Bhagavad Gita BG 10.42
Chapter 10, Verse 42 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन । विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नं एकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥
atha va bahunaitena kim jnatena tava 'rjuna vishthabhyaham idam krtsnam ekAmsena sthito jagat
Meaning
Or else, what is the need, O Arjuna, of knowing all this in detail? I support this entire world by pervading it with a single fraction of Myself — and I remain.
Understanding
The breathtaking closing verse of Chapter 10. Atha va (or else) — bahuuna etena kim jnatena tava (what is the need for you to know all this in detail?) — vishthabhya aham (pervading, supporting) idam krtsnam (this entire world) — ekAmsena (by a single fraction, with just one portion of Myself) sthito jagat (the world stands/is established). And: ca aham (and I remain — I myself remain beyond and apart from this single fraction that supports the entire universe). The entire catalog was just examples. The reality: a single fraction of the Divine upholds the entire universe. The vast remainder of the Divine is beyond.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अथवा | atha va | or else, alternatively |
| विष्टभ्य | vishthabhya | pervading, supporting, upholding |
| कृत्स्नम् | krtsnam | the entire, the whole |
| एकांशेन | ekAmsena | with a single fraction/portion |
| स्थितः | sthitah | stands, remains, is established |
| अथ | atha | but, however |
| वा | vā | or |
| बहुना | bahunā | by much, with much |
| एतेन | etena | with this |
| किम् | kim | what |
| ज्ञातेन | jñātena | by knowing |
| तव | tava | your, for you |
| अर्जुन | arjuna | O Arjuna |
| विष्टभ्य | viṣṭabhya | supporting, pervading |
| अहम् | aham | I |
| इदम् | idam | this |
| कृत्स्नम् | kṛtsnam | entire |
| एक-अंशेन | eka-aṃśena | with one portion |
| स्थितः | sthitaḥ | situated, standing |
| जगत् | jagat | the universe |