ = in truth, in reality, truly (tattva = truth, the essence of things; tattvataḥ = adverb 'in truth, truly, according to its real nature'). The combination: etāṃ vibhūtiṃ yogaṃ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ — 'who knows in truth THIS vibhūti AND yoga-power of Mine.' The tattvataḥ (in truth) is crucial: not merely knowing about the vibhūtis theoretically but knowing them as they actually ARE — recognizing the divine in them truly.
- so'vikampena yogena yujyate nātra saṃśayaḥ
- — That one is united by unshakeable yoga — of this there is no doubt · sa = that one, he. avikaṃpena = unshakeable, unwavering (a = not; vikaṃpa = shaking, wavering — from vi + √kamp = to tremble; avikaṃpena = 'not-shaking, unshakeable, unwavering'). yogena = by yoga (instrumental — 'through yoga, by means of yoga'). yujyate = is united, is yoked (passive of √yuj = to yoke, to unite; yujyate = 'is united, becomes united'). na = not. atra = here (referring to this statement). saṃśayaḥ = doubt (saṃ + √śī/śay = 'complete doubt'). Nātra saṃśayaḥ — 'here there is no doubt' — one of the Gita's standard assurance formulae, indicating a definitive teaching. V7's conclusion: knowing the vibhūti and yoga-power tattvataḥ (truly) = avikaṃpena yogena yujyate (united in unshakeable yoga). The causal chain: knowledge of vibhūtis → unshakeable union with the divine. This is why Ch.10 teaches the vibhūtis: not as interesting trivia about the cosmos but as the content of the knowledge that produces unshakeable yoga. The vibhūti catalogue (V10.20-V42) will give the specifics; V7 gives the result of knowing them: avikaṃpa (unshakeable) yoga.
- vibhūti — the word's first explicit use in Ch.10 and its full meaning
- — Vibhūti (divine manifestation/glory) names the subject of Ch.10: the divine's specific expressions of excellence in creation that, when truly known, produce unshakeable yoga · Vibhūti (from vi + √bhū = to manifest gloriously) means: (1) divine manifestation, divine excellence, divine glory; (2) special greatness, extraordinary power; (3) the specific expression of the divine's presence in a created thing. The word appears first explicitly in V7 — it names the entire chapter's subject. The Swarupananda commentary on V7: 'This Yoga power — i.e., the fact that the great Rishis and the Manus possessed their power and wisdom, as partaking of a very small portion of the Lord's infinite power and wisdom.' This commentary note explains: the sages and Manus (V6) had their greatness by partaking of a portion of the divine's vibhūti — they were vibhūti-manifestations themselves. V7 says: knowing THESE vibhūtis (V4-V6 examples) + knowing the yoga-power (the divine's creative/sustaining capacity) tattvataḥ (truly) = unshakeable yoga. V10.36 will give a summary: 'I am the gambling of the cheat, the splendour of the splendid, the victory of the victorious, the goodness of the good...' — knowing that the divine IS the excellence in everything = looking at excellence anywhere and seeing the divine = the unshakeable yoga of V7.
He who truly knows this glory and power of Mine is united with Me in unshakeable yoga — of this there is no doubt.
A modern analogy
A wine expert who truly knows wine (tattvataḥ = truly, in its essential nature) doesn't just know the names and vintage years — they experience the wine as an expression of a particular terroir, climate, craft, and time. Similarly, knowing the vibhūtis tattvataḥ means not just knowing 'Krishna is the Himalayas' but actually experiencing the Himalayas as a direct expression of the divine when you encounter them. This knowing-experience produces the unshakeable yoga this verse promises.
What it does NOT mean
The word tattvataḥ (in truth) is key — it distinguishes genuine knowing from mere information. Simply memorizing the long catalogue of divine manifestations — the splendor in the sun, the life-force in all beings, the excellence wherever it appears — is not the same as true knowing. Tattvataḥ knowing means: seeing the divine in the excellence one encounters — truly recognizing the divine's presence in each manifestation. This seeing is the result of worship offered with loving devotion — the wise who know that all evolves from the divine source worship Me with love — and the continuous community practice of awakening one another and always speaking of the divine.
Take with you
- This verse is the purpose statement for the whole chapter: why does Krishna teach the vibhūtis? Not to give cosmological information but to produce avikaṃpena yoga (unshakeable union). The vibhūti knowledge is a yoga instrument: knowing where the divine is concentrated in the world helps you encounter the divine everywhere. It tells you why to read the manifestation catalogue carefully — from the loving devotee who receives the yoga of wisdom that leads to the divine, all the way to the closing wonder that a single fragment of the divine upholds the entire universe: the result is unshakeable union.
- The word tattvataḥ (in truth) names a practice: after reading each manifestation in the catalogue, pause and try to know it tattvataḥ — truly, in its essence. Don't just read 'I am the sun among the lights' but actually hold the sun in your mind and experience it as a direct expression of the divine. Let the knowledge become direct recognition, not just information.
- The word avikaṃpa (unshakeable) yoga names the test: spiritual life often feels shaky — doubts, disruptions, crises shake the practice. This verse promises that vibhūti-knowledge produces the kind of yoga that is unwavering — because it is grounded in the recognition of the divine everywhere. What shakes ordinary yoga? External circumstances. What can't shake avikaṃpa yoga? The recognition that the divine is the excellence in every circumstance, including the difficult ones.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
He who in reality knows these manifold manifestations of My being and (this) Yoga power of Mine, becomes established in the unshakeable Yoga; there is no doubt about it. [4]
He who knoweth perfectly this permanence and mystic faculty of mine becometh without doubt possessed of unshaken faith. [6]
Wherefrom who comprehends My Reign of mystic Majesty — / That truth of truths — is thenceforth linked in faultless faith to Me: [7]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
I am the ātman, O Guḍākeśa, seated in the heart of all beings — their beginning, middle, and end.
Whatever being has excellence, prosperity, or power — know it as born from a fragment of My splendor.
Though unborn, imperishable, Lord of all — I come into being through My own Māyā. Divine birth is free, not compelled.
Out of compassion, I dwell in their hearts and destroy the darkness of ignorance with the luminous lamp of wisdom.
My delusion is gone — dispersed by Your compassionate words on the Self and its deep mysteries.
Crowned with celestial garlands and divine robes — the All-wonderful, Resplendent, Boundless God facing all sides!
Verse 7 of 42 · back to Chapter 10