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Bhagavad-gītā 10.17

कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् । केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया ॥ १७ ॥
kathaṁ vidyām ahaṁ yogiṁs
[katham vidyaam aham yogims]
tvāṁ sadā paricintayan
[tvaam sadaa parichintayan]
keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu
[keshu keshu cha bhaaveshu]
cintyo ’si bhagavan mayā
[chintyo ’si bhagavan mayaa]
Word-for-word
katham — how vidyām aham — shall I know yogin — O supreme mystic tvām — You sadā — always paricintayan — thinking of keṣu — in which keṣu — in which ca — also bhāveṣu — natures cintyaḥ asi — You are to be remembered bhagavan — O Supreme mayā — by me .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kathaṁ vidyām ahaṁ yogiṁs
katham
how
vidyām aham
shall I know
yogin
O supreme mystic
tvāṁ sadā paricintayan
tvām
You
sadā
always
paricintayan
thinking of
keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu
keṣu
in which
keṣu
in which
ca
also
bhāveṣu
natures
cintyo ’si bhagavan mayā
cintyaḥ asi
You are to be remembered
bhagavan
O Supreme
mayā
by me .
Important Words
  • yogin — O supreme mystic
    Vocative. Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa as the master yogin — the one whose yoga-power produces all opulences. Asking the right authority the right question is half the discipline.
  • paricintayan — thinking of
    Present participle of pari-cint, 'to think around, contemplate from all sides.' Not a flash thought but sustained, encircling meditation. Arjuna wants steady, daily remembrance — not occasional flashes.
  • bhāveṣu — in various natures
    Locative plural of bhāva. The same word that runs through the chapter — emotional states, manifestations, forms. Arjuna asks not 'in which abstractions' but 'in which concrete bhāvas' — anticipating the catalog Kṛṣṇa will give from verse 20 on.
  • cintyaḥ asi — You are to be remembered
    Gerundive of cint — 'fit to be thought of.' Throws the ball back: which forms are appropriate objects of meditation? The verse acknowledges that not every form deserves equal contemplative weight.
  • bhagavan — O Supreme
    Vocative of bhagavān — possessor of all six opulences (wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge, renunciation). Arjuna closes by naming the source: it is to bhagavān, the complete opulent one, that the question of opulences is being addressed.
O Kṛṣṇa, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna asks the practical question: how do I sustain meditation on You, and in which specific forms should I hold You in mind? The doubled 'keṣu keṣu' begs for concrete instances rather than abstract principles.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The distributive 'keṣu keṣu' is a grammatical idiom signalling 'in each and every kind of' — Arjuna wants an enumerated set, not a category. This precise request shapes the form of Kṛṣṇa's reply: a list of representative items per category (among Ādityas, among Rudras, etc.). Cross-ref BG 12.2 on fixed-mind meditation; here the question is what concrete object the mind should fix on.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे योगिन्! अहं सदा परिचिन्तयन् त्वां कथं विद्याम्? हे भगवन्! केषु केषु च भावेषु मया (त्वं) चिन्त्यः असि?
he yogin! ahaṃ sadā paricintayan tvāṃ kathaṃ vidyām? he bhagavan! keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu mayā (tvaṃ) cintyaḥ asi?
O Master of yoga, how shall I, constantly meditating, come to know You? In which specific manifestations, O Lord, are You to be contemplated by me?
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
कथं विद्याम् अहं योगिन् त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन् । केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्यः असि भगवन् मया ॥
kathaṃ vidyām ahaṃ yogin tvāṃ sadā paricintayan | keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyaḥ asi bhagavan mayā ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
कथम् katham ind. (interrog.) how
विद्याम् vidyām √विद् opt. (optative) 1sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) may I know
अहम् aham अस्मद् nom.sg. (nominative singular) I
योगिन् yogin योगिन् (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Yogin
त्वाम् tvām युष्मद् acc.sg. (accusative singular) You
सदा sadā ind. (adv.) always
परिचिन्तयन् paricintayan परि + √चिन्त् pres. (present) act. part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. constantly meditating
केषु केषु keṣu keṣu किम् loc.pl. (locative plural)m. (distributive doubling) in which particular
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
भावेषु bhāveṣu भाव (m.) loc.pl. (locative plural) modes, forms
चिन्त्यः असि cintyaḥ asi √चिन्त् pot. (fut. (future) pass. (passive) part.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. + √अस् pres. (present) 2sg. you are to be contemplated
भगवन् bhagavan भगवत् (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O Bhagavān
मया mayā अस्मद् ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by me
Purport

