A lamp lit from inside

teṣāmevānukampārthamahamajñānajaṃ tamaḥnāśayāmyātmabhāvastho jñānadīpena bhāsvatā

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

What it means

This is one of the Gita's tenderest images. Krishna does not light the lamp from far away. He lives within the heart and lights it there. The darkness is ignorance, not wickedness. And his reason is simple. Compassion.

The story

Since the first morning, Arjuna has been lost in fog. He said his mind was whirling. Now Krishna describes what he has been doing all along, sitting beside his friend, lighting one lamp after another.

In your life

A woman sits in a hospital chapel at night, frightened and alone. Slowly, a quiet steadiness rises in her, like a small flame. Tonight, sit still for two minutes, and let the lamp be lit from within.