Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 23

English Translation

O mighty-armed One, seeing Your immense form with many mouths and eyes, having numerous arms, thighs and feet, with many bellies, and fearful with many teeth, the creatures are struck with terror, and so am I.

Detailed Commentary

।।11.23।। Commentary -- [From the fifteenth to the eighteenth verse, the 'Deva' (divine) form of the Vishvarupa has been described; from the nineteenth to the twenty-second verse, the 'Ugra' (fierce) form; and from the twenty-third to the thirtieth verse, the 'Atyanta Ugra' (exceedingly fierce) form.] 'Bahuvaktra-netram' -- Your mouths are distinct; some are gentle (saumya) and some are terrifying (bhayānaka). Some mouths are small and some are large. Similarly, your eyes do not appear uniform. Some eyes are gentle and some are terrifying. Some are small, some large, some long, wide, round, crooked. 'Bahubāhūrupādam' -- The structure, color, form, and actions of the arms are diverse. The feet too are of various kinds. 'Bahūdalam' -- The bellies too are distinct; some are large, some small, some terrifying. 'Bahudaṃṣṭrā-karālaṃ dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitāstathāham' -- In the mouths are terrifying fangs. Seeing this dreadful form, all beings are distressed, and so am I. In previous verses too, there was mention of many mouths, eyes, and everyone being terrified. Why does Arjuna repeat the same thing again and again? The reasons are: (1) In the Vishvarupa, whatever appears before Arjuna reveals new features and divinity. (2) Seeing the Vishvarupa, Arjuna became so startled, astonished, and distressed that he was unaware of what he had said or what he was saying. (3) Earlier, Arjuna spoke of the distress of the three worlds, but now he is speaking of his own distress as well. (4) Repetition indicates Arjuna's fear and astonishment. It is also observed in the world that when someone experiences fear, joy (harṣa), sorrow (śoka), or astonishment, they naturally repeat a word or a sentence. For example, when someone is scared by a snake, they repeatedly say, 'Snake! Snake!' If a noble person arrives, they joyfully say, 'Welcome! Welcome!' Upon the death of a beloved person, they say things like, 'I am undone! Darkness has fallen upon the house!' If a sudden calamity strikes, they exclaim, 'I'm dead, dead!' Similarly, here, Arjuna is repeatedly uttering certain words and sentences due to his fear and joy during the vision of the Vishvarupa. Arjuna has also acknowledged his fear and joy: 'Adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṃ hṛṣito'smi dṛṣṭvā bhayena ca pravyathitaṃ mano me' (11.45). This means that repeating something again and again due to fear, joy, sorrow, etc., is not considered a defect of repetition (punarāvṛtti doṣa).