The universe itself is only a glimpse of Krishna’s power.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन |विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ||१०-४२||
athavā bahunaitena kiṃ jñātena tavārjuna . viṣṭabhyāhamidaṃ kṛtsnamekāṃśena sthito jagat ||10-42||
Use this verse as Chapter 10 completion reflection.
Meaning
What need is there for all this detailed knowledge, Arjuna? I sustain this entire universe with just one fraction of Myself.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna sustains the entire universe by only one fraction of His being.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Chapter 10 ends with awe. All the listed glories are only hints. Krishna’s full reality is far beyond the universe He sustains.
Read the traditional commentary
The chapter closes with one of the most majestic statements in all scripture. Almost gently, Krishna sets aside the long catalogue: 'What need have you of all these details, Arjuna?' Then He gives the final, all-encompassing truth: 'I remain, supporting (viṣṭabhya) this entire universe with a single fragment (ekāṃśena) of Myself.'
The whole cosmos — with its countless suns, sages, mountains, and creatures — rests upon just one part of the Divine. The Infinite is not exhausted by creation; the visible universe is but a corner of His being. This is the soul-stilling vision that crowns Vibhuti-Yoga: God is at once intimately present in every glory and yet utterly transcends them all.
To rest in this is to feel both wonder at His nearness and peace in His boundlessness. The seeker need not grasp every detail — only this: He upholds all, and a single spark of Him is enough.
In daily life
Let wonder dissolve arrogance and anxiety.
When overwhelmed, remember that the same Krishna sustains the whole universe.
Try this today
Offer one worry into Krishna’s vastness.
Krishna sustains the universe and my life.Reflect
What worry becomes smaller before Krishna’s vastness?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘एकांशेन’ 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 9.4The Divine holds all of existence within it, yet remains free and unconfined by anything it sustains.
- Verse 8.22The all-pervading Supreme is reached not by clever effort but by wholehearted, undivided devotion that holds nothing back.
- Verse 15.12The light of sun, moon, and fire is a single divine radiance — God's splendor lighting the world.
Swipe left for 11.1 · Graceful knowledge removes delusion.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 10.42
Who says Bhagavad Gita 10.42, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 10.42, in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga (Vibhuti Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 10.42 mean?
What need is there for all this detailed knowledge, Arjuna? I sustain this entire universe with just one fraction of Myself. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 10.42 for daily life?
Let wonder dissolve arrogance and anxiety. When overwhelmed, remember that the same Krishna sustains the whole universe.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 10.42 mean?
अथवा — or rather; बहुना एतेन — by this extensive (knowledge); किं ज्ञातेन — what is the use of knowing; तव अर्जुन — to you, O Arjuna; विष्टभ्य — supporting / pervading.
Where does verse 10.42 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 42 of 42 in Chapter 10, Vibhuti Yoga. It closes the chapter; Chapter 11 begins with verse 11.1.