nabhaḥ-spṛśaḿ dīptam aneka-varṇaḿ
vyāttānanaḿ dīpta-viśāla-netram
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāḿ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dhṛtiḿ na vindāmi śamaḿ ca viṣṇo
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 11.24
O all-pervading Vishnu, seeing You with Your many radiant colors touching the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of mind.
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:
Sama means relief or tranquility.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
11.24 The term ‘Nabhas’ denotes the Supreme Heaven (Parama-Vyoman), which is beyond the Prakrti composed of the three Gunas as established by the Sruti passages such as: ‘That is in the Imperishable Supreme Heaven’ (Ma. Na. U., 1.2), ‘Him, sun-coloured and beyond Tamas’ (Sve., 3.8) ‘The dweller beyond the Rajas’ (Rg. S., 2.6.25.5) and ‘He who is the president in the Supreme Heaven’ (Rg. S., 8.9.17.7). This can be understood as implied in the statement that ‘the form touches the Supreme Heaven.’ It expresses the idea that it is the foundation of all — of the principle of the Prakrti with its conditions, and of the individual selves in all states. It has also been initially declared: ‘For by You alone are pervaded the interspace of heaven and earth …’ (11.20). ‘Beholding Your form shining, multicoloured, and with yawning mouths and large and resplendent eyes, my inner being trembles in fear. I am unable to find support, namely, I am unable to find support for the body. I am unable to get peace of mind and of the senses. O Visnu, namely, O Pervader, beholding You pervading everything, incomparable in magnitude, extremely wonderful and terrible, I find my limbs quivering and my senses agitated.’ Such is the meaning.
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Seeing Lord Krishna’s visvarupa or divine universal form pervading all visible directions in blazing and fierce splendour with gaping mouths emitting fire and large fiery eyes Arjuna confesses that he has completely lost his equilibrium and it is not possible for him to regain his composure in the presence of the visvarupa.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Arjuna is confessing to Lord Krishna that he is totally distraught and his equilibrium is completely unbalanced by the sight of the visvarupa or divine universal form which is nabah-sprsam meaning pervading the entire firmament. Seeing such a form radiant and scorching in many colors with flaming eyes and open mouths with horrible teeth a feeling of uncontrollable fright overcame him. The word nabah meaning firmament denotes the highest heaven beyond the material nature. The Maha Narayana Upanisad I.II beginning tad akshare parame vyoma states: The Supreme controller of all resides in the highest imperishable heaven. Because it is the spiritual abode of the Supreme Lord whose power is primordial, eternal and absolute it is transcendental to prakriti the material substratum pervading physical existence and not subject to the modifications of the material creation.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
11.24 O Visnu, hi, verily; drstva, seeing; tvam, You; nabhah-sprsam, touching heaven; diptam, blazing; aneka-varnam, with many colours, (i.e.) possessed of many frightening forms; vyatta-ananam, open-mouthed; dipta-visala-netram, with firey large eyes; I, pravyathita-antara-atma, becoming terrified in my mind; na vindami, do not find; dhrtim, steadiness; ca, and; samam, peace, calmness of mind. Why?
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment on this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
nabhah-sprsam diptam aneka-varnam
vyattananam dipta-visala-netram
drstva hi tvam pravyathitantar-atma
dhrtim na vindami samam ca visno
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
nabhaḥ-spṛśam — touching the sky; dīptam — glowing; aneka — many; varṇam — colors; vyātta — open; ānanam — mouths; dīpta — glowing; viśāla — very great; netram — eyes; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; hi — certainly; tvām — You; pravyathita — perturbed; antaḥ — within; ātmā — soul; dhṛtim — steadiness; na — not; vindāmi — I have; śamam — mental tranquillity; ca — also; viṣṇo — O Lord Viṣṇu.
