Chapter 10 · Shloka 18— The Yoga of Divine Glories

vistareṇātmano yogaṁ vibhūtiṁ cha janārdana bhūyaḥ kathaya tṛiptir hi śhṛiṇvato nāsti me ’mṛitam

vistareṇa

— in detail

ātmanaḥ

— your

yogam

— divine glories

vibhūtim

— opulences

cha

— also

janaārdana

— Shree Krishna, he who looks after the public

bhūyaḥ

— again

kathaya

— describe

tṛiptiḥ

— satisfaction

hi

— because

śhṛiṇvataḥ

— hearing

na

— not

asti

— is

me

— my

amṛitam

— nectar

"Vistarenatmano yogam vibhutim ca janardana, bhuyah kathaya trptir hi srnvato nasti me 'mrtam." — Tell me again in detail, O Janardana, of Your yogic power and Your glories; for I am never satisfied in hearing Your nectar-like words. Arjuna makes his request with beautiful eagerness. 'Vistarena atmanah yogam vibhutim ca janardana bhuyah kathaya' — tell me again (bhuyah), in detail (vistarena), of Your yogic power (yoga) and Your glories (vibhuti), O Janardana. He wants to hear more, in fuller detail, about how the Divine manifests in the world. The reason for his eagerness is exquisite: 'trptih hi srnvatah na asti me amrtam' — for there is no satiety (trpti) for me in hearing (srnvatah); Your words are 'amrtam' — nectar, the nectar of immortality. Arjuna compares Krishna's teaching to amrta, the divine nectar, and says he can never get enough of it. The more he hears, the more he wants to hear. Shankaracharya notes the mark of genuine spiritual hunger here. Unlike worldly pleasures, which cloy and exhaust with repetition (recall 5.22), the nectar of divine teaching only increases the desire to hear more. There is no satiety, no exhaustion — only a deepening thirst that is itself sweet. This verse beautifully captures the quality of genuine spiritual longing: the more you taste of the deepest truths, the more you want, and this 'never satisfied' is not a frustration but a delight. Worldly cravings, when fed, eventually exhaust and disappoint (the hedonic treadmill of 9.21). But the nectar of genuine wisdom is different: tasting it increases the appetite for it, in a way that is wholly nourishing rather than depleting. The insight points to a sign of having found something truly worthwhile: it doesn't exhaust you or leave you jaded with repetition — it deepens, and the wanting-more is itself sweet and life-giving. When you find something whose depths you never tire of, that keeps revealing more the more you engage with it, you've found something genuinely nourishing. That inexhaustible, ever-deepening quality is itself a mark of the real.

Arjuna captures the quality of genuine spiritual longing perfectly: 'I'm never satisfied hearing this; Your words are nectar.' And notice what he's pointing at — unlike worldly cravings, which exhaust and disappoint with repetition (the hedonic treadmill), the nectar of genuine wisdom is the opposite: tasting it INCREASES the appetite, in a way that nourishes rather than depletes. This is actually a useful test for distinguishing what's genuinely worthwhile from what just hooks you. Cheap pleasures hook you, then quickly cloy, exhaust, and leave you jaded — you need more and more for less and less satisfaction. But genuinely nourishing things — deep music, true friendship, real wisdom, meaningful work — are different: the more you engage with them, the more they reveal, and your appetite for them deepens in a way that feels alive rather than addictive. The 'never satisfied' here isn't frustration; it's delight. So here's a quiet diagnostic for your life: notice what exhausts you with repetition versus what keeps revealing more depth the longer you stay with it. The inexhaustible, ever-deepening things are the genuinely nourishing ones. Pursue what you never tire of.

Arjuna captures the quality of genuine spiritual longing perfectly: 'I'm never satisfied hearing this; Your words are nectar.' And notice what he's pointing at — unlike worldly cravings, which exhaust and disappoint with repetition (the hedonic treadmill), the nectar of genuine wisdom is the opposite: tasting it INCREASES the appetite, in a way that nourishes instead of depleting. This is actually a useful test for telling what's genuinely worthwhile from what just hooks you. Cheap pleasures hook you, then quickly cloy, burn out, and leave you jaded — you need more and more for less and less payoff. But genuinely nourishing things — deep music, real friendship, true wisdom, meaningful work — are different: the more you engage, the more they reveal, and your appetite deepens in a way that feels alive instead of addictive. The 'never satisfied' here isn't frustration — it's delight. So here's a quiet diagnostic for your life: notice what exhausts you with repetition versus what keeps revealing more the longer you stay with it. The inexhaustible, ever-deepening things are the genuinely nourishing ones. Chase what you never get tired of.

Arjuna eagerly asks Krishna to tell him MORE about His wonderful glories! And he says something beautiful: 'I can never get enough of Your words — they're like nectar (the sweetest, most magical drink)!' Here's something interesting: candy and treats are yummy, but if you eat too much, you get sick of them! But the BEST things — like a wonderful story, time with people you love, or learning something amazing — the more you have, the MORE you want, and it never makes you tired or sick! That's how you can tell something is REALLY good and nourishing: instead of getting boring with repetition, it keeps getting deeper and more wonderful! Arjuna's hunger for wisdom shows it's the real, nourishing kind. Look for the wonderful things you never get tired of — those are the truly good ones!