Cosmic forces reveal Krishna’s power.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य-मनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् |पश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रंस्वतेजसा विश्वमिदं तपन्तम् ||११-१९||
anādimadhyāntamanantavīryam anantabāhuṃ śaśisūryanetram . paśyāmi tvāṃ dīptahutāśavaktraṃ svatejasā viśvamidaṃ tapantam ||11-19||
Use this verse for sun-moon-fire remembrance.
Meaning
I see You without beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, with infinite arms, the sun and moon as Your eyes, blazing fire as Your mouth, heating the universe with Your radiance.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna’s universal form includes the sun, moon, fire, and infinite power.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The cosmic elements are not separate from Krishna’s glory. Light, time, heat, and life-force become part of the universal vision.
Read the traditional commentary
Arjuna's hymn of vision reaches cosmic scale. The sun and moon themselves are the Lord's eyes; blazing fire is His mouth; His radiance heats the entire universe. The great luminaries men gaze upon from earth are here seen as mere features of the infinite form. Krishna is anadi-madhya-antam — without beginning, middle or end — and ananta-virya, of boundless power.
The image of the burning mouth, dipta-hutasa-vaktram, quietly prepares us for what is coming. The same fire that warms and sustains also consumes. Arjuna is beginning to see that the Divine is not only the radiant sustainer of the worlds but the heat in which they are tested and burned.
The vision is widening from glory toward something more fearsome. To behold the One whose eyes are sun and moon is to feel oneself utterly small — a single spark within a fire that lights and warms all that exists.
In daily life
Let natural forces remind you of divine vastness.
Sunrise, moonlight, and fire can become daily reminders of Krishna’s universal presence.
Try this today
Pause once today before sunlight or flame and remember Krishna.
I see Krishna in cosmic light and power.Reflect
Which natural force reminds me of Krishna?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘शशिसूर्यनेत्रम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on eternity, in other chapters
Swipe left for 11.20 · The Divine is greater than personal control.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.19
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.19, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.19, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.19 mean?
I see You without beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, with infinite arms, the sun and moon as Your eyes, blazing fire as Your mouth, heating the universe with Your radiance. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.19 for daily life?
Let natural forces remind you of divine vastness. Sunrise, moonlight, and fire can become daily reminders of Krishna’s universal presence.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.19 mean?
अनादिमध्यान्तम् — without beginning, middle or end; अनन्तवीर्यम् — of infinite power; अनन्तबाहुम् — with endless arms; शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् — with the moon and sun as eyes; पश्यामि त्वाम् — I see You.
Where does verse 11.19 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 19 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.20.