Shloka 11
Vibhuti Yoga — Vibhuti Yoga
तेषामेवानुकम्पार्थमहमज्ञानजं तमः । नाशयाम्यात्मभावस्थो ज्ञानदीपेन भास्वता ॥ १०.११ ॥
teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñānajaṁ tamaḥ | nāśayāmy ātmabhāvastho jñānadīpena bhāsvatā || 10.11 ||
Out of compassion for them alone, I, abiding in their very inner being, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the radiant lamp of knowledge.
Out of compassion for them alone, I, dwelling in their inner being, destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.
For them, out of compassion, I—abiding in the condition of the self (within)—eliminate the darkness arising from ignorance by the radiant lamp of knowledge.
The main interpretive question is ātmabhāvasthaḥ: often taken as ‘dwelling in the heart’ (inner presence), or ‘established in the self-nature.’ The imagery of ‘darkness’ and ‘lamp’ is broadly consistent across commentators and does not depend on major textual variants.
FAQs
The metaphor frames transformation as insight replacing confusion: as understanding grows, maladaptive beliefs and anxiety-driven misperceptions (‘darkness’) recede, producing clearer self-regulation.
It expresses a view where ignorance is the principal obstacle to realizing reality, and where the divine is both transcendent and immanent—capable of illuminating the practitioner from within.
After promising buddhi-yoga (10.10), this verse describes its effect: ignorance is dispelled through knowledge, presented as an act of compassionate divine presence.
It can be read as encouragement toward disciplined learning and contemplative practice: sustained inquiry, ethical living, and reflective meditation function as ‘lamps’ that reduce confusion and increase clarity.