dyūtaḿ chalayatām asmi
tejas tejasvinām aham
jayo ’smi vyavasāyo ’smi
sattvaḿ sattvavatām aham
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 10.36
I am also the gambling of cheats, and of the splendid I am the splendor. I am victory, I am adventure, and I am the strength of the strong.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
There are many kinds of cheaters all over the universe. Of all cheating processes, gambling stands supreme and therefore represents Krishna. As the Supreme, Krishna can be more deceitful than any mere man. If Krishna chooses to deceive a person, no one can surpass Him in His deceit. His greatness is not simply one-sided—it is all-sided.
Among the victorious, He is victory. He is the splendor of the splendid. Among the enterprising and industrious, He is the most enterprising, the most industrious. Among adventurers He is the most adventurous, and among the strong He is the strongest. When Krishna was present on earth, no one could surpass Him in strength. Even in His childhood He lifted Govardhana Hill. No one can surpass Him in cheating, no one can surpass Him in splendor, no one can surpass Him in victory, no one can surpass Him in enterprise, and no one can surpass Him in strength.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Related to those who mutually cheat each other, I am gambling. Here genitive case is used to show relationship with the cheaters. Among the conquerors, I am victory. Among those who endeavor, I am effort. Among the strong, I am strength (sattvam).
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
10.36 Of those who practise fraud with a view to defeat each other, I am gambling such a dice-play etc., I am the victory of those who achieve victory. I am the effort of those who make effort. I am the magnanimity of those who possess magnanimity of mind.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Of cheaters who defraud each other, Lord Krishna’s vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence is dyutam or gambling. Of the powerful His vibhuti is the valiant, of the victorious His vibhuti is victory, of the energetic His vibhuti is the endeavour and His vibhuti is the strength of the mighty.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Among those practising fraud to deceive others Lord Krishna’s vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence is dyutam or gambling. His vibhuti is the glory of the glorious, the victory of the victorious, the diligence of the diligent and the sattvam or goodness meaning pious conduct of the righteous characterised by knowledge and dispassion.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
10.36 Chalayatam, of the fraudulent, of the deceitful; I am the dyutam, gambling, such as playing with dice. I am the tejah, irresistible command; tejasvinam, of the mighty. [Some translate this as ‘the splendour of the splendid’.-Tr.] I am the jayah, excellence of the excellent. [Some translate this as ‘the victory of the victorious’.-Tr.] I am the vyavasayah, effort of the persevering. I am the sattvam, sattva quality; [The result of sattva, viz virtue, knowledge, detachment, etc.] sattvavatam, of those possessed of sattva.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
10.19-42 Hanta te etc. upto jagat sthitah. I am the Soul etc. (verse 20) : By this [the Bhagavat] wards off the exclusion [of any being as different form Him]. Otherwise the sentences like ‘Of the immovable [I am] the the Himalayas’ (verse 25) etc., would amount to the exclusive statement that the Himalayan range is the Bhagavat and not any other one. In that case, the indiscriminateness of the Brahman is not established and hence the realisation of the Brahman would be a partial (or conditioned) one. For, the [present] text of exposition is intended for that seeker whose mind cannot contemplate on the all-pervasiveness [of the Brahman], but who [at the same time] is desirous of realising that [all-pervasiveness]. Hence, while concluding, [the Bhagavat] teaches the theory of duality-cumunity by saying ‘whatsoever being exists with the manifesting power’ etc., and then concludes the topic with the theory of absolute unity, as ‘Or what is the use of this elaboration;…..I remain pervading this [universe] by a single fraction [of Myself] This has been declared indeed [in the scriptures] as : ‘All beings constitute [only] His one-fourth; His [other] immortal three-forths are in the heaven.’ (Rgveda, X, xc, 3). Thus, all this and the prime cause of creatures, are nothing but the Bhagavat (Absolute). And hence, He Himself becomes the object of knowledge of all, but being comprehended with the different strange qualities.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
dyutam chalayatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham
jayo ’smi vyavasayo ’smi
sattvam sattvavatam aham
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
dyūtam — gambling; chalayatām — of all cheats; asmi — I am; tejaḥ — the splendor; tejasvinām — of everything splendid; aham — I am; jayaḥ — victory; asmi — I am; vyavasāyaḥ — enterprise or adventure; asmi — I am; sattvam — the strength; sattva-vatām — of the strong; aham — I am.
