BG 10.17

 Bhagavad Gita 10.17 is part of Arjuna’s question and Krishna’s teaching about divine presence and remembrance.

A commonly cited translation of Verse 10.17 is:

“O Krishna, how should I know You by constant meditation? In what various forms are You to be thought of by me, O Lord? Tell me again in detail of Your yogic power and manifestations.”

More literally, Arjuna is asking:

• How can I truly understand the Divine in all its aspects?
• In what forms should one meditate on God?
• How is the divine presence expressed in the world?

Context

This verse opens the Vibhuti Yoga section of the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 10), where Arjuna is requesting Krishna to reveal:

• the many manifestations of divinity in the universe,
• how the infinite can be perceived through finite forms,
• how meditation can grasp what is ultimately beyond complete comprehension.

Core idea

The philosophical thread is:

The Divine is not limited to a single form — it expresses itself through all of existence.

So Arjuna is essentially asking:

• “If everything is divine, how do I recognize it in the world?”

If you want, I can also  show Krishna’s response (10.18 onward), where he begins listing how he is present in different aspects of nature and existence — it’s one of the most expansive sections of the Gita.