GitaChapter 10Verse 30

Gita 10.30

Vibhuti Yoga

प्रह्लादश्चास्मि दैत्यानां कालः कलयतामहम् । मृगाणां च मृगेन्द्रोऽहं वैनतेयश्च पक्षिणाम् ॥

prahlādaś cāsmi daityānāṁ kālaḥ kalayatām aham | mṛgāṇāṁ ca mṛgendro 'haṁ vainateyaś ca pakṣiṇām ||

In essence: Even among demons, divine devotion shines through Prahlada; among all that conquers, nothing conquers like Time; in the forest reigns the lion, in the sky soars Garuda - divinity manifests as supreme devotion, inevitable transformation, and undisputed sovereignty.

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

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "Krishna claims to be a demon? Prahlada was born in a demon family. How can the Divine be among demons?"

Guru: "Where does devotion arise in Prahlada's story?"

Sadhak: "In the womb, when Narada taught his mother. But he was still born a Daitya, son of Hiranyakashipu."

Guru: "And did his birth prevent his devotion?"

Sadhak: "No. Despite everything - his father's hatred, torture, attempts on his life - he remained devoted to Vishnu."

Guru: "So birth-category determined nothing. Devotion arose where circumstances least expected it. What does this tell you?"

Sadhak: "That anyone can become a devotee? Even those born in the worst conditions?"

Guru: "Exactly. Krishna claiming Prahlada among Daityas means no category is excluded from divine possibility."

Sadhak: "And Kala - Time? That feels impersonal, even frightening."

Guru: "What does time do that nothing else does?"

Sadhak: "It passes. It ends things. Everyone ages, everything changes..."

Guru: "And can anyone or anything resist it?"

Sadhak: "No. The most powerful king, the greatest army - all yield to time eventually."

Guru: "So time is the supreme subduer. And if there were no time? If nothing ever changed?"

Sadhak: "I suppose... nothing new could begin either. No growth. No liberation. Just stagnation."

Guru: "Time ensures transformation. Your old self must dissolve for the new to arise. Kala isn't cruel; it's the principle that ensures nothing remains stuck forever."

Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.

🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Prahlada's possibility: Begin your day by affirming that no circumstance prevents devotion. Whatever challenges you face - difficult family, unsupportive environment, personal struggles - Prahlada faced worse and remained devoted. Set intention: 'Today, like Prahlada, I will maintain my connection to the Divine regardless of external circumstances.'

☀️ Daytime

Kala awareness: Throughout the day, notice time passing. Not anxiously, but consciously. When something difficult occurs, remember: 'This too exists in time; this too will pass.' When something beautiful occurs, be fully present: 'This moment is unique and unrepeatable.' Let Kala's presence remind you that everything is moving, transforming.

🌙 Evening

Mrigendra presence: Before sleep, reflect on how you exercised 'natural authority' today. Did you try to PROVE yourself competent, trustworthy, spiritual? Or did you simply BE those things? The lion doesn't care if others acknowledge his kingship. Set intention for tomorrow: 'I will be what I am without needing recognition.'

Common Questions

How can God be present among demons? Doesn't this blur the line between good and evil?
Krishna doesn't claim all demons are divine - He claims PRAHLADA among demons. Prahlada represents the possibility of devotion arising anywhere, even in hostile environments. His excellence wasn't demonic; it was his devotion despite his demonic birth. Rather than blurring good and evil, this shows that divine possibility exists in every category. If Prahlada could become devoted in Hiranyakashipu's house, what excuse does anyone have?
Isn't identifying God with Time essentially identifying God with death and destruction?
Time includes death but isn't limited to it. Time is also birth, growth, healing, transformation. The wound that bleeds today will heal over time. Time brings endings AND beginnings. Krishna as Kala represents the principle of transformation itself - that nothing remains static. For the spiritually mature, Kala as Krishna reframes death: it's not mere annihilation but divine function, part of a conscious cosmic process.
Why is the lion more divine than other animals? This seems arbitrary.
The lion represents a principle, not merely a preference. The 'mrigendra' (animal-king) rules by what it IS, not by what it claims or enforces. Other animals yield to the lion because its nature is self-evidently sovereign. This represents 'natural authority' - excellence that doesn't need to prove itself. The teaching is spiritual: divine excellence manifests as that which rules through being, not through assertion.