अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य मनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम्। पश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रम स्वतेजसा विश्वमिदं तपन्तम्।।11.19।।
anādī‑madhyānta‑mananta‑vīrya‑mananta‑bāhum‑śaśi‑sūrya‑netram | paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta‑hutāśa‑vaktram sva‑tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapa‑nantam
Translation
You are without beginning, middle, or end; Your power has no limits. Your arms are infinite; the sun and the moon are like Your eyes, and fire is like Your mouth. I see you warming the entire creation by Your radiance.
Word Meanings
anādi — without beginning; madhya — middle; antam — or end; ananta — unlimited; vīryam — glories; ananta — unlimited; bāhum — arms; śaśi — the moon; sūrya — and sun; netram — eyes; paśyāmi — I see; tvām — You; dīpta — blazing; hutāśa‑vaktram — fire coming out of Your mouth; sva‑tejasā — by Your radiance; viśvam — universe; idam — this; tapa‑nantam — heating.
Understanding the Verse
In this sublime vision of the Divine Form, Arjuna perceives the boundless nature of Krishna's cosmic manifestation. The description begins with ‘anādi‑madhyānta‑mananta‑vīrya’, emphasizing that the Divine power is beyond the constraints of time: it has no beginning (anādi), no middle (madhya), and no end (antam). This tri‑adic negation mirrors the timelessness of the Supreme, indicating that the source of all existence transcends temporal measurement and is ever‑present.
The phrase ‘mananta‑bāhum’ expands this infinity to the very limbs of the deity. ‘Mananta’ (infinite) combined with ‘bāhum’ (arms) suggests that the Divine’s reach extends infinitely in every direction, encompassing all realms, dimensions, and beings. This imagery evokes the protective embrace of the Divine, a metaphor for the all‑encompassing support that sustains the cosmos.
‘Śaśi‑sūrya‑netram’ identifies the celestial bodies—the moon and the sun—as the eyes of the Divine. By equating these luminous sources with Krishna's gaze, the verse illustrates that the entire universe is illuminated and watched over by the Divine consciousness. The moon’s cool, reflective light and the sun’s radiant heat together represent the balance of compassion and vigor that emanates from the Supreme.
The next vivid image, ‘dīpta‑hutāśa‑vaktram’, portrays a mouth that emits fire. This fire is not destructive but purifying, signifying the divine energy that burns away ignorance, illusion, and earthly limitations. It symbolizes the transformative power that converts material existence into spiritual awareness.
Finally, ‘sva‑tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapa‑nantam’ declares that the whole universe is heated and enlivened by the Divine’s own brilliance (tejas). The term ‘tapa‑nantam’ (heating) conveys the sustaining vitality that pervades all creation. The cosmos is not a static entity; it is a dynamic, ever‑vibrating field energized by the divine spark. Arjuna’s witnessing of this radiant reality deepens his devotion, allowing him to perceive the ultimate truth that the Divine permeates every fibre of existence.
Thus, this verse encapsulates the infinite, all‑pervading nature of Krishna’s divine form, inviting the seeker to recognize the presence of the Supreme in every aspect of the cosmos and to surrender to the boundless, protective, and illuminating power that sustains all life.
