Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 10: The Divine Glories
Bhagavad Gita 10.36
द्यूतं छलयतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ।
जयोऽस्मि व्यवसायोऽस्मि सत्त्वं सत्त्ववतामहम् ॥
dyūtaṃ chalayatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham | jayo'smi vyavasāyo'smi sattvaṃ sattvavatāmaham ||
I am the gambling of those who cheat, and the brilliance of the brilliant. I am victory, I am resolve, and I am the goodness of the good.
Modern context
'I am the gambling of cheats.' This is one of the most startling lines in the Gita. Even in deceit, the cleverness and skill at work come from the divine power, because nothing at all happens apart from it. This does not bless cheating. It shows that every human capacity, even when misused, is borrowed. A gift turned to harm is still a gift, and the misuse is our own.