The Divine is infinite; examples guide recognition.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
श्रीभगवानुवाच |हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः |प्राधान्यतः कुरुश्रेष्ठ नास्त्यन्तो विस्तरस्य मे ||१०-१९||
śrībhagavānuvāca . hanta te kathayiṣyāmi divyā hyātmavibhūtayaḥ . prādhānyataḥ kuruśreṣṭha nāstyanto vistarasya me ||10-19||
Use this verse to open a limitless-divinity journey.
Meaning
The Lord said: I will tell you My principal divine manifestations, for there is no end to their full extent.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna’s manifestations are infinite, so He gives key examples.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna shows that no list can exhaust the Divine. The examples are learning anchors, not limits.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna responds with affectionate readiness — 'hanta!', 'well then!' — and agrees to reveal His divine glories. But He adds a crucial qualification: He will speak only prādhānyataḥ, 'in their prominence,' the most outstanding ones, 'for there is no end (nāsti anto) to their detailed description.'
This honest caveat frames everything that follows. The Infinite cannot be exhausted by any list, however long. The glories Krishna is about to name are not the limits of His presence but representative samples — peaks rising from a boundless ocean.
By giving the chief examples, He offers the mind something it can hold, while reminding it that the reality forever overflows the words. The map is not the territory; the named glories are gateways, not boundaries.
In daily life
Use examples as doors, not boundaries.
A sunset is one door to divine beauty, but not the only one.
Try this today
Look for one new form of divine excellence today.
Krishna’s glory is limitless.Reflect
Do I limit Krishna to only familiar forms?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘ते कथयिष्यामि’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on infinite, in other chapters
- Verse 7.24Never shrink the Infinite to your image of it — when the Boundless takes a form, its fullness is never diminished.
- Verse 11.5The infinite variety of the world is not chaos but the manifold expression of one divine source.
- Verse 15.18The ultimate reality is the Supreme Person, transcending both the changing world and the changeless ground.
- Verse 3.26Lead others upward gently by example rather than unsettling their beliefs — meet people where they are instead of preaching beyond them.
Swipe left for 10.20 · The Divine is within all beings.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.19
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.19, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.19, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.19 mean?
The Lord said: I will tell you My principal divine manifestations, for there is no end to their full extent. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.19 for daily life?
Use examples as doors, not boundaries. A sunset is one door to divine beauty, but not the only one.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.19 mean?
श्रीभगवान् उवाच — the Blessed Lord said; हन्त — well then / yes indeed; ते कथयिष्यामि — I shall declare to you; दिव्याः हि — indeed divine; आत्मविभूतयः — My own glories.
Where does verse 10.19 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 19 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.20.