Every gift has a divine source.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् |बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ||७-१०||
bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam . buddhirbuddhimatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham ||7-10||
Use this verse when success creates pride.
Meaning
Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the brilliance of the brilliant.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna is the seed, intelligence, and brilliance behind life.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
All potential, intelligence, and excellence ultimately point back to Krishna as source.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna names Himself the sanatana bija — the eternal seed — from which every being springs. As a tree lies dormant in a seed, the entire potential of creation rests in Him. He is not merely the maker who stands apart, but the very germ of existence carried within all things. He is also the intelligence that makes the wise wise and the splendour that makes the brilliant shine.
This verse quietly humbles the proud and uplifts the seeker. Whatever gifts we possess — keen intellect, magnetic brilliance — are not finally our own; they are borrowings from the divine source. To recognise this is to hold our talents lightly, with gratitude rather than ego. And it offers reassurance: the same eternal seed that gave rise to the sages dwells within us, ever capable of flowering into wisdom.
In daily life
Use talent with humility and gratitude.
A smart founder can remember intelligence is a gift, not ego-property.
Try this today
Thank Krishna for one ability and use it to serve.
My abilities are gifts from Krishna.Reflect
What gift should I use more humbly?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘बीजम् माम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on intelligence, in other chapters
- Verse 2.52When intelligence transcends delusion, the seeker becomes naturally disenchanted with all secondhand knowledge and rests in direct knowing.
- Verse 9.17The Divine is at once the loving parent of all life and the highest truth we seek to know — tenderness and transcendence united.
- Verse 10.39Nothing whatsoever exists apart from the Divine — once you see this, you can find God everywhere.
- Verse 8.20Beyond every cycle of creation and dissolution abides an eternal reality that remains untouched when all else perishes.
Swipe left for 7.11 · Power must be dharmic.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 7.10
Who says Bhagavad Gita 7.10, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 7.10, in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga (Jnana Vijnana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 7.10 mean?
Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the brilliance of the brilliant. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 7.10 for daily life?
Use talent with humility and gratitude. A smart founder can remember intelligence is a gift, not ego-property.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 7.10 mean?
बीजम् माम् — Me as the seed; सर्वभूतानाम् — of all beings; विद्धि पार्थ — know, O Arjuna; सनातनम् — eternal; बुद्धिः बुद्धिमताम् अस्मि — I am the intelligence of the intelligent.
Where does verse 7.10 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 10 of 30 in Chapter 7, Jnana Vijnana Yoga. The next verse is 7.11.