FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 10.14

సర్వమేతదృతం మన్యే యన్మాం వదసి కేశవ । న హి తే భగవన్వ్యక్తిం విదుర్దేవా న దానవా: ॥ ౧౪ ॥
sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye
[sarvam etad ritam manye]
yan māṁ vadasi keśava
[yan maam vadasi keshava]
na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ
[na hi te bhagavan vyaktim]
vidur devā na dānavāḥ
[vidur devaa na daanavaah]
Word-for-word
sarvam — all etat — this ṛtam — truth manye — I accept yat — which mām — unto me vadasi — You tell keśava — O Kṛṣṇa na — never hi — certainly te — Your bhagavan — O Personality of Godhead vyaktim — revelation viduḥ — can know devāḥ — the demigods na — nor dānavāḥ — the demons .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye
sarvam
all
etat
this
ṛtam
truth
manye
I accept
yan māṁ vadasi keśava
yat
which
mām
unto me
vadasi
You tell
keśava
O Kṛṣṇa
na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ
na
never
hi
certainly
te
Your
bhagavan
O Personality of Godhead
vyaktim
revelation
vidur devā na dānavāḥ
viduḥ
can know
devāḥ
the demigods
na
nor
dānavāḥ
the demons .
Important Words
  • ṛtam — truth
    An old Vedic word — older than satyam. Ṛta is the cosmic order, the truth that holds reality together. Arjuna is not saying 'I find this plausible.' He is saying 'this is the very ṛta of things.'
  • manye — I accept
    First person, middle voice, of man — 'to think, hold to be.' Not 'I have analyzed and verified' but 'I receive as.' The verb places acceptance as an inner act, not an external proof.
  • keśava — O Kṛṣṇa (slayer of Keśī, one with beautiful hair)
    Vocative — chosen names matter. Keśava recalls both the slayer of the demon Keśī and the Lord whose hair is beautiful. Arjuna invokes both Kṛṣṇa's protective power and His personal charm in one breath.
  • vyaktim — revelation, manifestation
    From vi-añj, 'to manifest, make distinct.' Arjuna concedes that Kṛṣṇa's personal manifestation cannot be grasped from outside — not by demigods, not by demons. It must be vouchsafed.
  • dānavāḥ — the demons
    Paired with devāḥ — neither demigods nor demons can know Kṛṣṇa's vyakti. The two highest cosmic classes — those who love order and those who oppose it — equally fail. Power, position, and seniority give no access; the door opens only by His revealing.
O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality.
Purport

Arjuna herein confirms that persons of faithless and demonic nature cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. He is not known even by the demigods, so what to speak of the so-called scholars of this modern world? By the grace of the Supreme Lord, Arjuna has understood that the Supreme Truth is Kṛṣṇa and that He is the perfect one. One should therefore follow the path of Arjuna. He received the authority of Bhagavad-gītā. As described in the Fourth Chapter, the paramparā system of disciplic succession for the understanding of Bhagavad-gītā was lost, and therefore Kṛṣṇa reestablished that disciplic succession with Arjuna because He considered Arjuna His intimate friend and a great devotee. Therefore, as stated in our Introduction to Gītopaniṣad, Bhagavad-gītā should be understood in the paramparā system. When the paramparā system was lost, Arjuna was selected to rejuvenate it. The acceptance by Arjuna of all that Kṛṣṇa says should be emulated; then we can understand the essence of Bhagavad-gītā, and then only can we understand that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
14. I accept as true all that you have told me, Keśava. But, O Lord, the devas and Dānavas do not know about Your birth.
Commentary

I do not doubt at all what You say to me. But these ṛṣis say that Your supreme body is without birth. They do not know about Your birth (vyaktim). They do not understand how You with Your svarūpa of para-brahma can be both unborn and born. What You have said in verse 10.2—that neither the devatās nor ṛṣis know about Your birth—I accept as completely true (sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye). O Keśava, You bind up even Brahmā and Śiva with ignorance of Your true nature. (ka=Brahmā, īśa=Śiva, va=to bind). Then, certainly it must be said that the devatās and Dānavas also do not know You.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
14. I accept as true all that You have told me, Keśava. But, O Lord, the devas and dānavas do not know Your true form.
Commentary

