Bhagavad Gita BG 11.30
Chapter 11, Verse 30 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल् लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः । तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ॥
lelihyase grasamanah samantal lokan samagran vadanair jvaladbhih tejobhir apurya jagat samagram bhasas tavoGrah pratapanti vishNo
Meaning
You lick up, consuming all the worlds from all sides with Your blazing mouths. Your fierce rays fill the entire universe with radiance and scorch it, O Vishnu.
Understanding
Arjuna's vision intensifies. Lelihyase (You lick up — the snake-like licking of flames, the tongue of fire tasting all). Grasamanah (consuming, swallowing, devouring). Samantal (from all sides, from every direction — there is no escape, no direction of safety). Lokan samagran vadanair jvaladbhih (all the worlds with blazing faces/mouths). Then: tejobhir apurya jagat samagram (filling the entire universe with radiance/light). Bhasas tavoGrAH pratapanti (Your fierce rays scorch/blaze). Vishno — addressing Krishna as Vishnu (the All-Pervader). The verse shows both the consuming AND the illuminating aspect: the same energy that devours also fills with terrible light. The destroyer IS the light.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| लेलिह्यसे | lelihyase | You lick up (intensive, like a flame's tongue tasting all) |
| ग्रसमानः | grasamanah | consuming, swallowing, devouring |
| समन्तात् | samantat | from all sides, in every direction |
| तेजोभिः | tejobhih | with radiance, with light, with fierce energy |
| उग्राः | ugrah | fierce, terrible, intense |
| प्रतपन्ति | pratapanti | scorch, blaze, cause intense heat |
| ग्रसमानः | grasamānaḥ | devouring, consuming |
| समन्तात् | samantāt | on all sides |
| लोकान् | lokān | the worlds, all people |
| समग्रान् | samagrān | all, entirely |
| वदनैः | vadanaiḥ | with mouths |
| ज्वलद्भिः | jvaladbhiḥ | blazing |
| तेजोभिः | tejobhiḥ | with brilliance, with fire |
| आपूर्य | āpūrya | filling |
| जगत् | jagat | the universe |
| समग्रम् | samagram | entirely |
| भासः | bhāsaḥ | radiances, rays of light |
| तव | tava | Your |
| उग्राः | ugrāḥ | fierce, terrible |
| विष्णो | viṣṇo | O Vishnu |