You lick up all the worlds from every side with your blazing mouths. Your fierce radiance fills the whole universe and burns it, O Vishnu.
— Arjuna
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Bhagavad Gita · 11.30
Hindi · हिन्दी
आप अपने प्रज्वलित मुखोंद्वारा सम्पूर्ण लोकोंका ग्रसन करते हुए उन्हें चारों ओरसे बारबार चाट रहे हैं और हे विष्णो आपका उग्र प्रकाश अपने तेजसे सम्पूर्ण जगत् को परिपूर्ण करके सबको तपा रहा है ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
लेलिह्यसेyou lick upग्रसमानःdevouringसमन्तात्from every sideलोकान्worldsसमग्रान्allवदनैःwith mouthsज्वलद्भिःblazingतेजोभिःwith radiancesआपूर्यfillingजगत्the universeसमग्रम्entireभासःlightतवyourउग्राःfierceप्रतपन्तिburnविष्णोO Vishnu
Read literallyyou lick up · devouring · from every side · worlds · all · with mouths · blazing · with radiances · filling · the universe · entire · light · your · fierce · burn · O Vishnu
Understanding the verse
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Arjuna watches the blazing mouths lick up the worlds and cries out to Vishnu, his speech failing before the heat.
Arjuna sees the cosmic form as all-consuming and unbearable. The blazing mouths and fierce radiance show that this vision is not gentle, but overwhelming and world-devouring.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Arjuna is staring at Krishna's cosmic form and struggling to endure what he sees. The mouths blaze, the worlds are being devoured, and the vision is so immense that speech itself is breaking under its force.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
A forest fire on the evening news can leave a whole family silent at dinner, with no one able to describe its size. Arjuna stands before the cosmic form the same way, and his words give out.
The takeaway
“Awe can become surrender when the mind meets something too vast to control.”
Arjuna sees the cosmic form as all-consuming and unbearable. The blazing mouths and fierce radiance show that this vision is not gentle, but overwhelming and world-devouring.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 11.30?
Arjuna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga" (The Universal Form).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 11.30?
Verse 30 sits in Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita — Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga, "The Universal Form". The chapter has 55 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 11.30 matter today?
A forest fire on the evening news can leave a whole family silent at dinner, with no one able to describe its size. Arjuna stands before the cosmic form the same way, and his words give out.
Arjuna watches the blazing mouths lick up the worlds and cries out to Vishnu, his speech failing before the heat.
What this verse means
Arjuna sees the cosmic form as all-consuming and unbearable. The blazing mouths and fierce radiance show that this vision is not gentle, but overwhelming and world-devouring.
Context & commentary
Arjuna is staring at Krishna's cosmic form and struggling to endure what he sees. The mouths blaze, the worlds are being devoured, and the vision is so immense that speech itself is breaking under its force.
What it looks like today
A forest fire on the evening news can leave a whole family silent at dinner, with no one able to describe its size. Arjuna stands before the cosmic form the same way, and his words give out.
“Awe can become surrender when the mind meets something too vast to control.”
Explore related themes: arjuna (52 verses), vishwarupa (50 verses), cosmic form (25 verses)