Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 10: The Divine Glories

Bhagavad Gita 10.11

teṣāmevānukampārthamahamajñānajaṃ tamaḥ | nāśayāmyātmabhāvastho jñānadīpena bhāsvatā ||

Out of compassion for them, dwelling in their hearts, I destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge.

Modern context

Out of compassion, Krishna says, I dwell in their hearts and destroy the darkness with the shining lamp of knowledge. The image is intimate. The divine does not shout instructions from outside; it lights a lamp within. Darkness is not fought or driven out by force; it simply disappears when light enters. A person who has had a sudden moment of clarity, when a long confusion lifted, knows something of what this verse describes.