vistareṇātmano yogaḿ
vibhūtiḿ ca janārdana
bhūyaḥ kathaya tṛptir hi
śṛṇvato nāsti me ’mṛtam
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 10.18
O Janardana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
A similar statement was made to Suta Gosvami by the rsis of Naimisaranya, headed by Saunaka. That statement is:
vayam tu na vitrpyama
uttama-sloka-vikrame
yac chrinvatam rasa-jnanam
svadu svadu pade pade
“One can never be satiated even though one continuously hears the transcendental pastimes of Krishna, who is glorified by excellent prayers. Those who have entered into a transcendental relationship with Krishna relish at every step the descriptions of the pastimes of the Lord.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.19) Thus Arjuna is interested in hearing about Krishna, and specifically how He remains as the all-pervading Supreme Lord.
Now as far as amritam, nectar, is concerned, any narration or statement concerning Krishna is just like nectar. And this nectar can be perceived by practical experience. Modern stories, fiction and histories are different from the transcendental pastimes of the Lord in that one will tire of hearing mundane stories but one never tires of hearing about Krishna. It is for this reason only that the history of the whole universe is replete with references to the pastimes of the incarnations of Godhead. The Puranas are histories of bygone ages that relate the pastimes of the various incarnations of the Lord. In this way the reading matter remains forever fresh, despite repeated readings.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
“I have already said that I am the source of everything and everything moves because of me: aham sarvasya prabhavah. Therefore you should understand that everything is my vibhuti. By saying, “Knowing this, they worship me” (iti matva bhanjante mam) I have indicated bhakti yoga.”
“But speak in detail about your vibhutis and about bhakti. O Janardana, in people such as me (jana), by the sweetness of your beneficial instructions, you create longing, you make us agitated (ardana), and you make us beg. What can we do? For me, hearing nectar in the form of your instructions, relishing through a tongue in the form of my ear, there is no satiation.”
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
10.18 Speak to me again in full, your association with the qualities of being the creator etc., and Your sovereignty, Your rulership, which have been briefly described in ‘I am the origin of all; from Me proceed everything’ (10.8). For I am not satiated by hearing Your ambrosial words. The meaning is, ‘My enthusiasm to know more and more of your ambrosial teachings is known to You.’
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
So again here Lord Krishna is being humbly beseeched to describe His transcendental, majestic opulence in detail as well as the process of devotion unto Him which insures and guarantees success. Arjuna who is a royal prince and ksatriya or warrior class requests kathaya meaning please describe. He wants Lord Krishna to advise a way that even for a mind like his who is always embroiled in politics, war and mundane worldly affairs and is seldom introspective can still contemplate the Supreme Lord in various ways through the medium of His vibhuti or transcendental, majestic opulence. Not only this but Arjuna wants to hear more and more about Lord Krishna’s divine glories and phenomenal powers for he finds the discourses of the Supreme Lord to be just like ambrosial nectar and states trptir hi srnvato nasti me meaning he is never satiated by hearing the instructions of Lord Krishna.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Although He is unborn yet the Supreme Lord Krishna removes the miseries for those who are born.Therefore He is known as Janardana the remover of afflictions. The Bavahraya text describes Janardana as the supreme unborn remover of affliction.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
It could be feasible that Lord Krishna might ask Arjuna why is he asking to repeat what was told already in VII.VIII that He is the flavour in water and in IX:IV that everything in creation is permeated by Him. The 7th chapter reveals some of His divine glories and the 9th chapter His Supreme Power. Earlier in this chapter verse VIII it is revealed that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth and the origin of everything animate and inanimate. What Lord Krishna spoke of previously was to concise and brief. Because of this Arjuna speaks the compound word vistarenatmano yogam meaning explain in detail the process of yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness of Lord Krishna. Arjuna is feeling that Lord Krishna’s unequivocal instructions are just like ambrosial nectar and to hear in detail about the power of His glorious vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence along with His eternal power of yoga just increases this ambrosial nectar.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
10.18 O Janardana: ardana is derived from ard, in the sense of the act of going; by virtue of making the janas, the demons who are opposed to the gods, go to hell etc. He is called Jana-ardana. Or, He is called so because He is prayed to [The verbal root ard has got a second meaning, ‘to pray’.] by all beings for the sake of human goals, viz prosperity and Liberation. Kathaya, narrate to me; bhuyah, again, though spoken of earlier; atmanah, Your own; yogam, yoga-the special ability in the form of mystic powers; and vibhutaim, the (divine) manifestations-the variety of the objects of meditation; vistarena, elaborately. Hi, for; srnvatah, while hearing; (Your) amrtam, nectar-like speech issuing out of Your mouth; na asti, there is no; trptih, satiety; me, in me.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
10.18 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
vistarenatmano yogam
vibhutim ca janardana
bhuyah kathaya trptir hi
srnvato nasti me ’mrtam
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
vistareṇa — in detail; ātmanaḥ — Your; yogam — mystic power; vibhūtim — opulences; ca — also; jana-ardana — O killer of the atheists; bhūyaḥ — again; kathaya — describe; tṛptiḥ — satisfaction; hi — certainly; śṛṇvataḥ — hearing; na asti — there is not; me — my; amṛtam — nectar.
