Bhagavad Gita BG 10.38

Chapter 10, Verse 38 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation

दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् । मौनं चैवास्मि गुह्यानां ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामहम् ॥

dando damayatam asmi nitir asmi jigishatam maunam caivasm guhyanam jnanam jnanavatam aham

Meaning

I am the rod (danda) of those who punish/restrain (damayatam); I am the statesmanship/policy (niti) of those who seek victory (jigishatam); I am the silence (mauna) of secrets (guhyanam); I am the knowledge (jnana) of the wise.

Understanding

Four vibhutis in the domains of power, politics, silence, and wisdom: (1) Damayatam dandah — I am the rod of restrainers. Danda is the power of punishment/correction — the deterrent that orders society. The Supreme is the ordering principle even of punitive power. (2) Jigishatam nitih — among those who seek victory (conquest, success), I am niti — statecraft, policy, the wise art of governance and strategy. Not mere ambition but the intelligent art of achieving noble ends. (3) Guhyanam maunam — among secrets I am silence (mauna). The deepest secret is protected by silence — the Supreme's deepest nature is the silence beyond words. Mauna as the vibhuti of the mysterious. (4) Jnanavatam jnanam — the knowledge (jnana) of the wise (jnanavat). Not ordinary knowing but the concentrated wisdom of those who have truly known — this is the Supreme's trace in human intelligence.

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