As it is stated in the previous chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is covered by His yoga-māyā. Only surrendered souls and devotees can see Him. Now Arjuna is convinced that his friend, Kṛṣṇa, is the Supreme Godhead, but he wants to know the general process by which the all-pervading Lord can be understood by the common man. Common men, including the demons and atheists, cannot know Kṛṣṇa, because He is guarded by His yoga-māyā energy. Again, these questions are asked by Arjuna for their benefit. The superior devotee is concerned not only for his own understanding but for the understanding of all mankind. So Arjuna, out of his mercy, because he is a Vaiṣṇava, a devotee, is opening for the common man the understanding of the all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord. He addresses Kṛṣṇa specifically as yogin because Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the master of the yoga-māyā energy, by which He is covered and uncovered to the common man. The common man who has no love for Kṛṣṇa cannot always think of Kṛṣṇa; therefore he has to think materially. Arjuna is considering the mode of thinking of the materialistic persons of this world. The words keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu refer to material nature (the word bhāva means “physical things”). Because materialists cannot understand Kṛṣṇa spiritually, they are advised to concentrate the mind on physical things and try to see how Kṛṣṇa is manifested by physical representations.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
17. O master of yoga māyā, by what method of thinking can I know You at all times? How should I think of You with devotion in various objects, O Lord?
Commentary

“O Lord, one who possesses the yoga-māyā-śakti (yogin)!” This is similar to the construction of vanamalin, one who wears a garland of flowers. How can I, thinking of You, know You (vidyām) at all times? Of course you say bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ: only by bhakti can I be known as I am in truth. (BG 18.55) But in which objects (bhāveṣu) can I think of You? This means “How can I perform bhakti by thinking of You in various objects?”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
17. O master of yoga māyā, in contemplating You constantly, in what manner should I know You? In which objects should I think of you while meditating, O Lord?
Commentary

“For what purpose are you saying this?” Yoga refers to yoga māyā and yogī means the possessor of yoga māyā śakti. O yogī, master of yoga māyā! In contemplating You intently (paricintayan) and constantly (sadā), how should I understand you as the master of yoga māyā, full of unlimited, auspicious qualities? In which objects do you reveal Yourself (keṣu keṣu bhāveṣu) so that I can meditate upon You? Answer both of these questions. This can be done through describing the vibhūtis. Thus, teach me about those vibhūtis.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
O Krsna, O supreme mystic, how shall I constantly think of You, and how shall I know You? In what various forms are You to be remembered, O Supreme Personality of Godhead? (com) Krsna is yoga because He is covered by His yoga maya ‑ paricintayan ‑ thinking around You only. "I can be known only by bhakti, please teach me. "Cintan bhakti" thinking of You will be my devotion and while doing this I'll work." Gita Bhushan: "How will I know You who has all auspicious qualities and who is the Lord of yoga maya. How should I meditate on You?" Krsna: "Tell Me clearly what you want Me to do? Show My opulences or how I should be meditated upon?" Arjuna: "O Janardana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words." (text 18) Visvanath: Krsna: "Why you are again and again asking? I've answered with aham sarvasya 10.8. I've already explained." Arjuna: "That's just seed. Explain to me more in detail. Ja nardhana ‑ means killer of people. Why? By Your sweet teachings, You have created greed in Me and by that You are making me beg more and more from You." (ardana means beg also) "My ears have become the agent for taste by Your speaking." (like tongue). Gita Bhushan: "I've already spoken ajo pi sam 4.6. raso ham apso. I've spoken so many times, why are you again asking?" Vistarena ‑ "I want to hear in detail. By hearing Your sweet opulences, I'm still dissatisfied."
Commentary

Krsna has already said that one who knows His opulences become united with Him in Yoga. He said that in the end of Section A of this Chapter (10:7). Arjuna wants to know about Krsna from Krsna, about all His opulences. If he doesn't hear about Krsna , from Krsna, Krsna will remain unknowable. Krsna asks Arjuna: "What you want to hear? You want Me to tell you how you can meditate on Me or remember Me?" Arjuna answers in next text, that he wants to hear more and more about Krsna and how he can be meditating upon Him.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Hearing increases rememberance – By hearing of Krishna’s opulences one will ‘always remember

Him’ and ‘think of Him’.

