Bhagavad-gītā 10.38
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम्। मौनं चैवास्मि गुह्यानां ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामहम्।।10.38।।
daṇḍo damayatām asmi nītir asmi jigīṣhatām maunaṁ chaivāsmi guhyānāṁ jñānaṁ jñānavatām aham
Of punishers I am the sceptre; of those who seek to conquer, I am statesmanship; and also of things secret I am silence, and the knowledge of knowers am I.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| daṇḍaḥ | punishment |
| damayatām | amongst means of preventing lawlessness |
| asmi | I am |
| nītiḥ | proper conduct |
| asmi | I am |
| jigīṣhatām | amongst those who seek victory |
| maunam | silence |
| cha | and |
| eva | also |
| asmi | I am |
| guhyānām | amongst secrets |
| jñānam | wisdom |
| jñāna-vatām | in the wise |
| aham | I |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through daṇḍaḥ (punishment), cha (and), and aham (I). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to recognition of divine splendour. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 10.38.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Move from the four-verse core to representative opulences without mistaking examples for an exhaustive inventory.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Of punishers I am the sceptre
- 2
of those who seek to conquer, I am statesmanship
- 3
and also of things secret I am silence
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture divine splendour.
Link
Use the line starts: daṇḍo damayatām / maunaṁ chaivāsmi.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 10.38, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 10.38 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 10.38 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 10.38 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 10.38, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition