The Bhagavadgîtâ, with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ — SBE Vol. 8 (trans. K. T. Telang, 1882)
The translator’s English as printed (K. T. Telang). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Arguna said :
O god! I see within your body the gods, as also all the groups of various beings; and the lord Brahman seated on (his) lotus seat, and all the sages and celestial snakes. I see you, who are of countless forms, possessed of many arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes on all sides. And, O lord of the universe! O you of all forms! I do not see your end or middle or beginning. I see you bearing a coronet and a mace and a discus—a. mass of glory, brilliant on all sides, difficult to look at, having on all sides the effulgence of a blazing fire or sun, and indefinable. You are indestructible, the supreme one to be known. You are the highest support* of this universe. You are the inexhaustible protector of everlasting piety. I believe you to be the eternal being. I see you void of beginning, middle, end— of infinite power, of unnumbered arms, having the sun and moon for eyes, having a mouth like a blazing fire, and heating the universe with your radiance. For this space between heaven and earth and all the quarters are pervaded by you alone. Looking at this wonderful and terrible form of yours, O high-souled one! the three worlds are affrighted. For here these groups of gods are entering into you. Some being afraid are praying with joined hands, and the groups of great sages : and Siddhas are saying ‘ Welfare?!’ and praising you with abundant (hymns) of praise. The Rudras, and Adityas, the Vasus, the Sâdhyas, the Viśvas, the two Aśvins, the Maruts, and theUshmapâs, and the groups of Gandharvas, Yakshas, demons, and Siddhas are all looking at you amazed. Seeing your mighty form, with many mouths and eyes, with many arms, thighs, and feet, with many stomachs, and fearful with many jaws, all people, and I likewise, are much alarmed, O you of mighty arms! Seeing you, O Vishṇu! touching the skies, radiant, possessed of many hues, with a gaping mouth, and with large blazing eyes, I am much alarmed in my inmost self, and feel no courage, no tranquillity. And seeing your mouths terrible by the jaws, and resembling the fire of destruction, I cannot recognise the (various) directions, I feel no comfort. Be gracious, O lord of gods! who pervadest the universe. And all these sons of Dhṛitarâshṭra, together with all the bands of kings, and Bhishma and Droṇa, and this charioteer's son* likewise, together with our principal warriors also, are rapidly entering your mouths, fearful and horrific* by (reason of your) jaws. And some with their heads smashed are seen (to be) stuck in the spaces between the teeth. As the many rapid currents of a river's waters run towards the sea alone, so do these heroes of the human world enter your mouths blazing all round. As butterflies, with increased velocity, enter a blazing fire to their destruction, so too do these people enter your mouths with increased velocity (only) to their destruction. Swallowing all these people, you are licking them over and over again from all sides, with your blazing mouths. Your fierce splendours, O Vishṇu! filling the whole universe with (their) effulgence, are heating it. Tell me who you are in this fierce form. Salutations be to thee, O chief of the gods! Be gracious. I wish to know you, the primeval one, for I do not understand your actions.
1 Cf. p. go supra. Sankara explains it as meaning ‘ pervading everything.’ The expression occurs in the Nṛisimha-tâpinî-upanishad, p. 50, where it is said, ‘as, without organs, it sees, hears, goes, takes from all sides and pervades everything, therefore it has faces on all sides.’
2 Gods, manes, men, and so forth.
Arjuna said:
O god! I see within your body the gods, and all the various groups of beings, and the lord Brahman seated on his lotus seat, and all the sages and celestial snakes. I see you, possessed of countless forms, with many arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes on every side. O lord of the universe! O you of all forms! I see no end, middle, or beginning of you. I see you bearing a coronet, a mace, and a discus—a mass of glory, brilliant on all sides, hard to look upon, shining everywhere with the effulgence of a blazing fire or sun, and impossible to define. You are indestructible, the supreme one to be known. You are the highest support of this universe. You are the inexhaustible protector of everlasting piety. I believe you to be the eternal being. I see you void of beginning, middle, and end—of infinite power, of unnumbered arms, with the sun and moon for eyes, with a mouth like a blazing fire, heating the universe with your radiance. The whole space between heaven and earth and all the quarters are pervaded by you alone. O high-souled one! beholding this wonderful and terrible form of yours, the three worlds tremble. For here the groups of gods are entering into you. Some, filled with fear, are praying with joined hands; the groups of great sages and Siddhas are crying "Welfare!" and praising you with abundant hymns of praise. The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sâdhyas, the Viśvas, the two Aśvins, the Maruts, and theUshmapâs, and the groups of Gandharvas, Yakshas, demons, and Siddhas are all gazing at you in amazement. Seeing your mighty form with many mouths and eyes, many arms, thighs, and feet, many stomachs, and fearful with many jaws, all people are greatly alarmed, and so am I, O you of mighty arms! Seeing you, O Vishṇu! touching the skies, radiant, possessed of many hues, with a gaping mouth and large blazing eyes, I am deeply alarmed in my inmost self and find neither courage nor tranquillity. Seeing your mouths terrible with their jaws and resembling the fire of destruction, I cannot make out the directions, and I find no comfort. Be gracious, O lord of gods, who pervadest the universe. All these sons of Dhṛitarâshṭra, together with all the bands of kings, and Bhishma and Droṇa, and this charioteer's son likewise, together with our own principal warriors, are rapidly entering your mouths, fearful and horrific by reason of your jaws. Some are seen with their heads smashed and stuck in the gaps between the teeth. As the many swift currents of a river's waters run toward the sea alone, so do these heroes of the human world enter your mouths blazing all around. As butterflies, with mounting speed, fly into a blazing fire to their destruction, so too do these people enter your mouths with mounting speed, only to their destruction. Swallowing all these people, you lick them over and over again from all sides with your blazing mouths. Your fierce splendours, O Vishṇu! fill the whole universe with their effulgence and are heating it. Tell me who you are in this fierce form. Salutations be to thee, O chief of the gods! Be gracious. I wish to know you, the primeval one, for I do not understand your actions.
1 Cf. p. 90 supra. Sankara explains it as meaning 'pervading everything.' The expression occurs in the Nṛisimha-tâpinî-upanishad, p. 50, where it is said, 'as, without organs, it sees, hears, goes, takes from all sides and pervades everything, therefore it has faces on all sides.'
2 Gods, manes, men, and so forth.