FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 11.24

నభ:స్పృశం దీప్‍తమనేకవర్ణం వ్యాత్తాననం దీప్‍తవిశాలనేత్రమ్ । దృష్ట్వా హి త్వాం ప్రవ్యథితాన్తరాత్మా ధృతిం న విన్దామి శమం చ విష్ణో ॥ ౨౪ ॥
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
[nabhah-sprisham deeptam aneka-varnam]
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
[vyaattaananam deepta-vishaala-netram]
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
[drishtvaa hi tvaam pravyathitaantar-aatmaa]
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
[dhritim na vindaami shamam cha vishno]
Word-for-word
nabhaḥ - spṛśam — touching the sky dīptam — glowing aneka — many varṇam — colors vyātta — open ānanam — mouths dīpta — glowing viśāla — very great netram — eyes dṛṣṭvā — seeing hi — certainly tvām — You pravyathita — perturbed antaḥ — within ātmā — soul dhṛtim — steadiness na — not vindāmi — I have śamam — mental tranquillity ca — also viṣṇo — O Lord Viṣṇu .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
nabhaḥ - spṛśam
touching the sky
dīptam
glowing
aneka
many
varṇam
colors
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
vyātta
open
ānanam
mouths
dīpta
glowing
viśāla
very great
netram
eyes
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
hi
certainly
tvām
You
pravyathita
perturbed
antaḥ
within
ātmā
soul
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
dhṛtim
steadiness
na
not
vindāmi
I have
śamam
mental tranquillity
ca
also
viṣṇo
O Lord Viṣṇu .
Important Words
  • nabhaḥ - spṛśam — touching the sky
    Compound: nabhas (sky) + spṛś (touch). Used in the Mahābhārata for Hanumān's mountain-leap; here for the cosmic body's reach. The form's height is at the limit of the firmament itself.
  • vyātta — wide-opened
    Past participle of vi-ā-tan, 'stretched apart.' The mouths are wide-opened — the prelude to the devouring in verses 27–30. The participle marks the apertures' state.
  • pravyathita — perturbed
    Past participle of pra-vyath — 'thoroughly distressed.' Modifies antaḥ-ātmā. The disturbance reaches the deepest stratum Arjuna can name.
  • dhṛtim — steadiness
    From dhṛ — 'to hold.' Dhṛti is the steady-holding faculty by which the mind keeps its shape. It is one of the qualities Kṛṣṇa will later praise in chapter 18; here Arjuna confesses its temporary loss.
  • śamam — peace
    From śam — 'to be calm.' Śama is one of the six treasures (ṣaṭ-sampatti) of the sādhaka; Arjuna admits he has lost it. Honest report, not theological failure.
  • viṣṇo — O Viṣṇu
    Vocative. Arjuna shifts his address from Kṛṣṇa to Viṣṇu at the moment of greatest fear — the cosmic-pervading aspect is foregrounded over the personal-friend aspect.
O all-pervading Viṣṇu, seeing You with Your many radiant colors touching the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of mind.
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
24. O Viṣṇu, seeing You touch the heavens, shining in many colors, with gaping mouth, and wide, blazing eyes, I have become distressed in mind, and do not find any satisfaction or relief.
Commentary

Śama means relief or tranquility.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
24. O Viṣṇu, seeing You touch the heavens, shining in many colors, with gaping mouth, and wide, blazing eyes, I as well have become fearful in mind, and do not find any satisfaction or relief.
Commentary

Arjuna expresses his pitiful state in two verses so that the Lord will withdraw this form. Seeing You, I have become mentally agitated with fear, and do not attain satisfaction (dhṛtim) or peace (śamam), O Viṣṇu! What is this form? It touches the sky, spreads into the antarikṣa (nabhaḥ spṛśam), and has gaping mouth (vyāttānanam). The meaning of the rest of the words is clear. Here Arjuna expresses his rasa of fear, caused by seeing the Lord’s form as time.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

The form was touching the sky. As far as Arjuna looked he could only see the sky. In that sense that form was touching the sky.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa

COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which

continues up till Text 11.31

PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of

Learning’ sections for these verses.

ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.

Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)

ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS

Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
11.24 O Visnu, hi, verily; drstva, seeing; tvam, You; nabhah-sprsam, touching heaven; diptam, blazing; aneka-varnam, with many colours, (i.e.) possessed of many frightening forms; vyatta-ananam, open-mouthed; dipta-visala-netram, with firey large eyes; I, pravyathita-antara-atma, becoming terrified in my mind; na vindami, do not find; dhrtim, steadiness; ca, and; samam, peace, calmness of mind. Why?
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
11.24 The term 'Nabhas' denotes the Supreme Heaven (Parama-Vyoman), which is beyond the Prakrti composed of the three Gunas as established by the Sruti passages such as: 'That is in the Imperishable Supreme Heaven' (Ma. Na. U., 1.2), 'Him, sun-coloured and beyond Tamas' (Sve., 3.8) 'The dweller beyond the Rajas' (Rg. S., 2.6.25.5) and 'He who is the president in the Supreme Heaven' (Rg. S., 8.9.17.7). This can be understood as implied in the statement that 'the form touches the Supreme Heaven.' It expresses the idea that it is the foundation of all - of the principle of the Prakrti with its conditions, and of the individual selves in all states. It has also been initially declared: 'For by You alone are pervaded the interspace of heaven and earth ৷৷.' (11.20). 'Beholding Your form shining, multicoloured, and with yawning mouths and large and resplendent eyes, my inner being trembles in fear. I am unable to find support, namely, I am unable to find support for the body. I am unable to get peace of mind and of the senses. O Visnu, namely, O Pervader, beholding You pervading everything, incomparable in magnitude, extremely wonderful and terrible, I find my limbs ivering and my senses agitated.' Such is the meaning.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
11.24 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
11.24 On seeing Thee (the Cosmic Form) touching the sky, shining in many colours, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart and find neither courage nor peace, O Vishnu.
Commentary

11.24 नभःस्पृशम् touching the sky? दीप्तम् shining? अनेकवर्णम् in many colours? व्यात्ताननम् with mouths wide open? दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् with larve fiery eyes? दृष्ट्वा having seen? हि verily? त्वाम् Thee? प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा terrified at heart? धृतिम् courage? न not? विन्दामि (I) find? शमम् peace? च and? विष्णो O Vishnu.Commentary Dhriti also means patience and strength. Sama also means control.The vision of the Cosmic Form has frightened Arjuna considerably.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
11.24 O Visnu, verily, seeing Your form touching heaven, blazing, with many colours, open-mouthed, with fiery large eyes, I , becoming terrified in my mind, do not find steadiness and peace.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
11.24 When I see Thee, touching the Heavens, glowing with colour, with open mouth and wide open fiery eyes, I am terrified. O My Lord! My courage and peace of mind desert me.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 11.25 BG 2.66 BG 6.34 SB 10.7.37 SB 1.7.22 SB 8.3.30 CC Madhya 21.30 CC Madhya 20.394 CC Antya 14.44 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.21
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Seeing You touching the sky, blazing with many colors, with widely opened mouths — my heart is shaken; I cannot find composure.
Practical Applications
  • Honor the moments when spiritual encounter shakes you.
  • Don't rush to composure; receive the shaking.
  • Trust that composure returns after the encounter integrates.
Reflection Questions
  • When was I last shaken by spiritual reality?
  • What did the integration teach?
Analogy

A small boat in a great storm is not capsized by malice but simply by scale. Arjuna's mind is the small boat; the form is the storm; his loss of dhṛti is not failure of discipline but proper recognition of disproportion.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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