Bhagavad Gita BG 11.25
Chapter 11, Verse 25 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि । दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ॥
damshtra-karalani ca te mukhani drishtvaia kalanala-sannibhani disho na jane na labhe ca sharma prasida devesh jagan-nivasa
Meaning
Seeing Your mouths with terrible tusks (damshtra-karala), resembling the fires of cosmic dissolution (kalanala-sannibha) — I know not the directions (disho na jane), I find no shelter/comfort (sharma na labhe). Be gracious (prasida), O Lord of gods (Deveshvara), O Abode of the universe (Jagan-nivasa).
Understanding
The climax of Arjuna's terror: damshtra-karalani mukhani — the mouths terrible with tusks. Te — Your. Kala-anala-sannibhani — resembling the fires of cosmic dissolution (kalanala = kala-anala = the fire of Time/the End = the dissolution fire; sannibha = resembling). The gaping tusked mouths are like the fires of pralaya (cosmic dissolution). Then the complete disorientation: disho na jane — I know not the directions (spatial disorientation — the fundamental human capacity to orient in space is lost). Na labhe ca sharma — I find no shelter/comfort, no refuge (sharma = comfort, well-being, shelter). The two completions of total overwhelm: no orientation in space, no comfort for the inner being. Then: prasida — BE GRACIOUS. The plea from total surrender. Deveshvara — O Lord of gods. Jagan-nivasa — O Abode of the universe, the one in whom the universe dwells.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| दंष्ट्राकरालानि | damshtra-karalani | terrible with tusks/fangs, fearful with great teeth |
| कालानलसन्निभानि | kalanala-sannibhani | resembling the fires of cosmic dissolution (kala = time/death, anala = fire, sannibha = resembling) |
| दिशः | dishah | the directions, the cardinal points of space |
| शर्म | sharma | shelter, comfort, refuge, well-being |
| प्रसीद | prasida | be gracious, be pleased, show mercy (pra + sida = settle favorably toward me) |
| देवेश | deveshvara | O Lord of gods (deva + ishvara = lord of all divine beings) |
| जगन्निवास | jagan-nivasa | O Abode of the universe, the one in whom the world dwells (jagat + nivasa = dwelling of the world) |
| दंष्ट्र-करालानि | daṃṣṭra-karālāni | terrible with tusks |
| च | ca | and |
| ते | te | Your |
| मुखानि | mukhāni | faces, mouths |
| दृष्ट्वा | dṛṣṭvā | having seen |
| एव | eva | indeed |
| काल-अनल-सन्निभानि | kāla-anala-sannibhāni | like the fire of universal destruction |
| दिशः | diśaḥ | the directions |
| न | na | not |
| जाने | jāne | I know |
| न | na | nor |
| लभे | labhe | I find |
| च | ca | and |
| शर्म | śarma | comfort, peace |
| प्रसीद | prasīda | be gracious, be pleased |
| देवेश | deveśa | O lord of gods |
| जगन्-निवास | jagan-nivāsa | O abode of the universe |