Bhagavad Gita BG 11.40
Chapter 11, Verse 40 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
नमः पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व । अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्वः ॥
namah purastad atha prishthatas te namo 'stu te sarvata eva sarva ananta-virya amita-vikramas tvam sarvam samapnoshi tato 'si sarvah
Meaning
Salutation from before and from behind You; salutation to You from all sides, O All! You of infinite power and immeasurable might — You pervade all, therefore You are all.
Understanding
The most complete salutation: namah purastat (salutation from before/in front). Atha prishthatas te (and from behind you). Namo 'stu te sarvata eva (salutation to you from all sides, in every direction). Sarva (O All — addressing the Divine as the very totality). Ananta-virya (of infinite power). Amita-vikrama (of immeasurable valor/reach). Sarvam samapnoshi (You pervade/encompass all). Tato 'si sarvah (therefore You are all). The logic is beautiful: because you pervade everything (samapnoshi — literally 'reach completely'), you ARE everything (sarvah). The pervader and the pervaded are not two things. Arjuna cannot find a direction from which the Divine is NOT — therefore he bows from all directions simultaneously.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पुरस्तात् | purastat | from before, from the front |
| पृष्ठतः | prishthatas | from behind, from the back |
| अनन्तवीर्य | ananta-virya | of infinite power/strength |
| अमितविक्रम | amita-vikrama | of immeasurable valor/reach |
| समाप्नोषि | samapnoshi | You pervade, You encompass completely |
| ततोऽसि सर्वः | tato 'si sarvah | therefore You are all, hence You are everything |
| नमः | namaḥ | obeisances |
| पुरस्तात् | purastāt | from the front |
| अथ | atha | and |
| पृष्ठतः | pṛṣṭhataḥ | from behind |
| ते | te | to You |
| नमः | namaḥ | obeisances |
| अस्तु | astu | let there be |
| ते | te | to You |
| सर्वतः | sarvataḥ | from all sides |
| एव | eva | indeed |
| सर्व | sarva | O all |
| अनन्त-वीर्य | ananta-vīrya | O infinite power |
| त्वम् | tvam | You |
| सर्वम् | sarvam | everything |
| समाप्नोषि | samāpnoṣi | You pervade, You encompass |
| ततः | tataḥ | therefore |
| असि | asi | You are |
| सर्वः | sarvaḥ | all, everything |