Shloka 16
Vibhuti Yoga — Vibhuti Yoga
वक्तुमर्हस्यशेषेण दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः । याभिर्विभूतिभिर्लोकानिमांस्त्वं व्याप्य तिष्ठसि ॥ १०.१६ ॥
vaktum arhasy aśeṣeṇa divyā hy ātmavibhūtayaḥ | yābhir vibhūtibhir lokān imāṁs tvaṁ vyāpya tiṣṭhasi || 10.16 ||
ദിവ്യമായ ആത്മവിഭൂതികളെ മുഴുവനായും എനിക്കു പറയേണ്ടതാകുന്നു; ഏതു വിഭൂതികളാൽ നീ ഈ ലോകങ്ങളെ വ്യാപിച്ചു നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.
You ought to tell (me) without remainder Your divine manifestations, by which manifestations You pervade these worlds and remain (present).
Please describe completely your divine excellences/manifestations—those by which, through such manifestations, you pervade these worlds and abide.
Vibhūti may be ‘power,’ ‘excellence,’ or ‘manifestation.’ The verse invites a catalog of exemplary instances rather than a metaphysical proof; the emphasis is pedagogical and contemplative.
FAQs
Asking for concrete examples supports learning: abstract claims about the divine become cognitively accessible through vivid, memorable instances.
The verse presupposes a model where the divine is present throughout the cosmos (‘pervades’) while also maintaining a stable mode of being (‘abides’).
This is the transition into the famous list of Krishna’s vibhūtis (10.19 onward), prompted by Arjuna’s desire for a comprehensive account.
It encourages learning through exemplars—identifying ‘best instances’ of virtues or ideals (excellence in nature, character, or art) as aids to reflection and value-formation.