In this verse Arjuna asks the following questions:
How shall I constantly think of You
How shall I know You
In what various forms are You to be remembered

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 10.16

(a) Arjuna’s platform of understanding

Already satisfied – He is already satisfied with his understanding of Krishna
Has achieved Krishna’s grace – By Krishna’s grace Arjuna has personal experience, intelligence and knowledge and whatever else one may have through all these agencies and thus he has complete understanding

(b) Then what is the cause of Arjuna’s inquiry

Arjuna is asking on behalf of the common people
People in general and impersonalists in particular concern themselves mainly with the all pervading nature of the Supreme

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 10.15

(a) Bhagavad-gita is the statement of Krishna and should be understood from Krishna as Arjuna did

How to understand Krishna, the Supreme Truth – Receive Bhagavad-gita only from Krishna or any person who is in a devotional relationship with Him e.g. Arjuna and his followers
Avoid commentaries by mental speculators or persons of a demoniac and atheistic mentality mental speculation that takes one away from Supreme Lord is a serious sin

(b) Truth about Krishna is established by ‘realizations of Arjuna’ as follows –

‘Purusottama’ – which implies that Krishna is addressed as “The Supreme Person”
Bhagavan is the last stage of understanding the Absolute Truth (Ref. SB 1.2.11)
Common man or even a liberated man, who has realized impersonal feature or Paramatma feature – but may not understand God’s personality
Sometimes impersonalists accept Krishna as authority, yet cannot understand him as Purusottama
‘Bhuta-bhavana’ – Yet one still may not understand “Krishna as the father of all living entities” – therefore Krishna is addressed as Bhuta-bhavana
‘Bhutesa’ – The Supreme Controller of everyone, all living entities
‘Deva-deva’ – The original and worshipable God of all the demigods
‘Jagat-pati’ – Supreme Proprietor of everything (Lord of the Universe)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.17 O Yogi, katham, how; aham vidyam, shall I know tvam, You; sada pari-cintayan, by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? Ca, and; kesu kesu bhavesu, through what objects; bhagvan, O Lord; cintah asi, are You to be meditated on; maya, by me?
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.17 I, 'Your devotee' (Yogin), namely, one engaged in Bhakti Yoga, and 'constantly meditating on You' with devotion, namely, embarked on meditation on You, - how am I to know You, the object of meditation, as possessing a multitude of auspicious attributes like sovereignty etc.? And in what varied modes of mental dispositions, which are as yet untold and which are different from the intelligence, knowledge etc., described earlier, are You the Controller of all, to be meditated upon by me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.17 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.17 How shall I, ever meditating, know Thee, O Yogin? In what aspects or things, O blessed Lord, art Thou to be thought of by me?
Commentary

10.17 कथम् how? विद्याम् shall know? अहम् I? योगिन् O Yogin? त्वाम् Thee? सदा always? परिचिन्तयन् meditating? केषु केषु in what and what? च and? भावेषु aspects? चिन्त्यः to be thought of? असि (Thou) art? भगवन् O blessed Lord? मया by me.Commentary Arjuna says O Lord? how may I know Thee by constant meditation In what aspects art Thou to be thought of by me Even when I think of external objects I can meditate on Thee in Thy particular manifestations in them if I have a detailed knowledge of Thy glories. Therefore deign to tell me? without reserve? of Thy own glories. Then only can I behold oneness everywhere.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.17 O Yogi, [Here yoga stands for the results of yoga, viz omniscience, omnipotence, etc.; one possessed of these is a yogi. (See Comm. on 10.7)] how shall I know You by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? And through what objects, O Lord, are You to be meditated on by me?
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.17 O Master! How shall I, by constant meditation, know Thee? My Lord! What are Thy various manifestations through which I am to mediate on Thee?
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
BG 8.7 BG 9.34 BG 6.47 SB 2.1.11 SB 7.5.23 SB 11.14.27 CC Madhya 22.126 CC Madhya 22.128 CC Madhya 8.251 Praśna Upaniṣad 5.2BRS 1.2.187
Concepts
BhavaMaya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
How shall I know You constantly thinking of You? In what forms should You be remembered?
Practical Applications
  • Ask Kṛṣṇa to teach you how to remember Him.
  • Don't assume you know how; the Gītā gives technique.
  • Receive the answer that follows.
Reflection Questions
  • Where have I winged remembrance instead of asking for technique?
  • What technique have I been ignoring?
Analogy

A new student of music asks the master: 'In what raga shall I begin? What hour, what mood, what form?' Not because the master is unavailable to him, but because the field is wide and the student wants concrete handholds. Arjuna here makes the same humble, practical request — give me the specific forms in which to remember You.

Stories
Haridāsa Ṭhākura's daily count

Haridāsa Ṭhākura's answer to verse 17's question was three hundred thousand names a day. He did not constantly think of Kṛṣṇa as an abstract Absolute — he constantly chanted Kṛṣṇa's name, a specific bhāva, a definite form of remembrance.

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked how he kept the count, Haridāsa explained that the names themselves carried him through. The verse's keṣu keṣu bhāveṣu — 'in which various natures shall I remember You?' — Haridāsa answered with one supreme bhāva: the holy name. The next thirty centuries' worth of devotees have followed his answer.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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