THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER 10, VERSE 36, VIBHUTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 10

VIBHUTI YOGA OR THE YOGA OF DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS:

VERSE NUMBER 36

Text in Transliteration:

dyootam chalayataam asmi tejas tejasvinaam aham

jayo ‘smi vyavasaayo ‘smi sattvam sattvavataam aham

Sanskrit words and phrases and their meaning:

Dyootam = the gambling; chalayataam = of the fraudulent; asmi = (I) am; tejah: = splendour; tejasvinaam = of the splendid; aham = I; jayah: = victory; asmi = (I) am; vyavasaayah: = effort; asmi = (I) am; sattvam = the goodness; sattvavataam = of the good; aham = I.

Text in English:

I am the gambling of the fraudulent, I am the splendour of the splendid; I am victory; I am effort; I am the goodness of the good.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Robbery, forgery, fixing undue price on things, passing imitation articles as genuine—acts of these kinds are all fraudulent. Gambling also comes under this category. But peoples and governments approve some forms of gambling as lawful. Betting for example on horses in a race is accepted as lawful. Gambling with dice was approved as legal during the Mahabharata days. Deceptions other than the approved gambling cannot be openly practised. In an open assembly Pandavas and Kauravas gambled with dice in which they staked their empire and everything else.

Some forms of gambling require the use of intelligence on which their success depends. Intelligence in all forms comes from Iswara. As the light of a lamp is equally useful for forgery and for pious reading, the discernment derived from the Cosmic Intelligence is available both for noble and ignoble purposes. As the light of the lamp is not in anyway affected by the abuse the forgerer makes of it, the Cosmic Intelligence which is the Lord is not tainted by the misuse the gambler makes of It. His intelligence also gets its light from the Cosmic Intelligence. This fact is explained by the Lord.

Tejas is the original word for splendour. The brightness that is evident on the physique as a result of excellent health, sense-control and continence is termed as Tejas. Victory consists of the elimination of the bad and the establishment of the good.

Vyavasaaya is effort to execute the good and useful undertaking with all perseverance. It leads to noble and great achievements. It is effort again that takes man to the presence of the Lord.

Sattva is here spoken of as the good. Though all the three Gunas are the constituents of the Prakriti, the sattva alone among them takes one Godward.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Of the methods of defrauding others I am gambling such as dice-play. Gambling is My manifestations. I am the power of the powerful. I am the victory of the victorious. I am the effort of those who make that effort.

I am Sattva which assumes the forms of Dharma (virtue), Jnana (knowledge), Vairagya (dispassion), and Aishvarya (wealth or lordship) in Sattvic persons.