Sanskrit
सर्वमेतदृतं मन्ये यन्मां वदसि केशव । न हि ते भगवन्व्यक्तिं विदुर्देवा न दानवाः ॥ १४ ॥
sarvam etad ṛtaṃ manye yan māṃ vadasi keśava na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṃ vidur devā na dānavāḥ
Translation
All this I believe true that Thou sayest to me, O Keshava. Thy manifestation, O Blessed Lord, neither Shining Ones nor Dânavas comprehend.
Annie Besant · The Bhagavad-Gita, translated by Annie Besant (4th ed., 1922) — Wikisource · Public Domain
Explanation
Arjuna states his acceptance is belief (“I believe true”) rather than direct verification, then independently confirms verse 2’s claim that gods don’t comprehend Krishna’s manifestation. The structure is symmetric: Krishna asserted his origin is unknowable to the Shining Ones in verse 2; nine verses later, Arjuna confirms the same limit from the human side. Sarvam etad ṛtaṃ manye — “I take all of this as true” — is śraddhā stated as such: acceptance ahead of verification, which chapter 4 named the entry condition for knowledge. Arjuna’s very next move (BG 10.16) is to ask for the direct experience faith is standing in for.
Study deeper
Word by word
- sarvam etad ṛtaṃ manyeसर्वं एतद् ऋतं मन्ये
- all this I hold to be true (sarvam + etat + ṛtam + manye)
- yan māṃ vadasi keśavaयन् मां वदसि केशव
- which you tell me, O Keśava (yat + mām + vadasi + keśava)
- na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṃन हि ते भगवन् व्यक्तिं
- for your manifestation, O Lord (na + hi + te + bhagavan + vyaktim)
- vidur devā na dānavāḥविदुः देवा न दानवाः
- neither gods nor demons know (viduḥ + devāḥ + na + dānavāḥ)
Commentary
Site Commentary
Verse 2 said the gods themselves don’t know Krishna’s origin; verse 14 has Arjuna arrive independently at the identical limit from the human side, without Krishna needing to repeat the claim. The chapter doesn’t make the same point twice through the same speaker — it lets two different voices converge on one boundary instead.
Original commentary written for this site · © Amit Singh — original commentary
Concepts
Apply this verse
Lessons
Personal
- When you independently reach the same limit or conclusion someone already told you about, treat that as real evidence in its own right, not a lesser repeat — this verse has Arjuna confirm from the human side exactly what Krishna stated about the gods in verse 2. Independent arrival carries its own weight.
Professional
- When your own analysis arrives at the same constraint leadership already flagged, say so explicitly rather than treating it as redundant — this verse has Arjuna independently confirm a limit Krishna named nine verses earlier. Two people reaching one conclusion separately carries more weight than one person repeating it twice.
Family & Social
- When you and a family member separately arrive at the same worry about something, name that convergence out loud rather than staying quiet about it — this verse has Arjuna confirm, unprompted, exactly what Krishna already said. Two independent arrivals at one concern are more persuasive than a single repetition.
Ask yourself
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