रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्या विश्वेऽश्िवनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च। गन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा वीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे।।11.22।।
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyāḥ viśve ’ashvinau marutaś ca uṣma-pāḥ ca gandharva‑yakṣa‑asura‑siddha‑saṅghāḥ vīkṣante tvām vismitāḥ ca eva sarve
Translation
The rudras, adityas, vasus, sadhyas, viśvedevas, Ashvins, maruts, forefathers, gandharvas, yakṣas, asuras and siddhas are all beholding You in wonder.
Word Meanings
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
Understanding the Verse
In this magnificent vision of the cosmic form, Lord Krishna reveals that every class of divine beings, from the fiercest deities to the most subtle spirits, turn their eyes upon Him. The Rudras, manifestations of the destructive aspect of Śiva, symbolize the ultimate power that can dissolve ignorance. The Ādityas, solar deities, represent illumination and the dispelling of darkness. The Vasus, caretakers of the elements, illustrate how even the material world bows to the Supreme.
The Sādhyas, often associated with righteousness and accomplishment, together with the Viśvedevas – the collective of all universal deities – underscore that the divine order itself acknowledges Krishna’s supreme stature. The twin physicians, the Aśvinī‑kumāras, who ride the celestial chariot of healing, show that even the forces that restore life are awed by His presence.
The Maruts, winds that roar across the heavens, and the uṣma‑pāḥ, the ancestral spirits who sustain lineage, further demonstrate that both natural forces and lineage‑based reverence converge on the same divine source. The Gandharvas, celestial musicians, and the Yakṣas, nature‑guardians, along with the Asuras, the traditionally antagonistic demons, illustrate that admiration transcends moral polarity – all are drawn to the dazzling reality of the Lord.
The Siddhas, perfected beings who have attained spiritual mastery, underscore that even those who have realized the ultimate truth cannot escape the overwhelming awe that Krishna’s universal form provokes. The term "saṅghāḥ" (assemblies) conveys that it is not just an individual but collective gatherings of all these beings, each representing a distinct facet of creation, that witness the divine spectacle. Their collective "vīkṣante" (beholding) emphasizes a universal, unifying perception of the same reality.
The repeated use of "vismitāḥ" (in wonder) and "ca eva sarve" (and indeed all) highlights the exhaustive nature of this vision: no entity, no matter how powerful, pure, virtuous, or demonic, remains untouched by the Supreme’s magnitude. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that the Divine pervades every layer of existence, and true reverence arises when one recognizes that all categories of beings ultimately share the same source of awe and devotion. For the seeker, this underscores the importance of seeing beyond distinctions and realizing the unity underlying the myriad expressions of divinity.
