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Bhagavad-gītā 10.40

नान्तोऽस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप । एष तूद्देशत: प्रोक्तो विभूतेर्विस्तरो मया ॥ ४० ॥
nānto ’sti mama divyānāṁ
[naanto ’sti mama divyaanaam]
vibhūtīnāṁ paran-tapa
[vibhooteenaam paran-tapa]
eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto
[esha tooddeshatah prokto]
vibhūter vistaro mayā
[vibhooter vistaro mayaa]
Word-for-word
na — nor antaḥ — a limit asti — there is mama — My divyānām — of the divine vibhūtīnām — opulences param - tapa — O conqueror of the enemies eṣaḥ — all this tu — but uddeśataḥ — as examples proktaḥ — spoken vibhūteḥ — of opulences vistaraḥ — the expanse mayā — by Me .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nānto ’sti mama divyānāṁ
na
nor
antaḥ
a limit
asti
there is
mama
My
divyānām
of the divine
vibhūtīnāṁ paran-tapa
vibhūtīnām
opulences
param - tapa
O conqueror of the enemies
eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto
eṣaḥ
all this
tu
but
uddeśataḥ
as examples
proktaḥ
spoken
vibhūter vistaro mayā
vibhūteḥ
of opulences
vistaraḥ
the expanse
mayā
by Me .
Important Words
  • antaḥ — a limit
    Same word as verse 19. Echoes the chapter's frame: there is no antaḥ to His vibhūtis. The catalog ends not by completing the list but by declaring the list inexhaustible.
  • divyānām — of the divine
    Genitive plural of divya. Marks again that these are transcendental opulences, not material phenomena. The whole catalog is held under the adjective divya.
  • param - tapa — O conqueror of enemies
    Vocative of paraṁ-tapa — 'one who tortures enemies.' Arjuna's warrior-title. Kṛṣṇa addresses him by his fighting identity at the moment of disclosing infinity — keeping the warrior-listener engaged with the cosmic vision.
  • uddeśataḥ — as examples, by way of indication
    From ud-diś — 'to point out.' Adverb. The whole catalog is not exhaustive but indicative — a finger pointing at a moon that cannot be fully described. The honest disclaimer of the speaker who has more to say than time to say it.
  • vistaraḥ — the expanse
    From vi-stṛ — 'to spread.' Same root as vistareṇa (16, 18). The catalog is the 'expanse' of opulence; but the actual expanse exceeds what has been spread out in words.
O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.
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)
Kṛṣṇa caps the list with humility-from-above: 'No end exists to My opulences; what I gave you is only an indication.' The 20-verse catalogue is a sample, not a sum.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Uddeśataḥ ('by way of pointing out') is the rhetorical register-key for the entire catalogue. It governs how the reader is meant to extrapolate — Kṛṣṇa names exemplars so we learn to recognize Him elsewhere by analogous reasoning. Parantapa as vocative addresses Arjuna's military role; the next verse (10.41) widens the principle to 'wherever there is glory.'
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे परन्तप! मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनाम् अन्तः न अस्ति; तु एषः विभूतेः विस्तरः मया उद्देशतः प्रोक्तः ।
he parantapa! mama divyānāṃ vibhūtīnām antaḥ na asti; tu eṣaḥ vibhūteḥ vistaraḥ mayā uddeśataḥ proktaḥ |
O conqueror of foes, there is no end to My divine opulences; this expanse of opulence has been told by Me only by way of indication.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
न अन्तः अस्ति मम दिव्यानां विभूतीनां परन्तप । एषः तु उद्देशतः प्रोक्तः विभूतेः विस्तरः मया ॥
na antaḥ asti mama divyānāṃ vibhūtīnāṃ parantapa | eṣaḥ tu uddeśataḥ proktaḥ vibhūteḥ vistaraḥ mayā ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
न अन्तः अस्ति na antaḥ asti ind. (indeclinable) + अन्त (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) + √अस् there is no end
मम mama अस्मद् gen.sg. (genitive singular) of Me
दिव्यानाम् divyānām दिव्य (adj.) gen.pl. (genitive plural)f. of divine
विभूतीनाम् vibhūtīnām विभूति (f.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) of opulences
परन्तप parantapa परम् + तप (adj.) voc.sg. (vocative singular)m., upapada cpd. (compound) O scorcher of enemies
एषः eṣaḥ एतद् nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. this
तु tu ind. (indeclinable) but, however
उद्देशतः uddeśataḥ ind. (-tas suffix) by way of (brief) indication
प्रोक्तः proktaḥ प्र + √वच् p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. has been declared
विभूतेः vibhūteḥ विभूति (f.) gen.sg. (genitive singular) of opulence
विस्तरः vistaraḥ विस्तर (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) expanse, detail
मया mayā अस्मद् ins.sg. (instrumental singular) by Me
Purport

