TEXT 20
द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि व्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वाः ।
दृष्ट्वाऽद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं लोकत्रयं प्रव्यथितं महात्मन् ।। 20 ।।
dyāv ā-pṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi
vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś ca sarvāḥ
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ
loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman
dyau – from outer space; ā-pṛthivyoḥ – to the earth; idam – this; antaram – between; hi – certainly; vyāptam – pervaded; tvayā – by You; ekena – alone; diśaḥ – directions; ca – and; sarvāḥ – all; dṛṣṭvā – by seeing; adbhutam – wonderful; rūpam – form; ugram – terrible; tava – Your; idam – this; loka – the planetary systems; trayam – three; pravyathitam – perturbed; mahā-ātman – O great one.
Although You are one, You spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the planetary systems are perturbed.
Dyāv ā-pṛthivyoḥ (“the space between heaven and earth”) and loka-trayam (“the three worlds”) are significant words in this verse because it appears that not only did Arjuna see this universal form of the Lord, but others in other planetary systems saw it also. Arjuna’s seeing of the universal form was not a dream. All whom the Lord endowed with divine vision saw that universal form on the battlefield.
TEXT 21
अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घा विशन्ति केचिद्भीताः प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति ।
स्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घाः स्तुवन्ति त्वां स्तुतिभिः पुष्कलाभिः ।। 21 ।।
amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā viśanti
kecid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti
svastīty uktvā maharṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ
stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ
amī – all those; hi – certainly; tvām – You; sura-saṅghāḥ – groups of demigods; viśanti – are entering; kecit – some of them; bhītāḥ – out of fear; prāñjalayaḥ – with folded hands; gṛṇanti – are offering prayers; svasti – all peace; iti – thus; uktvā – speaking; mahā-ṛṣi – great sages; siddha-saṅghāḥ – perfect beings; stuvanti – are singing hymns; tvām – unto You; stutibhiḥ – with prayers; puṣkalābhiḥ – Vedic hymns.
All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying “All peace!” are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.
The demigods in all the planetary systems feared the terrific manifestation of the universal form and its glaring effulgence and so prayed for protection.
TEXT 22
रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्याः विश्वेऽश्विनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च ।
गन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा वीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे ।। 22 ।।
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā
viśve ’śvinau marutaś coṣmapāś ca
gandharva-yakṣāsura-siddha-saṅghā
vīkṣante tvāṁ vismitāś caiva sarve
rudra – manifestations of Lord Śiva; ādityāḥ – the Ādityas; vasavaḥ – the Vasus; ye – all those; ca – and; sādhyāḥ – the Sādhyas; viśve – the Viśvedevas; aśvinau – the Aśvinī-kumāras; marutaḥ – the Maruts; ca – and; uṣma-pāḥ – the forefathers; ca – and; gandharva – of the Gandharvas; yakṣa – the Yakṣas; asura – the demons; siddha – and the perfected demigods; saṅghāḥ – the assemblies; vīkṣante – are beholding; tvām – You; vismitāḥ – in wonder; ca – also; eva – certainly; sarve – all.
All the various manifestations of Lord Śiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvīs, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.
TEXT 23
रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं महाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् ।
बहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् ।। 23 ।।
rūpaṁ mahat te bahu-vaktra-netraṁ
mahā-bāho bahu-bāhūru-pādam
bahūdaraṁ bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālaṁ
dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās tathāham
rūpam – the form; mahat – very great; te – of You; bahu – many; vaktra – faces; netram – and eyes; mahā-bāho – O mighty-armed one; bahu – many; bāhu – arms; ūru – thighs; pādam – and legs; bahu-udaram – many bellies; bahu-daṁṣṭrā – many teeth; karālam – horrible; dṛṣṭvā – seeing; lokāḥ – all the planets; pravyathitāḥ – perturbed; tathā – similarly; aham – I.
O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your great form, with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs and bellies and Your many terrible teeth; and as they are disturbed, so am I.
TEXT 24
नभःस्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् ।
दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो ।। 24 ।।
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
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.
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.
