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

Verse 11.35

Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit

सञ्जय उवाच | एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य कृताञ्जलिर्वेपमानः किरीटी | नमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं सगद्गदं भीतभीतः प्रणम्य ||३५||

Transliteration (IAST)

sañjaya uvāca | etac chrutvā vacanaṁ keśavasya kṛtāñjalir vepamānaḥ kirīṭī | namaskṛtvā bhūya evāha kṛṣṇaṁ sa-gadgadaṁ bhīta-bhītaḥ praṇamya ||35||

Word-by-Word Meanings

śrutvā-having heard
vacanam-words
keśavasya-of Krishna
kṛta-añjaliḥ-with folded hands
vepamānaḥ-trembling
kirīṭī-the crowned one (Arjuna)
sa-gadgadam-with a choked voice
bhīta-bhītaḥ-very much frightened
praṇamya-bowing down

Translation

Sanjaya said: Having heard these words of Keshava, the crowned Arjuna, trembling, with folded hands, bowing down, spoke again to Krishna with a choked voice, greatly frightened, prostrating.

Commentary

Sanjaya's narration captures Arjuna's physical state - trembling, voice choked with emotion, repeatedly prostrating. The repetition 'bhīta-bhītaḥ' (very much frightened) emphasizes the intensity of his experience. Shankaracharya notes that this fear is not cowardice but the appropriate response of a finite being before the Infinite.

Themes

bhaktisurrender