← Chapter 11: The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form

Verse 11.23

Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit

रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं महाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् | बहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् ||२३||

Transliteration (IAST)

rūpaṁ mahat te bahu-vaktra-netraṁ mahā-bāho bahu-bāhūru-pādam | bahūdaraṁ bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālaṁ dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās tathāham ||23||

Word-by-Word Meanings

rūpam mahat-great form

bahu-vaktra-netram-with many mouths and eyes

bahu-bāhu-ūru-pādam-with many arms, thighs, and feet

bahu-udaram-with many bellies

bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālam-terrible with many tusks/fangs

lokāḥ-the worlds

pravyathitāḥ-terrified

tathā aham-so also am I

Translation

Seeing Your great form with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed, with many arms, thighs, and feet, many bellies, terrible with many fangs - the worlds are terrified, and so am I.

Commentary

Arjuna confesses his own terror. The form is no longer merely wondrous but actively frightening with its many fangs (daṁṣṭrā-karālam). Madhva notes that this terror is appropriate - it represents the jīva's natural awe before the infinite, not a deficiency in Arjuna's devotion.

Themes

bhaktisurrender