बलं बलवतां चाहं कामरागविवर्जितम्। धर्माविरुद्धो भूतेषु कामोऽस्मि भरतर्षभ।।7.11।।
balam balavatām ca ahaṁ kāma‑rāga‑vivarjitam; dharma‑aviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo 'smi bhārata‑rṣabha
Translation
O best of the Bhāratas, I am the strength of the strong, free from desire and attachment; I am desire that is not opposed to dharma and resides in all beings.
Word Meanings
balam — strength; balavatām — of the strong; ca — and; ahaṁ — I am; kāma — desire; rāga — attachment; vivarjitam — free from; dharma‑aviruddho — not opposed to dharma; bhūteṣu — in all beings; kāmo — desire; 'smi — am; bhārata‑rṣabha — O best of the Bhāratas
Understanding the Verse
In this verse, Krishna elaborates on His immanent functions that sustain the material world, emphasizing how He appears as the source of strength for those endowed with vigor. The term balam denotes power or force, and balavatām refers specifically to the strong, the mighty individuals whose deeds shape society. By stating "balam balavatām ca ahaṁ," Krishna declares that He herself is the underlying energy that activates their bodily and mental vigor. This is not a superficial, fleeting power; it is the divine dynamism that sustains the very capacity to act.
The next clause, kāma‑rāga‑vivarjitam, qualifies this strength. Kāma and rāga represent desire and attachment, the twin impulses that bind beings to the cycle of birth and death. "Vivarjitam" means 'free from' or 'devoid of.' Thus, the divine strength Krishna offers is purified of selfish cravings, allowing it to be utilized for righteous action rather than personal aggrandizement. The combination conveys a nuanced theology: the Supreme can empower without endorsing the temptations that usually accompany power.
Krishna further asserts "dharma‑aviruddho bhūteṣu kāmo," indicating that desire, when aligned with dharma (righteousness), is not contradictory but harmonious. In the material world, desire is often portrayed negatively; however, here the Lord clarifies that a dharmic desire—one that seeks the welfare of the world and upholds cosmic order—is fully sanctioned. This desire operates within the lawful framework set by the Vedas and sustains the evolution of beings toward higher consciousness.
The address "bhārata‑rṣabha" (O best of the Bhāratas) serves both as a reminder of Arjuna's royal lineage and as an appeal to his warrior spirit. By invoking Arjuna’s noble status, Krishna gently nudges him to recognize that the same divine principle that empowers his courage also regulates the ethical direction of that courage. In this way, the verse integrates the material and the spiritual, showing that the Supreme is simultaneously the source of raw dynamism and the guardian of moral order.
Overall, Chapter 7, Verse 11 reveals a profound synthesis: the Lord is the unseen reservoir of vigor for the strong, the purifier of desire, and the guarantor that when desire is dharmic, it contributes to the world’s welfare rather than its ruin. Understanding this helps the seeker reconcile personal ambition with spiritual purpose, recognizing that true power must always be guided by the higher law of dharma.
