A declaration · devotional in mood · builds on earlier teachings
“Compassion becomes knowledge that burns away inner darkness.”
To show them compassion, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge, dwelling in their own being.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyof them · indeed · for compassion · I · born of ignorance · darkness · I destroy · abiding in their own being · with the lamp of knowledge · shining
Out of compassion, Krishna removes the darkness of ignorance from devoted people by giving them the light of understanding from within.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Vibhuti Yoga" (The Yoga of Divine Glories).
Verse 11 sits in Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita — Vibhuti Yoga, "The Yoga of Divine Glories". The chapter has 42 verses in total.
You finally sit with the truth you have been avoiding, and something inside stops arguing. The fog lifts not by force, but by seeing clearly.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts devotion from emotional closeness to inner transformation: real connection clears confusion at the root.
What this verse means
Out of compassion, Krishna removes the darkness of ignorance from devoted people by giving them the light of understanding from within.
Context & commentary
Krishna is still speaking to Arjuna on the battlefield, after describing devoted people who speak of him and stay focused on him. He explains that he does not leave them in confusion; he enters their inner being and destroys ignorance with the lamp of knowledge.
Why this verse still matters
You finally sit with the truth you have been avoiding, and something inside stops arguing. The fog lifts not by force, but by seeing clearly.
“Being cared for can feel like a sudden clearing inside, where confusion no longer controls you.”
Explore related themes: bhakti (69 verses), jnana (24 verses)