As stated in the Vedic literature, although the opulences and energies of the Supreme are understood in various ways, there is no limit to such opulences; therefore not all the opulences and energies can be explained. Simply a few examples are being described to Arjuna to pacify his inquisitiveness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
40. There is no end to My wonderful vibhūtis, O afflicter of enemies. I have only briefly declared the expanse of My vibhūtis.
Commentary

Now the Lord summarizes the subject. There is no end to My vibhūtis. Briefly only (uddeśataḥ), in name only, I have spoken of the multitude of My vibhūtis.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
40. There is no end to My wonderful vibhūtis, O afflicter of enemies. I have declared in detail only one portion of My vibhūtis.
Commentary

This verse concludes this topic: there is no end to My wonderful vibhūtis. I have spoken only one portion (uddeśataḥ) of the breadth of the topic (vistaraḥ).

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

There is no end to Krishna’s opulence therefore He has given only a sample

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.40 Parantapa, O destroyer of enemies; asti, there is; na, no; antah, limit; to mama, My; divyanam, divine; vibhutinam, manifestations. Indeed, it is not possible for anyone to speak or know of the limit of the divine manifestations of the of the all-pervading God. Esah, this; vistarah, description; vibhuteh, of (My) manifestations; tu, however; prokatah, has been stated; maya, by Me; uddesatah, by way of illustration, partially.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.40 There is no limit to the divine and auspicious manifestations of My will to rule. But it has been described to some extent by Me in brief by means of a few illustrations.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.40 See Comment under 10.42
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.40 There is no end to My divine gloreis, O Arjuna, but this is a brief statement by Me of the particulars of My divine glories.
Commentary

10.40 न not? अन्तः end? अस्ति is? मम My? दिव्यानाम् of divine? विभूतीनाम् glories? परंतप O scorcher of foes? एषः this? तु indeed? उद्देशतः briefly? प्रोक्तः has been stated? विभूतेः of glory? विस्तरः particulars? मया by Me.Commentary It is impossible for anyone to describe or know the exact extent of the divine gloreis of the Lord. There is no limit to His powers or glories. What could be expressed of Him is nothing when compared to His infinte glories.Parantapa Scorcher of foes -- he who burns the internal enemies? lust? anger? greed? deluion? etc.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.40 O destroyer of enemies, there is no limit to My divine manifestations. This description of (My) manifestations, however, has been stated by Me by way illustration.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.40 O Arjuna! The aspects of My divine life are endless. I have mentioned but a few by way of illustration.
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Discriminative WisdomVairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 10.19 BG 11.32 BG 7.26 SB 1.3.26 SB 10.14.7 SB 11.16.44 CC Ādi 5.79 CC Madhya 21.9 CC Madhya 20.389 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8Īśa Upaniṣad Invocation
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
There is no end to My divine manifestations — what I have described is only a fragment.
Practical Applications
  • Hold the lists as samples, not catalogs.
  • Continue noticing Him beyond the listed.
  • Cultivate ongoing surprise at His expressions.
Reflection Questions
  • What recent surprise of perception revealed Him?
  • What could open me to more?
Analogy

A traveler asked to list every star in the night sky will eventually have to stop and say: there are more than I can name; what I have given you is only a sketch. So Kṛṣṇa, having named scores of opulences, draws the line — what has been spoken is only an indication, a directional pointing, not the full inventory.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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