Chapter 10 · Shloka 37— The Yoga of Divine Glories

vṛiṣhṇīnāṁ vāsudevo ’smi pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ munīnām apyahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnām uśhanā kaviḥ

vṛiṣhṇīnām

— amongst the descendants of Vrishni

vāsudevaḥ

— Krishna, the son of Vasudev

asmi

— I am

pāṇḍavānām

— amongst the Pandavas

dhanañjayaḥ

— Arjun, the conqueror of wealth

munīnām

— amongst the sages

api

— also

aham

— I

vyāsaḥ

— Ved Vyas

kavīnām

— amongst the great thinkers

uśhanā

— Shukracharya

kaviḥ

— the thinker

"Vrsninam vasudevo 'smi pandavanam dhananjayah, muninam apy aham vyasah kavinam usana kavih." — Among the Vrishnis I am Vasudeva (Krishna Himself); among the Pandavas I am Arjuna (Dhananjaya); among the sages I am Vyasa; among poet-seers I am Ushanas (Shukra). Krishna continues, with two especially personal and touching identifications. 'Vrsninam vasudevah asmi' — among the Vrishnis (Krishna's own clan), I am Vasudeva — that is, Krishna Himself in His earthly form. 'Pandavanam dhananjayah' — and among the Pandavas, I am Dhananjaya — Arjuna himself! This is remarkable: Krishna tells Arjuna that among the Pandavas, the divine glory shines most in Arjuna — the very person He is speaking to. 'Muninam api aham vyasah' — among the sages, I am Vyasa (the great compiler of the Vedas and the Mahabharata, the recorder of this very dialogue). 'Kavinam usana kavih' — among poet-seers, I am Ushanas (Shukracharya, the wise preceptor). Shankaracharya notes the tender intimacy of naming Arjuna himself as a divine glory. Krishna is, in effect, telling His beloved friend and student: the divine glory you've been asking Me to point out in the world — it shines in you too. You yourself are one of My glories. This identification is profoundly moving. Throughout the chapter, Arjuna has been asking where to find the Divine in the external world. Now Krishna gently tells him: you, my friend, are yourself a manifestation of My glory. The seeker is himself one of the things sought. The insight is beautiful and personal: the divine glory you seek in the world also shines in you. We spend so much energy looking outward for the sacred — in impressive things, in others, in distant places — and Krishna's tender word to Arjuna reminds us that the divine glory also lives in ourselves. You are not merely a seeker standing outside the glory you seek; you yourself are one of its expressions. This isn't ego or arrogance — it's the recognition (echoing 10.20, 'I am the Self in all hearts') that the same divine glory shining in the sun, the ocean, and the great sages also shines in you. So as you learn to recognize the sacred in the world, don't leave yourself out. The same glory you revere out there shines, too, in your own being. Honor it in yourself as you honor it everywhere.

This verse contains a profoundly moving moment: among the Pandavas, Krishna names ARJUNA himself — the very person He's speaking to — as a divine glory. Throughout the whole chapter, Arjuna has been asking where to find the Divine OUT THERE in the world. Now Krishna gently tells him: you, my friend, are yourself one of My glories. The seeker is himself one of the things he's been seeking. The insight is beautiful and deeply personal: the divine glory you seek in the world also shines in YOU. We pour so much energy looking outward for the sacred — in impressive things, in other people, in faraway places, in everyone and everything except ourselves — and Krishna's tender word to Arjuna reminds us that the divine glory lives in us too. This isn't ego or arrogance; it's the recognition (echoing 'I am the Self in all hearts') that the same glory shining in the sun, the ocean, and the great sages also shines in your own being. So as you learn to recognize the sacred everywhere in the world, don't leave yourself out of the picture. You're not just a seeker standing outside the glory you revere — you're one of its expressions. The same sacredness you honor out there shines in you too. Honor it in yourself as you honor it everywhere else. You belong in the light you're looking for.

This verse contains a profoundly moving moment: among the Pandavas, Krishna names ARJUNA himself — the very person He's talking to — as a divine glory. Throughout the WHOLE chapter, Arjuna's been asking where to find the Divine OUT THERE in the world. And now Krishna gently tells him: you, my friend, are yourself one of My glories. The seeker is himself one of the things he's been searching for. The insight is beautiful and deeply personal: the divine glory you seek out in the world also shines in YOU. We pour so much energy looking outward for the sacred — in impressive things, in other people, in faraway places, in literally everyone and everything except ourselves — and Krishna's tender word to Arjuna reminds us that the divine glory lives in us too. This isn't ego or arrogance; it's the recognition (echoing 'I am the Self in all hearts') that the same glory shining in the sun, the ocean, and the great sages also shines in your own being. So as you learn to recognize the sacred everywhere in the world, don't leave yourself out of the picture. You're not just a seeker standing outside the glory you revere — you're one of its actual expressions. The same sacredness you honor out there shines in you too. Honor it in yourself the way you honor it everywhere else. You belong in the light you're looking for.

Something really touching happens in this verse! Krishna has been telling Arjuna where to find God's glory in the world — and now He says: 'Among the Pandavas, I am ARJUNA!' That's the very person He's talking to! Krishna is gently telling His dear friend: 'You yourself are one of My glories!' All this time, Arjuna was looking OUTSIDE for where God shines — and Krishna lovingly reminds him that God's glory shines in HIM too! This teaches us something beautiful: the wonderful divine sparkle you look for in the world also shines inside YOU! When you admire goodness, beauty, and wonder out in the world, remember — that same wonderful light is in your own heart too! You're not just someone searching for the sacred from the outside — you're part of it! So honor the goodness and light in yourself, just like you honor it everywhere else. You belong in the wonderful light you're looking for!