Balam Balavatam Chaham

Krishna says: the strength in those who are strong — I am that. But not just any strength. Specifically, strength that is free from selfish craving and blind attachment. Strength used not for ego or greed, but with a clear, impartial spirit — that is a reflection of the divine.

And desire, too. A farmer who wishes for a good harvest, a mother who wants her child to be healthy — these desires do not violate dharma. Krishna says: that kind of desire, the kind that does not go against what is right, is also Me.

There is an important nuance here. Krishna does not say all desires are divine. Only those aligned with dharma. Not every impulse carries the stamp of the divine — only those that are righteous in their nature. This is a fine distinction worth noting carefully.

This shloka closes the vibhuti-parichaya section with an important subtlety: 'dharmaviruddhah kamah.' Desire that does not oppose dharma is divine. This makes clear that not all worldly activity can be attributed to the divine — only that which is righteous.

The Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata also upholds dharma-aligned desire as legitimate. The Gita here defines kama within that same ethical framework.