Bhagavad-gītā 11.16
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम्। नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप।।11.16।।
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ paśhyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ paśhyāmi viśhveśhvara viśhva-rūpa
I see You, infinite in form, with faces, eyes, and limbs everywhere; with no beginning, middle, or end. O You, Lord of the Universe, whose form is universal!
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| aneka | infinite |
| bāhu | arms |
| udara | stomachs |
| vaktra | faces |
| netram | eyes |
| paśhyāmi | I see |
| tvām | you |
| sarvataḥ | in every direction |
| ananta-rūpam | inifinite forms |
| na antam | without end |
| na | not |
| madhyam | middle |
| na | no |
| punaḥ | again |
| tava | your |
| ādim | beginning |
| paśhyāmi | I see |
| viśhwa-īśhwara | The Lord of the universe |
| viśhwa-rūpa | universal form |
A thing that is limited by space and time has a begining, a middle and an end, but the Lord is omnipresent and eternal. He exists in the three periods of time: past, present and future, but is not limited by time and space.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Sequence request, granted sight, description, response, revelation, fear, apology and return to the familiar form.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaI see You with numerous arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes; with infinite forms all around. O Lord of the Universe, O Cosmic Person, I see no limit, no middle, nor beginning!
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaWith manifold arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes, I behold Your infinite form on all sides. I see no end, no middle, nor the beginning of You, O Lord of the universe, O You of Universal Form.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaA thing that is limited by space and time has a begining, a middle and an end, but the Lord is omnipresent and eternal. He exists in the three periods of time: past, present and future, but is not limited by time and space.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
I see You, infinite in form, with faces, eyes
- 2
limbs everywhere
- 3
with no beginning, middle, or end
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Link
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Cover
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