Every direction can become prayer.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
नमः पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्तेनमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व |अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वंसर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्वः ||११-४०||
namaḥ purastādatha pṛṣṭhataste namo.astu te sarvata eva sarva . anantavīryāmitavikramastvaṃ sarvaṃ samāpnoṣi tato.asi sarvaḥ ||11-40||
Use this verse for four-direction gratitude.
Meaning
Salutations to You from the front and from behind; salutations to You from every side, O all. Your power and valor are infinite; You pervade all, therefore You are all.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna bows to Krishna in every direction.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
When the Divine is seen everywhere, worship becomes all-directional. There is no direction where Krishna is absent.
Read the traditional commentary
Arjuna's adoration becomes total, encircling the Divine from every direction: namah purastat, salutations in front; prsthatah, behind; sarvatah eva, from every side. He addresses Krishna simply as Sarva — 'O All' — for there is no place where the Divine is not. The worshipper turns and bows, and turns and bows again, until all directions are filled with reverence.
The verse culminates in one of the Gita's grandest declarations: sarvam samapnosi tatah asi sarvah — 'You pervade everything, therefore You are everything.' This is not vague pantheism but a precise recognition born of direct vision. Because the Divine penetrates and fills all that exists, all that exists is ultimately the Divine.
Arjuna has arrived at the heart of the cosmic teaching. The fear of earlier verses has fully transformed into encircling love. To bow in every direction is to acknowledge that wherever we turn, in front or behind, we stand in the presence of the One who is all.
In daily life
Remember Krishna wherever you turn.
A person can practice a four-direction gratitude pause in the morning.
Try this today
Turn in four directions and offer gratitude.
Krishna surrounds and pervades my life.Reflect
Where do I forget Krishna’s presence?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘अमितविक्रमः’ 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 9.16When you see the Divine in every part of an act, life itself becomes a seamless, sacred offering.
- Verse 13.27Every living thing arises from the meeting of matter and consciousness — a shared sacred origin uniting all life.
- Verse 7.9The same divine life glows in every creature and fuels every sincere effort — let that recognition deepen your reverence.
Swipe left for 11.41 · Love needs reverence.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.40
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.40, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.40, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.40 mean?
Salutations to You from the front and from behind; salutations to You from every side, O all. Your power and valor are infinite; You pervade all, therefore You are all. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.40 for daily life?
Remember Krishna wherever you turn. A person can practice a four-direction gratitude pause in the morning.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.40 mean?
नमः पुरस्तात् — salutations in front; अथ पृष्ठतः ते — and behind You; नमः अस्तु ते सर्वतः एव — salutations to You from every side; सर्व — O All; अनन्तवीर्य — of infinite power.
Where does verse 11.40 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 40 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.41.