Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 10, Verse 26
अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां देवर्षीणां च नारदः।
गन्धर्वाणां चित्ररथः सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनिः।।
गन्धर्वाणां चित्ररथः सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनिः।।
aśvatthaḥ sarva-vṛkṣāṇāṁ devarṣīṇāṁ ca nāradaḥ
gandharvāṇāṁ citrarathaḥ siddhānāṁ kapilo muniḥ
also searched as "ashvatthah sarvavrikshanam devarshinam cha naradah"
Translation
Of trees I am the Asvattha; of celestial seers, I am Narada; of the Gandharvas, I am Citraratha; of the perfected, I am Kapila.
Vāṇi's rendering
Of trees I am the sacred peepal; of divine seers, Narada; of celestial singers, Chitraratha; of the perfected, Kapila.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अश्वत्थःaśvatthaḥ | the peepal, the sacred fig tree |
| सर्ववृक्षाणाम्sarva-vṛkṣāṇām | among all trees |
| देवर्षीणाम्devarṣīṇām | among the divine seers |
| चca | and |
| नारदःnāradaḥ | Narada, the seer who moves between worlds |
| गन्धर्वाणाम्gandharvāṇām | among the gandharvas, the celestial singers |
| चित्ररथःcitrarathaḥ | Chitraratha, their finest musician |
| सिद्धानाम्siddhānām | among the perfected ones |
| कपिलःkapilaḥ | Kapila, the sage (appears as kapilo by sandhi before muniḥ) |
| मुनिःmuniḥ | the silent sage |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10 Verse 26 mean?
Krishna names himself as the peak of four very different orders: the peepal among trees, Narada among divine seers, Chitraratha among celestial singers, Kapila among the perfected. The point is not the list but the reach. Sap, speech, song, and silence — each finds its summit, and each summit is Krishna.
What is the meaning of ashvatthah sarvavrikshanam devarshinam cha naradah?
Of all trees, the aśvattha. The peepal is the tree villages build around, the one whose leaves move when nothing else does. Krishna begins with it, then rises through seer, singer, and sage. He is claiming not the holy alone but the highest of every kind — including the one who merely sings beautifully.
Why does Krishna include a musician like Chitraratha among sages?
Because Krishna is not ranking piety. He is pointing to wherever a thing reaches its own fullness. Chitraratha sings as well as singing can be done, and that completeness is divine in the same way Kapila's stillness is. Whatever you do to its utmost edge touches the same presence.
How do I use this verse in daily practice?
Stop looking past the world for Krishna. Look at what makes you go quiet — an old tree, a voice that carries, a mind that cuts clean. That hush is recognition, not mere taste. Let it teach you where to bow, and then bring the same completeness to your own small work.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
Four names, and none of them a god. A tree, a wandering seer, a musician among celestial singers, a sage who thought his way to the end of thinking. Krishna keeps choosing the height of each kind — and the kinds keep widening. The peepal, rooted at the village edge, where people still tie thread and circle it. Narada, who carries word between worlds. Chitraratha, who simply sings well. Wherever excellence finishes, that is where Krishna says: me. You already know this feeling — the small catch in the chest before something done perfectly. Notice who you are meeting there.