TEXT 25
दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्टै्वव कालानलसन्निभानि ।
दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ।। 25 ।।
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni ca te mukhāni
dṛṣṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma
prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa
daṁṣṭrā – teeth; karālāni – terrible; ca – also; te – Your; mukhāni – faces; dṛṣṭvā – seeing; eva – thus; kāla-anala – the fire of death; sannibhāni – as if; diśaḥ – the directions; na – not; jāne – I know; na – not; labhe – I obtain; ca – and; śarma – grace; prasīda – be pleased; deva-īśa – O Lord of all lords; jagat-nivāsa – O refuge of the worlds.
O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered.
TEXTS 26–27
अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राः सर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घै ।
भीष्मो द्रोणः सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ सहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यैः ।। 26 ।।
वक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति दंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि ।
केचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गैः ।। 27 ।।
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ
amī – these; ca – also; tvām – You; dhṛtarāṣṭrasya – of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; putrāḥ – the sons; sarve – all; saha – with; eva – indeed; avani-pāla – of warrior kings; saṅghaiḥ – the groups; bhīṣmaḥ – Bhīṣmadeva; droṇaḥ – Droṇācārya; sūta-putraḥ – Karṇa; tathā – also; asau – that; saha – with; asmadīyaiḥ – our; api – also; yodha-mukhyaiḥ – chiefs among the warriors; vaktrāṇi – mouths; te – Your; tvaramāṇāḥ – rushing; viśanti – are entering; daṁṣṭrā – teeth; karālāni – terrible; bhayānakāni – very fearful; kecit – some of them; vilagnāḥ – becoming attached; daśana-antareṣu – between the teeth; sandṛśyante – are seen; cūrṇitaiḥ – with smashed; uttama-aṅgaiḥ – heads.
All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with their allied kings, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa – and our chief soldiers also – are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.
In a previous verse the Lord promised to show Arjuna things he would be very interested in seeing. Now Arjuna sees that the leaders of the opposite party (Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa and all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and their soldiers and Arjuna’s own soldiers are all being annihilated. This is an indication that after the death of nearly all the persons assembled at Kurukṣetra, Arjuna will emerge victorious. It is also mentioned here that Bhīṣma, who is supposed to be unconquerable, will also be smashed. So also Karṇa. Not only will the great warriors of the other party like Bhīṣma be smashed, but some of the great warriors of Arjuna’s side also.
TEXT 28
यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति ।
तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति ।। 28 ।।
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ
samudram evābhimukhā dravanti
tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrā
viśanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti
yathā – as; nadīnām – of the rivers; bahavaḥ – the many; ambu-vegāḥ – waves of the waters; samudram – the ocean; eva – certainly; abhimukhāḥ – towards; dravanti – glide; tathā – similarly; tava – Your; amī – all these; nara-loka-vīrāḥ – kings of human society; viśanti – are entering; vaktrāṇi – the mouths; abhivijvalanti – and are blazing.
As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.
TEXT 29
यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गाः विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः ।
तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोकास्तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः ।। 29 ।।
yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ pataṅgā
viśanti nāśāya samṛddha-vegāḥ
tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokās
tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddha-vegāḥ
yathā – as; pradīptam – blazing; jvalanam – a fire; pataṅgāḥ – moths; viśanti – enter; nāśāya – for destruction; samṛddha – with full; vegāḥ – speed; tathā eva – similarly; nāśāya – for destruction; viśanti – are entering; lokāḥ – all people; tava – Your; api – also; vaktrāṇi – mouths; samṛddha-vegāḥ – with full speed.
I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire.
TEXT 30
लेलिहयसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल्लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः ।
तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ।। 30 ।।
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl
lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ
tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṁ
bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo
lelihyase – You are licking; grasamānaḥ – devouring; samantāt – from all directions; lokān – people; samagrān – all; vadanaiḥ – by the mouths; jvaladbhiḥ – blazing; tejobhiḥ – by effulgence; āpūrya – covering; jagat – the universe; samagram – all; bhāsaḥ – rays; tava – Your; ugrāḥ – terrible; pratapanti – are scorching; viṣṇo – O all-pervading Lord.
O Viṣṇu, I see You devouring all people from all sides with Your flaming mouths. Covering all the universe with Your effulgence, You are manifest with terrible, scorching rays.
TEXT 31
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद ।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ।। 31 ।।
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān
