Bhagavad-gītā 11.20
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि व्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वाः। दृष्ट्वाऽद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं लोकत्रयं प्रव्यथितं महात्मन्।।11.20।।
dyāv ā-pṛithivyor idam antaraṁ hi vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśhaśh cha sarvāḥ dṛiṣhṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman
The space betwixt heaven and earth and all the quarters are filled by Thee alone; having seen this, Thy marvellous and awful Form, the three worlds are trembling with fear, O Great-souled One.
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 |
|---|---|
| dyau-ā-pṛithivyoḥ | between heaven and earth |
| idam | this |
| antaram | space between |
| hi | indeed |
| vyāptam | pervaded |
| tvayā | by you |
| ekena | alone |
| diśhaḥ | directions |
| cha | and |
| sarvāḥ | all |
| dṛiṣhṭvā | seeing |
| adbhutam | wondrous |
| rūpam | form |
| ugram | terrible |
| tava | your |
| idam | this |
| loka | worlds |
| trayam | three |
| pravyathitam | trembling |
| mahā-ātman | The greatest of all beings |
Keep the verse in view while connecting dyau-ā-pṛithivyoḥ (between heaven and earth), dṛiṣhṭvā (seeing), and mahā-ātman (The greatest of all beings). 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 11.20.
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
The space betwixt heaven and earth and all the quarters are filled by Thee alone
- 2
having seen this, Thy marvellous and awful Form, the three worlds are trembling with fear, O Great-souled One
- 3
dyau-ā-pṛithivyoḥ: between heaven and earth
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the universal form.
Link
Use the line starts: dyāv ā-pṛithivyor / vyāptaṁ tvayaikena / dṛiṣhṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam / loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ.
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
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.20, 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 11.20 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 11.20 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 11.20 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.20, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition