Gita 10.13

Vibhuti Yoga

आहुस्त्वामृषयः सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा | असितो देवलो व्यासः स्वयं चैव ब्रवीषि मे ||१३||

āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣir nāradas tathā | asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me ||13||

In essence: Arjuna's faith rests not on blind belief but on a triple foundation: all sages confirm it, the greatest seers proclaim it, and Krishna Himself declares it.

A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "So faith is about trusting authorities? That seems like the opposite of direct experience."

Guru: "What do you mean by 'authority'?"

Sadhak: "Someone telling you what to believe. Isn't spirituality supposed to be about discovering truth for yourself?"

Guru: "Tell me - how did you learn that the earth revolves around the sun?"

Sadhak: "I was taught it. But I could verify it if I wanted through astronomy."

Guru: "Have you verified it? Have you done the calculations, made the observations?"

Sadhak: "No, but I trust the scientific consensus."

Guru: "Exactly. You trust those who have done the work - scientists who devoted their lives to observation. Is that 'blindly believing authority,' or is it reasonable reliance on qualified witnesses? The rishis Arjuna mentions are spiritual scientists. They devoted their lives to inner observation. Arjuna isn't abandoning direct experience - he's saying: those who have had direct experience all confirm what I'm now seeing. Your own experience will come. But until then, is it not reasonable to trust those who have gone before?"

Sadhak: "I suppose so. But how do I know the rishis were actually qualified?"

Guru: "A valid question. You test their teachings. Do they lead to the results promised? Do they produce peace, clarity, compassion? As you practice, you begin to verify what they claimed. Authority is the starting point, not the ending point. Arjuna began by trusting; his own experience of the cosmic vision will soon follow."

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🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Lineage connection: Begin your day by mentally acknowledging the sages mentioned - Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasa - and all teachers in your spiritual lineage. Recognize that you're not starting from scratch; countless seekers have walked this path and left guidance. Say: 'I am grateful for those who have seen and shared what they saw.' This connection to tradition provides support and confidence.

☀️ Daytime

Convergent evidence practice: When spiritual doubts arise during the day, apply Arjuna's method. Ask: What do the scriptures say? What do genuine practitioners report? What has my own experience shown? If multiple sources converge, trust increases. Keep a mental note of how teaching, testimony, and experience align. This builds faith not as blind belief but as reasoned confidence.

🌙 Evening

Self-testimony reflection: Before sleep, review the day for moments when truth revealed itself to you directly - not through books or teachers, but through your own experience. Perhaps a moment of peace, a flash of insight, a feeling of presence. Krishna's 'svayaṁ bravīṣi me' suggests that the Divine also speaks directly to us. Acknowledge these personal revelations alongside traditional teaching.

Common Questions

Why does Arjuna need to cite authorities? Doesn't this undermine his direct experience?

Arjuna isn't undermining his experience but strengthening it through triangulation. In any field, when personal perception aligns with expert consensus and with the subject's self-description, confidence increases dramatically. A patient might feel healthy, but when multiple doctors confirm it AND medical tests show it, the confidence is stronger than any single source. Arjuna's recognition feels true to him, the sages confirm it, and Krishna Himself declares it - this triple confirmation creates unshakeable faith. Far from being weakness, citing authorities shows intellectual humility and thoroughness.

These sages lived thousands of years ago. How can their testimony be relevant today?

Truth doesn't have an expiration date. If the rishis correctly perceived the nature of ultimate reality, that perception is as valid now as it was then. Mathematical truths discovered by ancient Greeks remain true; spiritual truths are no different. Moreover, the tradition hasn't been preserved as dead history - it's been lived and verified by practitioners in every generation. Each generation has its Vyasas and Naradas who confirm what the ancients saw. The question isn't how old the testimony is, but whether it accurately describes reality - and that you can test through your own practice.

Isn't this circular reasoning - trusting Krishna because Krishna says He's Supreme?

Notice that Arjuna doesn't rely solely on Krishna's self-declaration. He cites independent sources first: all sages, Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasa. These are separate witnesses confirming the same truth. Krishna's self-declaration ('You Yourself tell me') is listed last, as corroboration of what others have already established. It's like a court case: multiple witnesses testify, and then the defendant's own statement matches their testimony. This isn't circular - it's convergent evidence from multiple independent sources. The fact that the subject's self-understanding aligns with what qualified observers perceive is additional confirmation, not circular proof.

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