FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 7.11

బలం బలవతాం చాహం కామరాగవివర్జితమ్ । ధర్మావిరుద్ధో భూతేషు కామోఽస్మి భరతర్షభ ॥ ౧౧ ॥
balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ
[balam balavataam chaaham]
kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
[kaama-raaga-vivarjitam]
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu
[dharmaaviruddho bhooteshu]
kāmo ’smi bharatarṣabha
[kaamo ’smi bharatarshabha]
Word-for-word
balam — strength bala - vatām — of the strong ca — and aham — I am kāma — passion rāga — and attachment vivarjitam — devoid of dharma - aviruddhaḥ — not against religious principles bhūteṣu — in all beings kāmaḥ — sex life asmi — I am bharata - ṛṣabha — O lord of the Bhāratas .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ
balam
strength
bala - vatām
of the strong
ca
and
aham
I am
kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
kāma
passion
rāga
and attachment
vivarjitam
devoid of
dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu
dharma - aviruddhaḥ
not against religious principles
bhūteṣu
in all beings
kāmo ’smi bharatarṣabha
kāmaḥ
sex life
asmi
I am
bharata - ṛṣabha
O lord of the Bhāratas .
Important Words
  • balam — strength
    Physical and moral force together. Kṛṣṇa is the strength of the strong — but the very next phrase strips it of passion and selfish desire. Strength clean of grasping is divine; strength fused with grasping is asura.
  • kāma — passion, desire (here: lust)
    In its first occurrence in the verse, kāma is what divine strength is free of. Two lines later, kāma reappears as Kṛṣṇa Himself — qualified by 'not against dharma.' The word does double duty deliberately.
  • rāga — attachment
    From √rañj (to be colored, dyed). The mind being 'dyed' by an object. Strength devoid of rāga is strength that does not tint the seer; it moves through without staining.
  • dharma - aviruddhaḥ — not against religious principles
    Compound: dharma + a-viruddha (not opposed). The hinge of the verse. Kāma in itself is not condemned; kāma against dharma is. Marriage, family, livelihood, even pleasure — the channel matters more than the water.
  • kāmaḥ — sex life, lawful desire
    Same word as kāma above, second occurrence. Now claimed by Kṛṣṇa as Himself. Prabhupāda glosses it as the channel of householder duty — the procreative impulse held inside dharma's banks. Outside those banks it is bondage; inside, it is Him.
I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O lord of the Bhāratas [Arjuna].
Purport

The strong man’s strength should be applied to protect the weak, not for personal aggression. Similarly, sex life, according to religious principles ( dharma ), should be for the propagation of children, not otherwise. The responsibility of parents is then to make their offspring Kṛṣṇa conscious.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
11. I am the strength of the strong which is devoid of lust and anger. I am that lust which is according to dharma, O best of Bharata lineage.
Commentary

I am the strength of the strong, not displayed out of anger or used with the desire to maintain to ones own lifestyle. I am lust not contrary to dharma, directed towards one’s wife only for the production of children.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
11. I am the strength of the strong which is devoid of desire and excessive craving. I am that lust which is for producing offspring, O best of Bharata.
Commentary

Kāma means desire for maintaining ones life and for material objects. Rāga means that, after having attained ones desired object, one still hankers for additional things. Another name for rāga is excessive thirst for material enjoyment, which contaminates the consciousness. Strength devoid of kāma and rāga enables one to perform ones prescribed duties properly. I am kāma which is only for the purpose of producing offspring through ones wife (dharma aviruddhaḥ kāmaḥ).

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Sex life according to religious principles, is for the propagation of children not otherwise.

To sum‑up the Section where Krsna is the essence of everything and the source of both material and spiritual energies (Krsna is trying to explain how to become 'mad‑ gatenantar‑atmana', see Him always in our heart with great faith), Krsna says:

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

COMMON THEME: Krishna is the essence and cause of everything within the modes of material nature as

follows:

1. Taste of Water – Taste is the active principle of water e.g. No-one likes seawater

Attraction of water depends on purity of water
Pure taste is one of the energies of the Lord
Impersonalists perceive the Lord as the taste; but the personalists glorify the Lord for supplying the water

2. Light of Sun and moon – Originally comes from Brahmajyoti (impersonal effulgence)

3. OM of Vedic mantras

Om is the transcendental sound in the beginning of every Vedic hymn
Addresses the Supreme Lord
Impersonalists prefer to vibrate Omkara because they are very much afraid of addressing Krishna by His innumerable names

4. Sound of Ether

5. Ability of Man

Texts 7.8 – 7.11 continued…

Focus of Learning

(c) Refutes “life comes from chemicals” – because Krishna is the source of material energy

(d) Absolute Truth is personal or impersonal – Text 7.7 helps to solves this controversy

Refutes “Brahman is superior to Krishna” – because Text 7.7 states “no truth is superior to Me”
Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1: “ishvarah paramah Krishna...”
Impersonalists argue based on Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.10
Their argument – The Absolute Truth has no material form based on the word “arupam”
Our Response: Arupam indicates no material form but a transcendental form of eternity, bliss and knowledge as substantiated by Ref: ▪

