Gita 10.36

Sadhak: "How can God be gambling? The Mahabharata shows gambling's devastating consequences - it caused the war! This seems like blessing something evil."

Guru: "When you feel the thrill of uncertainty - not knowing how something will turn out - where does that energy come from?"

Sadhak: "I suppose from the situation... from my nervous system..."

Guru: "And where does your nervous system's capacity for such excitement come from?"

Sadhak: "...Ultimately from the Divine, I suppose. But that energy is misused in gambling."

Guru: "Precisely. Krishna claims the energy, not the misuse. Fire can cook food or burn houses - fire itself is divine power. The capacity for excitement, for dramatic tension, for risk and reward - these are intrinsic to life itself. Gambling concentrates these energies intensely, which is why it's so captivating. The energy is divine; the addiction and exploitation are human distortions. Krishna claiming this vibhūti reminds us that even in the lowest misuse of power, the power itself traces back to God. This doesn't excuse gambling; it helps us understand its grip - we're attracted to something genuinely powerful. Redirect that energy to life's legitimate adventures."

Sadhak: "What's the difference between tejas and sattva? They seem related."

Guru: "Tejas is radiance that manifests outwardly - it's visible brilliance, the quality that makes someone or something shine, command attention, project power. A great warrior has tejas. An inspiring speaker has tejas. Sattva is inner purity and goodness - it's the quality that creates clarity, peace, and virtue. Someone can have tejas without sattva (a charismatic but corrupt leader) or sattva without much visible tejas (a quiet, unassuming saint). The ideal is both: inner purity (sattva) that naturally radiates (tejas). Krishna claiming both shows they're complementary divine qualities - authentic spirituality develops both the inner essence and its natural radiance."