Bhagavad Gita BG 11.17
Chapter 11, Verse 17 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च तेजोराशिं सर्वतो दीप्तिमन्तम् । पश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ताद् दीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् ॥
kiriitinam gadinam cakrinam ca tejo-rashim sarvato dipitmantam pashyami tvam durniriksyam samantad diptanalar-ka-dyutim aprameyam
Meaning
I see You with crown (kirita), mace (gada), and discus (cakra) — a mass of radiance (tejo-rashi) shining everywhere (sarvato) — difficult to look at (durniriksyam) from all sides, blazing like the light of the fire (dipanala) and the sun (arka), immeasurable (aprameya).
Understanding
The visual overwhelm intensifies: kiritinam (wearing the crown) gadinam (holding the mace) cakrinam ca (and the discus) — the traditional divine weapons and regalia of Vishnu/Krishna. But these are not separate objects; they are subsumed in: tejo-rashim — a mass/heap of radiance, the entire form reduced to blazing light. Sarvato diptimantam — blazing everywhere. Durniriksyam — difficult to look at (dur = hard, niriksha = to look at). The Infinite is not merely vast but also difficult to bear visually — its radiance overwhelms ordinary seeing. Dipanala-arka-dyutim — blazing like the combined light of fire (anala) and the sun (arka). Aprameyam — immeasurable, beyond measure.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| किरीटिनम् | kiritinam | wearing a crown/diadem |
| गदिनम् | gadinam | holding the mace (gada — Vishnu's weapon) |
| चक्रिणम् | cakrinam | holding the discus (cakra — Vishnu's wheel-weapon) |
| तेजोराशिम् | tejo-rashim | mass/heap of radiance (tejas = brilliance + rashi = heap/mass) |
| दुर्निरीक्ष्यम् | durniriksyam | difficult to look at, barely possible to behold |
| अप्रमेयम् | aprameyam | immeasurable, beyond all measure (a + prameya = not measurable) |
| किरीटिनम् | kirīṭinam | crowned, wearing a diadem |
| चक्रिणम् | cakriṇam | bearing a discus |
| च | ca | and |
| तेजो-राशिम् | tejo-rāśim | a mass of brilliance |
| सर्वतः | sarvataḥ | on all sides |
| दीप्तिमन्तम् | dīptimantam | blazing, radiating |
| पश्यामि | paśyāmi | I see |
| त्वाम् | tvām | You |
| दुर्-निरीक्ष्यम् | dur-nirīkṣyam | difficult to look at |
| समन्तात् | samantāt | on all sides |
| दीप्त-अनल-अर्क-द्युतिम् | dīpta-anala-arka-dyutim | blazing like fire and sun |