Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् ।
मौनं चैवास्मि गुह्यानां ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामहम् ॥३८॥
daṇḍo damayatām asmi
nītir asmi jigīṣatām
maunaṁ caivāsmi guhyānāṁ
jñānaṁ jñānavatām aham
Word for word (synonyms)
- daṇḍaḥ
- punishment
- damayatām
- of all separation
- asmi
- I am
- nītiḥ
- morality
- asmi
- I am
- jigīṣatām
- of the victorious
- maunam
- silence
- ca
- and
- eva
- also
- asmi
- I am
- guhyānām
- of secrets
- jñānam
- knowledge
- jñānavatām
- of the wise
- aham
- I am
Translation
Among punishments I am the rod of chastisement, and of those who seek victory, I am morality. Of secret things I am silence, and of the wise I am wisdom.
Purport
There are many suppressing agents, of which the most important are those that cut down the miscreants. When miscreants are punished, the rod of chastisement represents Kṛṣṇa. Among those who are trying to be victorious in some field of activity, the most victorious element is morality. Among the confidential activities of hearing, thinking and meditating, silence is most important because by silence one can make progress very quickly. The wise man is he who can discriminate between matter and spirit, between God's superior and inferior natures. Such knowledge is Kṛṣṇa Himself.
What this verse teaches
Various opulences of Kṛṣṇa (See the table)
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.