Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 7: Knowledge and Realization
Bhagavad Gita 7.10
बीजं मां सर्वभूतानां विद्धि पार्थ सनातनम् ।
बुद्धिर्बुद्धिमतामस्मि तेजस्तेजस्विनामहम् ॥
bījaṃ māṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ viddhi pārtha sanātanam | buddhirbuddhimatāmasmi tejastejasvināmaham ||
Know me, Arjuna, as the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of the intelligent and the brilliance of the brilliant.
Modern context
The divine is the eternal seed from which every being grows. And it is the intelligence in the intelligent, the brilliance in the brilliant. This has a humbling edge. When we admire a gifted person, or feel proud of our own talents, the verse invites a different view: the gift is not finally theirs or ours. It is a light shining through. That makes it easier to admire others without envy and to use one's own gifts without arrogance.