Ref. Brahma Samhita

▪

Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8-3.9

6. Fragrance of Earth – “Punya” refers to uncontaminated original flavor/smell/taste which permeates

everything

‘Punya’ means that which is not decomposed or that which is original

7. Heat of Fire (Vibhavasau) – Fire in factories/cooking/digestive fire

Indigestion is due to low temperature in the belly

8. Life of all living being – Duration of man’s life is also due to Krishna

By Krishna’s grace one can prolong or diminish it

9. Penance of Ascetics

10. Original seed (Bijam) of all existence (Source of everything)

Seed of all 8.4 million species
Ref. Vedic Literatures: Brahman is the source of everything
Krishna is Parabrahman – The Supreme Spirit
Impersonal Brahman is situated in the personal aspect
Krishna is the original root of all that exists and thus He is the maintainer for everything (Ref. Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)

11. Intelligence of Intelligent

12. Prowess of all Powerful men

13. Strength of Strong – Devoid of passion and desires (strength should be applied to protect the weak, not

for personal aggression)

14. Regulated Sex life of Religious Principles (Dharma) – used for propagation of Krishna conscious children

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 7.11 & 7.12: Text 7.12 provides a summary that Krishna is the origin of all:

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
7.11 I am the balam, strength, ability, virility; balavatam, of the strong. That strength, again, is kama-raga-vivarjitam, devoid of passion and attachment. Kamah is passion, hankering for things not at hand. Ragah is attachment, fondness for things acired. I am the strength that is devoid of them and is necessary merely for the maintenance of the body etc., but not that strength of the worldly which causes hankering and attachment. Further, bhutesu, among creatures; I am that kamah, desire-such desires as for eating, drinking, etc. which are for the mere maintenance of the body and so on; which is dharma-aviruddhah, not contrary to righteousness, not opposed to scriptural injunctions; bharatarsabha, O scion of the Bharata dynasty. Moreover,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
7.8 - 7.11 All these entities with their peculiar characteristic are born from Me alone. They depend on Me; inasmuch as they constitute My body, they exist in Me alone. Thus I alone exist while all of them are only My modes.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
7.10-11 Bijam etc. Balam etc. The seed : the subtle prime cause. The strength, free from desire and attachment : It is of the nature of vigour and is capable of supporting all that exist. Deire : the Will, which is nothing but Pure Consciousness and which is not opposed to any of the attributes (its objects) like pot, cloth etc. For, the Will, because it is the [conscious] energy of the Bhagavat, is immanent in all and nowhere is it opposed, eventhough it is being differentiated (i.e. the wills or desires are classified) on account of its attributes like pot, cloth etc., which are [only] accidental. Thus the wise, because they are devoted to this Will, are of the nature of Pure Consciousness. That has been said also in the Sivopanisad as - '[A man of wisdom] would concentrate his mind on the Will or [Self] Consciousness that arises'. (VB, 98) [Here in this otation] that arises means 'that has just risen but has not yet spread outside.' Ignoring this way of interpretation [of the Gita passage] some interpret it so as to bring out the idea 'He would enjoy the group of the three, not hindering mutually'. These (commentators) are ignorant of the customs (karma) sanctioned by the traditions; yet they interpret the secret about the Absolute ! No doubt they deserve [our] salutation.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
7.11 Of the strong, I am the strength devoid of desire and attachment, and in (all) beings, I am the desire unopposed to Dharma, O Arjuna.
Commentary

7.11 बलम् strength? बलवताम् of the strong? अस्मि am (I)? कामरागविवर्जितम् devoid of desire and attachment? धर्माविरुद्धः unopposed to Dharma? भूतेषु in beings? कामः desire? अस्मि am (I)? भरतर्षभ O Lord of the Bharatas.Commentary Kama Desire for those objects that come in contact with the senses.Raga attachment for those objects that come in contact with the senses.I am that strength which is necessary for the bare sustenance of the body. I am not the strength which generates desire and attachment for sensual objects as in the case of worldlyminded persons. I am the desire which is in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures or the code prescribing the duties of life. I am the desire for moderate eating and drinking? etc.? which are,necessary for the sustenance of the body and which help one in the practice of Yoga.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
7.11 And of the strong I am the strength which is devoid of passion and attachment. Among creatures I am desire which is not contrary to righteousness, O scion of the Bharata dyansty.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
7.11 I am the Strength of the strong, of them who are free from attachment and desire; and, O Arjuna, I am the Desire for righteousness.
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)
Related verses
BG 3.34 BG 2.64 BG 16.1 SB 11.17.39 SB 7.12.9 SB 3.14.23 CC Madhya 22.145 CC Antya 5.44 CC Madhya 19.170 BRS 1.2.255 BRS 1.2.256
Concepts
Dharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
I am the strength of the strong, free from passion and desire — and I am desire itself when not contrary to dharma.
Practical Applications
  • Distinguish dharma-aligned desire (Kṛṣṇa Himself) from contrary desire.
  • Don't suppress all desire indiscriminately.
  • Cultivate the desire that is Him.
Reflection Questions
  • What desire of mine is dharma-aligned (Kṛṣṇa Himself)?
  • What desire is contrary?
Analogy

A river flowing in its bed waters the fields; the same river overflowing the banks destroys the village. The water is one. What separates the two is the dharma-bed — the channel of regulation. Kṛṣṇa says He is the river in its bed: kāma not contrary to dharma. Cross the bank and it ceases to be Him.

Stories
Kuntī's prayer for distress

After Kurukṣetra, when Kṛṣṇa was leaving for Dvārakā, Kuntī asked Him for a strange boon: let calamities continue, so that we never forget You.

Her kāma was not for comfort but for the Lord. The Bhāgavatam preserves her prayer (1.8.25). It is the verse's principle in operation: desire that bends toward Kṛṣṇa, that wants only Him — that desire is Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kuntī wanted distress because distress kept her in His remembrance. Kāma not contrary to dharma.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 7