Yathora

The Gita · Chapter 11

Bhagavad Gita 11.25

दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि। दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास॥

danṣhṭrā-karālāni cha te mukhāni dṛiṣhṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni diśho na jāne na labhe cha śharma prasīda deveśha jagan-nivāsa

Translation

Like Time's destroying flames I see Thy teeth, Upstanding, spread within expanded jaws; Nought know I anywhere, no shelter find; Mercy, O God! re of all the worlds!

What it means

Seeing Your mouths terrible with tusks, like the fires of the end of time, I lose all sense of direction and find no refuge; have mercy, Lord of gods, home of the worlds. Orientation fails. The first prayer under the vision is simply: mercy.

Try this today

Disorientation complete: direction and refuge both lost; the only word left is mercy.

Something to reflect on

When orientation fails completely, what is my one word left?

Read it in Yathora
← 11.2411.26 →

Translation by Annie Besant (1905, public domain). The meanings are original to Yathora, drawn from Shankara’s commentary.