I consider this all true (ṛtam). I do not consider it just praise. O Keśava! Ka means Brahmā and iśa means Śiva. Va stands for vayase, which means “you bind” from the root ve. Thus the name Keśava implies “You bind up Brahmā and Śiva by hiding from them knowledge of Your true self.” This the Lord has stated already in verse two. O Lord of all, Bhagavān! O unlimited ocean of six wonderful qualities! [Note: Bhagavān has been defined as having six special qualities or aiśvarya: lordship, strength, beauty, auspiciousness, knowledge detachment.] The devas and dānavas do not know Your beautiful form (vyaktim) endowed with qualities such as being the Supreme Brahman; rather, they disregard and insult You by thinking that You are like others.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Translation
O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the demigods nor the demons, O Lord, can understand Your personality. (com) Sages (previous verse) speak and say Your glories, yet they do not know how You are param brahma ‑ yet have taken birth. They don't know everything. Ke ‑ sha ‑ va = Ke means Brahma and sha means Siva, are working under You (va) and are bound by You so they can't understand, what to speak of others, it is not possible for them to understand. Gita Bhushan: What You've told me isn't glorification exaggeration but everything is truth, You are Ke shava, above Brahma and wht to speak of Prajapati. Bhagavan means full opulences. Neither Devas nor dhanavas know You and they therefore somtimes become envious or disregard You as they don't consider You superior.
Commentary

Arjuna calls Krsna, Kesava. KE means Brahma, SA means Siva and VA means sometimes Visnu or sometimes means 'above'. "O One who is above even Lord Brahma or Lord Siva, only You can understand Yourself!"

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

Arjuna especially accepts Krishna’s own statement as truisms, because:

Neither the demigods nor demons can know Krishna perfectly as Supreme, only Krishna can reveal
This verse establishes that ‘faithless’ and ‘demoniac’ cannot understand Krishna
Establishes that since Krishna is not known even by the demigods, what to speak of modern scholars
Arjuna understands all this by Lord’s grace

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 10.14

(a) Importance of parampara – The Bhagavad-gita should be understood in the parampara system

Original disciplic succession (parampara) was lost
Lord established a new parampara through Arjuna (Ref. Bg. Chapter 4)

(b) Emulate the spirit – The acceptance by Arjuna of all that Krishna says, should be emulated and

then only can we understand:

The essence of Bhagavad-gita and,
Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead

FOCUS OF LEARNING IN 10.12 – 10.13

(a) Refutes modern Mayavadi philosopher – Establishs that Supreme is different from individual soul

(b) ‘Param-brahma’ – Indicates Arjuna’s acceptance (by His Grace) of Krishna as Supreme Personality

of Godhead, after hearing the Catur-Sloki Bhagavad-gita

(c) Arjuna’s acceptance is not simply flattering by a friend – It is supported by ‘Vedic injunctions’,

‘great sages’ and ‘Krishna’ Himself

Vedic Injunctions – Every word is confirmed by Vedic injunctions
Kena Upanisad – Says ‘Supreme Brahman is the rest for everything’ (Here also Arjuna refers to Krishna as the Supreme Abode)
Mundaka Upanisad – ‘Supreme Lord (in whom everything is resting) can be realized only by one constantly thinking of Him’ (smaranam)
Vedas accept ‘Krishna as purest of pure’ –

▪ Such understanding of Krishna can purify all sinful activities

▪ One cannot be disinfected of sinful activities unless he surrenders unto

Supreme Lord

▪ Thus Arjuna’s acceptance of Krishna as the Supreme Pure complies with the

injunctions of the Vedic literatures

Ref. Bg. 4.6: ‘ Krishna is unborn’ (Arjuna also refers to Krishna as ‘Unborn’)
Great sages accept this (10.13)
Krishna Himself establishes it – Arjuna realized all, by the grace of Krishna

