Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 38

दण्डो दमयतामस्मि नीतिरस्मि जिगीषताम् । मौनं चैवास्मि गुह्यानां ज्ञानं ज्ञानवतामहम्

daṇḍo damayatāmasmi nītirasmi jigīṣatām | maunaṃ caivāsmi guhyānāṃ jñānaṃ jñānavatāmaham

Translation

Of punishers I am the sceptre, of those who seek to conquer I am the polity, and of things secret I am also silence, the knowledge of knowers am I.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

daṇḍaḥ

the sceptre

damayatām

of rulers

asmi

(I) am

nītiḥ

policy

asmi

(I) am

jigīṣatām

of the victory-seekers

maunam

silence

ca

and

eva

even

asmi

(I) am

guhyānām

of secrets

jñānam

the knowledge

jñānavatām

of knowers

aham

I

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The sceptre is the symbol of punitive authority; polity is the science of statecraft.