Silence can protect wisdom.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् |मौनं चैवास्मि गुह्यानां ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामहम् ||१०-३८||
daṇḍo damayatāmasmi nītirasmi jigīṣatām . maunaṃ caivāsmi guhyānāṃ jñānaṃ jñānavatāmaham ||10-38||
Use this verse before responding in conflict.
Meaning
Among those who discipline I am authority; among seekers of victory I am policy; among secrets I am silence; among the wise I am knowledge.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna is present in discipline, wise strategy, silence, and knowledge.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The verse teaches that not all truth needs noise. Sometimes discipline, strategy, silence, and knowledge are the dharmic response.
Read the traditional commentary
Two of these glories speak directly to the inner life. 'Among secrets I am silence (maunam)' — for the deepest truths cannot be shouted; they ripen in stillness. The sacred is guarded and nurtured by quietude, and the soul that learns to be silent within hears what noise can never reveal. Silence is not emptiness but the fullest receptivity to the Divine.
'Among the wise I am knowledge (jñānam) itself' — the very essence of all wisdom is His presence. Among those who govern, He is the just power of restraint; among those who would conquer, He is righteous policy rather than brute force. Together these glories paint the portrait of true mastery: power exercised with justice, ambition guided by ethics, and a heart that has learned the deep, fertile silence in which wisdom is born.
In daily life
Speak when needed; stay silent when silence protects dharma.
In conflict, silence can prevent escalation while strategy resolves the issue.
Try this today
Pause before one reactive reply today.
I choose wisdom, discipline, and sacred silence.Reflect
Where is silence wiser than reaction?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘दमयताम् अस्मि’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on wisdom, in other chapters
- Verse 4.19Act without selfish intent, and the fire of wisdom burns away action's power to bind — this is the mark of a true sage.
- Verse 5.5Knowledge and selfless action are two doors to one room — seeing their unity is itself true insight.
- Verse 7.2Seek the knowing that is also realised in experience, for that alone leaves nothing essential still to be sought.
- Verse 13.5Trustworthy spiritual truth is confirmed by both inspired vision and careful reasoning across the ages.
Swipe left for 10.39 · All existence has Krishna as its source.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.38
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.38, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.38, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.38 mean?
Among those who discipline I am authority; among seekers of victory I am policy; among secrets I am silence; among the wise I am knowledge. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.38 for daily life?
Speak when needed; stay silent when silence protects dharma. In conflict, silence can prevent escalation while strategy resolves the issue.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.38 mean?
दण्डः — the sceptre / power of punishment; दमयताम् अस्मि — among those who restrain I am; नीतिः अस्मि — I am statesmanship / wise policy; जिगीषताम् — among those who seek victory; मौनम् च एव अस्मि — and I am silence.
Where does verse 10.38 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 38 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. The next verse is 10.39.