(d) Spirit of knowing Bhagavad-gita – Accept in the mood of Arjuna as stated in 10.12 – 10.13 – This

is parampara system

(e) Not possible to know Bhagavad-gita by academic education and without disciplic succession

(f) Sign of false pride of academic education – Despite evidence, one sticks to the obstinate

conviction that Krishna is an ordinary person

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
10.14 O Kesava, manye, I accept; to be rtam, true indeed; sarvam, all; etat, this that has been said by sages and You; yat, which; vadasi, You tell, speak; mam, to Me. Hi, certainly; bhagavan, O Lord; na devah, neither the gods; na danavah, nor the demons; viduh, comprehend; te, Your; vyaktim, glory [Prabhavam in the Commentary is the same as prabhavam, glory, the unalified State.]. Since You are the origin of the gods and others, therefore,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
10.14 Therefore, I deem all this to be a statement of facts as they are in reality, and not merely an exaggeration - all this which You tell me of Your sovereign glory and infinite auspicious attributes which are unie, unbounded, unsurpassed and natural. Therefore, O Lord, O Treasure of unsurpassed knowledge, power, strength, sovereignty, valour and radiance! - neither the gods nor the demons who possess limited knowledge know 'Your manifestation', the way in which You manifest Yourself.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
10.14 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
10.14 I believe all this that Thou sayest to me to be true, O Krishna; verily, O blessed Lord! neither the gods nor the demons know Thy manifestation (origin).
Commentary

10.14 सर्वम् all? एतत् this? ऋतम् true? मन्ये (I) think? यत् which? माम् to me? वदसि (Thou) sayest? केशव O Krishna? न not? हि verily? ते Thy? भगवन् O blessed Lord? व्यक्तिम् manifestation? विदुः know? देवाः gods? न not? दानवाः demons.Commentary Bhagavan is He? in whom ever exist the six attributes in their fullness? viz.? Jnana (wisdom)? Vairagya (dispassion)? Aisvarya (lordship)? Dharma (virtue)? Sri (wealth) and Bala (omnipotence). Also? He Who knows the origin? dissolution and the future of all beings and Who is omniscient? is called Bhagavan.Vyakti Origin.Danavah Demons or the Titans.Arjuna addresses the Lord as Keshava (Lord of all) because the Lord knows what is going on in his mind? as He is omniscient. As the Lord is the source of the gods? the demons and others? they cannot comprehend His manifestation or origin. (Cf.IV.6)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
10.14 O Kesava, I accept to be true all this which You tell me. Certainly, O Lord, neither the gods nor the demons comprehend Your glory.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
10.14 I believe in what Thou hast said, my Lord! For neither the godly not the godless comprehend Thy manifestation.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 4.9 BG 7.15 BG 2.7 SB 10.14.29 SB 1.1.1 SB 3.7.9 CC Madhya 6.82 CC Ādi 2.117 CC Madhya 25.57 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.9BRS 1.2.92
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
All You have said, I accept as truth — neither demigods nor demons can understand Your personality.
Practical Applications
  • Practice Arjuna's posture: 'all You have said, I accept.'
  • Don't reserve mental veto over what He says.
  • Surrender the cognitive judge.
Reflection Questions
  • What of His teaching am I still reserving veto on?
  • What would 'all I accept' release?
Analogy

A traveler who has been guided through a country he could not have mapped on his own acknowledges, at the journey's end, that his guide alone knew the terrain. Arjuna here drops every counter-claim: what You have said is the truth, and no demigod or demon could have given me this knowledge themselves.

Stories
Yudhiṣṭhira accepting Kṛṣṇa's word

On the eve of war, when Kṛṣṇa proposed a strategy that violated Yudhiṣṭhira's strict dharmic preferences, the eldest Pāṇḍava ultimately bowed his head. He did not understand every move, but he trusted the source.

The Mahābhārata records his repeated refrain: 'Whatever Kṛṣṇa says, that is dharma for us.' This verse's phrase — sarvam etat ṛtam manye, 'I accept all this as truth' — is the same surrender of private judgment to the higher authority that Yudhiṣṭhira modeled throughout the war.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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