यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति। तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति
As many swift currents of rivers flow towards the ocean, so these heroes of the world enter your flaming mouths.
यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः । तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोका- स्तवापि वक्राणि समृद्धवेगाः
Just as moths rush with great speed into a blazing fire to their destruction, so too do these worlds enter your mouths with great force, to their ruin.
लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ता- ल्लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिःक । तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो
You lick up and devour all the worlds on every side with your flaming mouths; filling the whole universe with your radiance, your fierce rays scorch everything, O Vishnu.
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद । विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम्
Tell me, who are you in this terrifying form? Salutations to you, O supreme god, be gracious! I wish to know you, the primal one, for I do not comprehend your purpose.
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः। ऋतेऽपि त्वा न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः
I am Time, the mighty destroyer of worlds, arisen to annihilate all people; even without you, all these warriors arrayed in opposing ranks shall not survive.
तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून्भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्। मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन्
Therefore, arise! Win glory! Conquer your enemies and enjoy a prosperous kingdom. By me, they have already been slain; you are but the instrument, O left-handed archer.
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान्। मया हतांस्त्वं जहि माव्यथिष्ठा युद्ध्यस्व जेतानि रणे सपत्नान्
Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other heroic warriors—by me they are already killed; you slay them, do not hesitate. Fight! You shall conquer your foes in battle.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य कृताञ्जलिर्वेपमानः किरीटी। नमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं सगद्गदं भीतभीतः प्रणम्य
Hearing these words of Keshava, the diademed one, trembling and with joined palms, bowed down and, again bowing to Krishna, spoke in a faltering, fearful voice.
स्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या जगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च। रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घाः
Rightly, O Hrishikesha, does the world rejoice and delight in your praise; the demons, terrified, flee in all directions, and all the hosts of perfected beings bow to you.
कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन् गरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे। अनन्त देवेश जगन्निवास त्वमक्षरं सदसत्तत्परं यत्
And why should they not bow to you, O great soul, who are greater even than the creator, the original source? O infinite, Lord of gods, abode of the universe, you are the imperishable, the existent and the non-existent, and that which is beyond both.
त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराण- स्त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् । वेत्ताऽसि वेद्यं च परं च धाम त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप
You are the primal god, the ancient person; you are the supreme refuge of this universe. You are the knower and the knowable, the highest abode; by you, the universe is pervaded, O being of infinite forms.
वायुर्यमोऽग्निर्वरुणः शशाङ्कः प्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च। नमो नमस्तेऽतु सहस्रकृत्वः पुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते
You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, Prajapati, and the great-grandfather; a thousand times I bow to you, again and again, I bow to you.
नमः पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व। अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्वः
Salutations to you from before and behind; salutations to you from every side, O all! Of infinite power and immeasurable valor, you pervade everything, therefore you are all.
सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति। अजानता महिमानं तवेदं मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वाऽपि
Thinking of you as a friend, whatever I rashly said—'O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend'—not knowing your greatness, out of carelessness or affection,
यच्चापहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु । एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम्
And whatever disrespect I may have shown you in jest, while at play, resting, sitting, or at meals, alone or in company—O infallible one, I beg your forgiveness for that, O immeasurable one.
पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य त्वमस्य पूज्यश् गुरुर्गरीयान्। न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभावः
You are the father of the world, of all that moves and does not move; you are its most worthy object of worship, its greatest teacher. There is none equal to you, much less greater, in all the three worlds, O one of incomparable power.
तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं प्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् । पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्युः प्रियः प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम्
Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I seek your grace, O Lord, worthy of praise. As a father forgives his son, as a friend forgives a friend, as a beloved forgives the beloved, so too, O God, you should forgive me.
अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे। तदेव मे दर्शय देव रूपं प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास
Having seen what was never seen before, I am delighted, yet my mind is also troubled with fear. O God, show me that very form again; be gracious, Lord of gods, O refuge of the universe.
किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्त- मिच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव। तेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन सहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते
I wish to see you as before, crowned, holding the mace and the discus in your hand. O thousand-armed, universal form, appear again in that four-armed shape.
मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात्। तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम्
By my favor, Arjuna, I have shown you this supreme form of mine, through my own power—radiant, universal, infinite, original—which has not been seen before by anyone but you.
न वेद यज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै- र्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः । एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर
Not by study of the Vedas, nor by sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form by anyone else among mortals, O best of the Kurus.
मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो दृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्भमेदम् । व्यपेतभीः प्रीतमनाः पुनस्त्वं तदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य
Let there be no fear or confusion in you, having seen this terrible and awe-inspiring form of mine. Free from fear, with a joyful mind, behold again that very form of mine.
इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः। आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं भूत्वा पुनः सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा
Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vāsudeva showed his own form again, and, becoming gentle in appearance, the great soul comforted the frightened one.
दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन । इदानीमस्मि संवृत्तः सचेताः प्रकृतिं गतः
Having seen your human form, so gentle, O Janārdana, I have now regained my composure and returned to my natural state.
सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम। देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः
This form of mine that you have seen is very hard to behold; even the gods are always longing to see this form.
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया। शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा
Not by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this way as you have seen me.
भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन। ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परंतप
But by undivided devotion alone can I be truly known, seen, and entered into in this way, O Arjuna, scorcher of foes.
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः । निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव
He who acts for me, regards me as supreme, is devoted to me, free from attachment, and bears no enmity toward any being—he comes to me, O Pāṇḍava.
एवं सततयुक्ता ये भक्तास्त्वां पर्युपासते। ये चाप्यक्षरमव्यक्तं तेषां के योगवित्तमाः
Those devotees who, ever steadfast, worship you in this way, and those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest—which of them are better versed in yoga?
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते। श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मताः
Those who, fixing their minds on me, worship me ever steadfast, endowed with supreme faith—these I consider most united with me.