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

Verse 11.24

Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit

नभःस्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् | दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो ||२४||

Transliteration (IAST)

nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram | dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntarātmā dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo ||24||

Word-by-Word Meanings

nabhaḥ-spṛśam-touching the sky
dīptam-blazing
aneka-varṇam-of many colors
vyātta-ānanam-with mouths wide open
dīpta-viśāla-netram-with blazing large eyes
pravyathita-antarātmā-with a trembling inner self
dhṛtim-courage/steadiness
śamam-peace

Translation

Seeing You touching the sky, blazing, of many colors, with mouths wide open and large blazing eyes - my inner self trembles, and I find neither courage nor peace, O Vishnu.

Commentary

Arjuna's distress deepens. The address 'Viṣṇo' (the all-pervading one) is significant - even knowing Krishna's identity, the direct perception of infinite power overwhelms human capacity. Shankaracharya explains that the loss of dhṛti (steadiness) and śama (peace) shows the limits of even a great warrior's composure before the Absolute.

Themes

bhaktisurrender