Repetition can express devotion beyond words.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
वायुर्यमोऽग्निर्वरुणः शशाङ्कःप्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च |नमो नमस्तेऽस्तु सहस्रकृत्वःपुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते ||११-३९||
vāyuryamo.agnirvaruṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ prajāpatistvaṃ prapitāmahaśca . namo namaste.astu sahasrakṛtvaḥ punaśca bhūyo.api namo namaste ||11-39||
Use this verse for repeated bowing practice.
Meaning
You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, Prajapati, and the great-grandfather. Salutations to You a thousand times; again and again, salutations to You.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna sees all divine powers as expressions of Krishna.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The verse becomes repeated surrender. When words cannot contain Krishna’s greatness, Arjuna repeats namah again and again.
Read the traditional commentary
Arjuna identifies Krishna with the great powers that govern existence: Vayu the wind, Yama the lord of death, Agni the fire, Varuna of the waters, the moon, Prajapati the lord of creatures, and the prapitamaha — the great-grandfather, the very origin of lineage. The forces men experience as separate elements and deities are all gathered into the one.
Overcome, Arjuna can no longer hold to philosophy; he breaks into pure salutation. Namo namah — 'salutations, salutations' — repeated a thousandfold, again and again, sahasra-krtvah. When understanding reaches its limit, language gives way to worship.
The mind that has named and analysed now simply bows, and bows again. This is the natural culmination of true knowledge: not endless explanation, but reverent prostration before the Mystery. There comes a point in every genuine spiritual journey where thought falls silent and only adoration remains, the heart repeating its 'salutations' to a Reality it can never fully comprehend but can wholly love.
In daily life
Use repeated prayer when the heart is full.
A person can repeat Namaste Krishna when overwhelmed with gratitude or awe.
Try this today
Repeat a simple Krishna salutation 11 times.
Again and again, I bow to Krishna.Reflect
What prayer do I want to repeat from the heart?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘नमः नमः ते अस्तु’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on praise, in other chapters
- Verse 10.15 · ArjunaThe Divine is known fully only by the Divine — so the sincere seeker turns to the Source itself for truth.
- Verse 6.31Once rooted in oneness and devotion, you abide in the Divine through every activity of daily life.
- Verse 7.16Whatever motive first turns you toward the Divine — pain, curiosity, or need — is a valid and welcomed beginning.
- Verse 9.14A devoted life is built from constant small acts of remembrance and reverence, woven steadily into the whole of one's days.
Swipe left for 11.40 · Every direction can become prayer.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.39
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.39, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.39, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.39 mean?
You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, Prajapati, and the great-grandfather. Salutations to You a thousand times; again and again, salutations to You. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.39 for daily life?
Use repeated prayer when the heart is full. A person can repeat Namaste Krishna when overwhelmed with gratitude or awe.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.39 mean?
वायुः — You are Vayu (wind); यमः — Yama (death); अग्निः — Agni (fire); वरुणः — Varuna (water); शशाङ्कः — the moon.
Where does verse 11.39 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 39 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.40.