Nature and wisdom can both reveal Krishna.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः |गन्धर्वाणां चित्ररथः सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनिः ||१०-२६||
aśvatthaḥ sarvavṛkṣāṇāṃ devarṣīṇāṃ ca nāradaḥ . gandharvāṇāṃ citrarathaḥ siddhānāṃ kapilo muniḥ ||10-26||
Use this verse for sacred-nature reflection.
Meaning
Among trees I am the Ashvattha; among divine sages Narada; among Gandharvas Chitraratha; among perfected beings Kapila.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna’s glory appears in sacred trees, devotion, beauty, and wisdom.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse connects ecology, music, wisdom, and devotion.
Read the traditional commentary
The glories now reach into the plant kingdom, the celestial musicians, and the ranks of perfected souls. Among all trees Krishna is the Aśvattha (the sacred Peepul or fig), long venerated in India as a living symbol of the cosmos. Among divine sages He is Narada, the wandering devotee whose very life is the song of God's name. Among the Gandharvas, the heavenly musician Chitraratha; among the Siddhas, the great sage Kapila.
There is a beautiful thread here: Narada, the supreme bhakta, and Kapila, the founder of Sankhya wisdom, are both named. The Divine shines forth equally through the path of loving devotion and the path of contemplative knowledge. Whichever road the seeker travels — heart or insight — its highest exemplar is itself a glory of the one Lord, drawing the traveller home.
In daily life
Honor sacred nature and wisdom teachers.
Sitting quietly near a tree can become a devotional pause.
Try this today
Spend one quiet minute near a tree or plant.
I see Krishna in sacred nature and wisdom.Reflect
Which part of nature helps me remember Krishna?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सिद्धानाम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on wisdom, in other chapters
- Verse 2.61Restraining all senses while taking the Divine as the supreme goal establishes the stable platform on which wisdom is firmly grounded.
- Verse 7.17The purest devotion seeks the Divine for nothing but Itself — and there, love flows mutually between the soul and God.
- Verse 3.25Work as hard as the most driven person, but let your motive be the good of all rather than personal gain.
- Verse 4.1The deepest truths are not invented in isolation; they are received from a living lineage and kept alive by being lived.
Swipe left for 10.27 · Excellence should carry responsibility.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.26
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.26, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.26, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.26 mean?
Among trees I am the Ashvattha; among divine sages Narada; among Gandharvas Chitraratha; among perfected beings Kapila. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.26 for daily life?
Honor sacred nature and wisdom teachers. Sitting quietly near a tree can become a devotional pause.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.26 mean?
अश्वत्थः — the Peepul (sacred fig) tree; सर्ववृक्षाणाम् — among all trees; देवर्षीणां च नारदः — and among the divine sages, Narada; गन्धर्वाणाम् — among the Gandharvas; चित्ररथः — Chitraratha.
Where does verse 10.26 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 26 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.27.