Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Verse 17 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 10 श्लोक 17 कथं विद्यामहं योगिंस्त्वां सदा परिचिन्तयन्। केषु केषु च भावेषु चिन्त्योऽसि भगवन्मया।।10.17।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 10.17 O Yogi, [Here yoga stands for the results of yoga, viz omniscience, omnipotence, etc.; one possessed of these is a yogi. (See Comm. on 10.7)] how shall I know You by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? And through what objects, O Lord, are You to be meditated on by me? English Translation - Swami Sivananda 10.17 How shall I, ever meditating, know Thee, O Yogin? In what aspects or things, O blessed Lord, art Thou to be thought of by me? English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 10.17. O Mighty Yogin ! How should I know You, meditating on You ? In what several entities, O Bhagavat, are You to be contemplated upon by me ? English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 10.17 कथम् how? विद्याम् shall know? अहम् I? योगिन् O Yogin? त्वाम् Thee? सदा always? परिचिन्तयन् meditating? केषु केषु in what and what? च and? भावेषु aspects? चिन्त्यः to be thought of? असि (Thou) art? भगवन् O blessed Lord? मया by me.Commentary Arjuna says O Lord? how may I know Thee by constant meditation In what aspects art Thou to be thought of by me Even when I think of external objects I can meditate on Thee in Thy particular manifestations in them if I have a detailed knowledge of Thy glories. Therefore deign to tell me? without reserve? of Thy own glories. Then only can I behold oneness everywhere. English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 10.17 O Yogi, katham, how; aham vidyam, shall I know tvam, You; sada pari-cintayan, by remaining ever-engaged in meditation? Ca, and; kesu kesu bhavesu, through what objects; bhagvan, O Lord; cintah asi, are You to be meditated on; maya, by me? English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 10.17 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka. English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 10.17 I, Your devotee (Yogin), namely, one engaged in Bhakti Yoga, and constantly meditating on You with devotion, namely, embarked on meditation on You, - how am I to know You, the object of meditation, as possessing a multitude of auspicious attributes like sovereignty etc.? And in what varied modes of mental dispositions, which are as yet untold and which are different from the intelligence, knowledge etc., described earlier, are You the Controller of all, to be meditated upon by me. Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji “O Lord, one who possesses the yogamaya sakti (yogin)!” This is similar to the construction of vanamalin, one who wears a garland of flowers.  How can I,  thinking of you, know you (vidyam) at all times? Of course you say bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: only by bhakti can I be known as I am in truth. (BG 18.55)  But in which objects (bhavesu) can I think of you? This means “How can I perform bhakti by thinking of you in various objects?” Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Expressing the need for Lord Krishna to definitively reveal precisely how He should be meditated upon; He is humbly beseeched in this verse and the next. Although the Supreme Lord can be meditated upon by focusing on His different potencies, qualities and glories, Arjunas concern was what was the best way for him to contemplate the Supreme Lord. In which way specifically should he always think of Lord Krishna throughout his life in order that he would most assuredly attain Him. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary These questions are asked to Lord Krishna by the words katham vidyam aham yogims meaning how to be able to know and follow yoga the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness, and engage in constant meditation on Him with devotion. Devotion knowing the Supreme Lord is endowed with the six opulences of total power, total beauty, total wisdom, total fame, total wealth and total renunciation which accompany His illustrious attributes of omniscience, perfection, eternity, sovereignty, majesty etc. Now Arjuna desires to know in what other ways yet untold is Lord Krishnas vibhuti transcendental majestic opulence displayed throughout existence which exemplifies His Supreme eminence and paramount position as the ultimate controller of all creation. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary These questions are asked to Lord Krishna by the words katham vidyam aham yogims meaning how to be able to know and follow yoga the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness, and engage in constant meditation on Him with devotion. Devotion knowing the Supreme Lord is endowed with the six opulences of total power, total beauty, total wisdom, total fame, total wealth and total renunciation which accompany His illustrious attributes of omniscience, perfection, eternity, sovereignty, majesty etc. Now Arjuna desires to know in what other ways yet untold is Lord Krishnas vibhuti transcendental majestic opulence displayed throughout existence which exemplifies His Supreme eminence and paramount position as the ultimate controller of all creation. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 10.17Katham vidyaamaham yogimstwaam sadaa parichintayan; Keshu keshu cha bhaaveshu chintyo’si bhagavanmayaa. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 10.17vaktum—to describe; arhasi—please do; aśheṣheṇa—completely; divyāḥ—divine; hi—indeed; ātma—your own; vibhūtayaḥ—opulences; yābhiḥ—by which; vibhūtibhiḥ—opulences; lokān—all worlds; imān—these; tvam—you; vyāpya—pervade; tiṣhṭhasi—reside; katham—how; vidyām aham—shall I know; yogin—the Supreme Master of Yogmaya; tvām—you; sadā—always; parichintayan—meditating; keṣhu—in what; keṣhu—in what; cha—and; bhāveṣhu—forms; chintyaḥ asi—to be thought of; bhagavan—the Supreme Divine Personality; mayā—by me