Power and desire need dharmic alignment.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
आयुधानामहं वज्रं धेनूनामस्मि कामधुक् |प्रजनश्चास्मि कन्दर्पः सर्पाणामस्मि वासुकिः ||१०-२८||
āyudhānāmahaṃ vajraṃ dhenūnāmasmi kāmadhuk . prajanaścāsmi kandarpaḥ sarpāṇāmasmi vāsukiḥ ||10-28||
Use this verse for dharmic-desire reflection.
Meaning
Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows Kamadhuk; I am Kandarpa for procreation; among serpents Vasuki.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna’s glory appears in force, nourishment, creative desire, and hidden power.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The verse teaches that even power and desire become sacred when aligned with dharma. Force must protect, nourishment must serve, and desire must remain life-affirming.
Read the traditional commentary
Among weapons Krishna is the vajra, the irresistible thunderbolt; among cows, Kamadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow of abundance; among serpents, Vasuki, their king. Then He names Himself Kandarpa, the power of generation and love — but with an important nuance.
The word prajanaḥ ('the progenitor') frames this carefully: He is the procreative force that serves the right purpose of life, not desire run wild. This distinction matters. The same energy of love and creation that, misdirected, becomes bondage is, rightly oriented, a glory of the Divine.
Even the elemental drives within us — power, abundance, love — are sacred in their proper place. The teaching is not to deny life's energies but to recognize their Source and let them serve dharma rather than enslave us.
In daily life
Use force, fertility, and desire responsibly.
A strong person should protect the vulnerable instead of dominating them.
Try this today
Check one desire against dharma before acting.
My power is guided by dharma.Reflect
Is my power aligned with dharma?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘प्रजनः च अस्मि’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on love, in other chapters
- Verse 12.20Living this teaching with faith, holding God as your supreme goal, makes you exceedingly dear to Him.
- Verse 6.30See the Divine in all things and in everyone, and you will never be separated from God, nor God from you.
- Verse 7.17The purest devotion seeks the Divine for nothing but Itself — and there, love flows mutually between the soul and God.
- Verse 8.22The all-pervading Supreme is reached not by clever effort but by wholehearted, undivided devotion that holds nothing back.
Swipe left for 10.29 · Discipline and order are divine expressions.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.28
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.28, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.28, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.28 mean?
Among weapons I am the thunderbolt; among cows Kamadhuk; I am Kandarpa for procreation; among serpents Vasuki. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.28 for daily life?
Use force, fertility, and desire responsibly. A strong person should protect the vulnerable instead of dominating them.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.28 mean?
आयुधानाम् — among weapons; अहं वज्रम् — I am the thunderbolt; धेनूनाम् — among cows; अस्मि कामधुक् — I am Kamadhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow; प्रजनः च अस्मि — I am the progenitor / generative power.
Where does verse 10.28 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 28 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.29.