Shloka 42
Vibhuti Yoga — Vibhuti Yoga
अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन । विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥ १०.४२ ॥
athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna | viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat || 10.42 ||
Or what is the use of knowing all this in detail, O Arjuna? I sustain and pervade this entire universe, standing by a single portion of Myself.
हे अर्जुन! इस बहुत कहने से क्या? मैं अपने एक अंश से इस सम्पूर्ण जगत को धारण करके स्थित हूँ।
Or else, what is the use to you of knowing so much, Arjuna? Having pervaded and supported this entire universe with a single portion of myself, I remain.
Some translations emphasize ‘support’ (viṣṭabhya) and others ‘pervade/hold together.’ The philosophical nuance differs: the world may be sustained by a fraction of divine power while the divine exceeds the world (transcendence).
FAQs
It redirects attention from exhaustive information-gathering to a unifying insight—helpful for reducing mental overload and strengthening contemplative focus.
The divine is portrayed as both sustaining the cosmos and surpassing it: the universe depends on a ‘portion,’ implying the ultimate is not exhausted by cosmic manifestation.
This is Krishna’s concluding summary of chapter 10, preparing the transition to Arjuna’s request to directly perceive the divine form in chapter 11.
It can be used to prioritize core principles over endless details—e.g., in ethics or spirituality, focus on the central insight of interconnected dependence.