Lord Krishna

Divine Teacher

The Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.

Speaking: Chapter 10, Verse 36

Verse 36

Hard Verse

The Yoga of Divine Glories

I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.

Context & Meaning

A striking inclusion: among those who deceive, even deception at its most cunning belongs to the Divine. Among the radiant, the very quality of radiance. Among all outcomes, victory itself. Among all enterprises, the boldness to attempt. Among the strong, the quality of strength. Even what we call negative — deception — has a divine counterpart: the cosmic creative māyā of the Supreme.

Scholar Commentaries

1 commentary · Public domain

Adi Shankaracharya

Advaita

That even gambling and deception are listed shows the all-encompassing nature of Brahman. This does not sanction cheating — it reveals that even the energy behind misdirected activity is ultimately sourced in the Divine. Nothing falls outside of Brahman's ground.