Bhagavad-gītā 11.17
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च तेजोराशिं सर्वतोदीप्तिमन्तम्। पश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ता द्दीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम्।।11.17।।
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ chakriṇaṁ cha tejo-rāśhiṁ sarvato dīptimantam paśhyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣhyaṁ samantād dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam
I see Thee with diadem, club, and discus; a mass of radiance shining everywhere, very hard to look at, all around blazing like burning fire and sun, and immeasurable.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| kirīṭinam | adorned with a crown |
| gadinam | with club |
| chakriṇam | with discs |
| cha | and |
| tejaḥ-rāśhim | abode of splendor |
| sarvataḥ | everywhere |
| dīpti-mantam | shining |
| paśhyāmi | I see |
| tvām | you |
| durnirīkṣhyam | difficult to look upon |
| samantāt | in all directions |
| dīpta-anala | blazing fire |
| arka | like the sun |
| dyutim | effulgence |
| aprameyam | immeasurable |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through kirīṭinam (adorned with a crown), paśhyāmi (I see), and aprameyam (immeasurable). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the universal form and personal refuge. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 11.17.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Sequence request, granted sight, description, response, revelation, fear, apology and return to the familiar form.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
I see Thee with diadem, club
- 2
a mass of radiance shining everywhere, very hard to look at, all around blazing like burning fire and sun
- 3
kirīṭinam: adorned with a crown
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the universal form.
Link
Use the line starts: kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ / tejo-rāśhiṁ sarvato / paśhyāmi tvāṁ / dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.17, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 11.17 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 11.17 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 11.17 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.17, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition