yathā pradīptaḿ jvalanaḿ patańgā
viśanti nāśāya samṛddha-vegāḥ
tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokās
tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddha-vegāḥ
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 11.29
I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
No commentary by Srila Prabhupada.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
No commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
11.28 – 11.29 These innumerable kings rush to their destruction in Your flaming mouths, even as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean and moths rush into a blazing fire.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
The metaphor of helplessly propelled was given in the previous verse. Now in this verse the metaphor of the warriors consciously entering by their own volition into the mouths of Lord Krishna’s visvarupa or divine universal form is given by the example of a moth entering into a blazing fire with great speed only to be destroyed.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
After the illustration of currents of water which are inanimate in the previous verse, Lord Krishna gives an illustration of animate beings referring to moths rushing into a blazing fire and being destroyed is the same as the mighty warriors of the Kaurava and Pandava armies rushing to their destruction on the battlefield as depicted by speedily entering the flaming mouths of Lord Krishna’s visvarupa or divine universal form.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
11.29 Yatha, as; patangah, moths, flying insects; visanti, enter; samrddha-vegah, with increased haste; into a pradiptam, glowing; jvalanam, fire; nasaya, for destruction; tatha eva, in that very way; do the lokah, creatures; visanti, enter into; tava, Your; vaktrani, mouths; api, too; samrddha-vegah, with increased hurry; nasaya, for destruction. You, again-
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment on this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
yatha pradiptam jvalanam patanga
visanti nasaya samrddha-vegah
tathaiva nasaya visanti lokas
tavapi vaktrani samrddha-vegah
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
yathā — as; pradīptam — blazing; jvalanam — a fire; patańgāḥ — moths; viśanti — enter; nāśāya — for destruction; samṛddha — with full; vegāḥ — speed; tathā eva — similarly; nāśāya — for destruction; viśanti — are entering; lokāḥ — all people; tava — Your; api — also; vaktrāṇi — mouths; samṛddha-vegāḥ — with full speed.
