Shloka 10.12
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
अर्जुन उवाच |परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान् |पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यमादिदेवमजं विभुम् ||१०-१२||
arjuna uvāca . paraṃ brahma paraṃ dhāma pavitraṃ paramaṃ bhavān . puruṣaṃ śāśvataṃ divyamādidevamajaṃ vibhum ||10-12||
Meaning
Arjuna asked: Thou art the Supreme Spirit, the Eternal Home, the Holiest of the Holy, the Eternal Divine Self, the Primal God, the Unborn and the Omnipresent.
Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Overwhelmed by Krishna's teaching, Arjuna pours out a spontaneous hymn of recognition. He addresses Krishna no longer merely as his charioteer and friend but as paraṃ brahma — the Supreme Reality — paraṃ dhāma, the supreme abode and light, and pavitraṃ paramam, the highest purifier.
This is a turning point in Arjuna's heart. The intellectual teaching has become living realization, and realization flowers into adoration. The cascade of titles — eternal Person (śāśvataṃ puruṣam), primeval God (ādi-devam), unborn (ajam), all-pervading (vibhum) — is the language of a soul that has glimpsed the Infinite and can only respond in praise. Knowledge, when it deepens into the heart, naturally becomes worship.
In daily life
When understanding ripens into realization, the heart's natural response is reverent praise.
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Quick check
What does ‘विभुम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on praise, in other chapters
- Verse 11.21 · ArjunaBefore the Infinite, even gods and sages bow in praise — reverence is the wisest response to what surpasses us.
- Verse 3.30Offer your actions to the Divine, release craving and anxiety, and you can act decisively even under pressure with an untroubled heart.
- Verse 5.29Know the Divine as the Lord of all and the loving friend of your own heart — that recognition is the doorway to lasting peace.
- Verse 6.14Steady the mind with calm and fearlessness, then rest it lovingly on the Divine as your highest goal.
Swipe left for 10.13 · Conviction grows firm when scripture, teacher, and personal experience all point to the same truth.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.12
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.12, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 10.12, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.12 mean?
Arjuna asked: Thou art the Supreme Spirit, the Eternal Home, the Holiest of the Holy, the Eternal Divine Self, the Primal God, the Unborn and the Omnipresent. (Translation: Shri Purohit Swami, The Geeta: The Gospel of the Lord Shri Krishna (1935). Public domain.)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.12 for daily life?
When understanding ripens into realization, the heart's natural response is reverent praise.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.12 mean?
अर्जुन उवाच — Arjuna said; परं ब्रह्म — the Supreme Brahman; परं धाम — the supreme abode / light; पवित्रं परमं — the supreme purifier; भवान् — You are.
Where does verse 10.12 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 12 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.13.