In Bhagavad Gita 11.25, Arjuna says that seeing Krishna’s mouths with terrible teeth, blazing like the fire of time’s end, he loses his bearings and finds no refuge, and asks him to be gracious.
Sanskrit Verse
अर्जुन उवाच · Arjuna said
दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि
दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि
दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म
प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ॥ ११-२५ ॥
daṃṣṭrākarālāni ca te mukhāni
dṛṣṭvaiva kālānalasannibhāni
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma
prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa
English transliteration damshtraakaraalaani cha te mukhaani
drishtvaiva kaalaanalasannibhaani
disho na jaane na labhe cha sharma
praseeda devesha jagannivaasa ॥ 11.25 ॥
Translation / Meaning
Having seen Your mouths, terrible with teeth, like the fires of cosmic dissolution, I have lost my sense of direction and find no shelter. Be gracious, O Lord of the gods, refuge of the universe.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दंष्ट्राकरालानि daṃṣṭrākarālāni | terrible with teeth daṃṣṭrā (teeth) + karālāni (terrible) |
| च ca | and |
| ते te | Your |
| मुखानि mukhāni | mouths |
| दृष्ट्वा dṛṣṭvā | having seen |
| एव eva | indeed |
| कालानलसन्निभानि kālānalasannibhāni | like the fires of cosmic dissolution kāla (time, dissolution) + anala (fire) + sannibhāni (like) |
| दिशः diśaḥ | directions |
| न na | not |
| जाने jāne | I know |
| न na | not |
| लभे labhe | I find |
| च ca | and |
| शर्म śarma | shelter |
| प्रसीद prasīda | be gracious |
| देवेश deveśa | O Lord of the gods deva (gods) + īśa (Lord) |
| जगन्निवास jagannivāsa | refuge of the universe jagat (universe) + nivāsa (refuge) |
Word-wise Chanting
- daṃṣ–ṭrā–ka–rā–lā–ni ca te mu–khā–ni 11 syllables damsh-traa-ka-raa-laa-ni cha te mu-khaa-ni
- dṛṣ–ṭvai–va kā–lā–na–la–san–ni–bhā–ni | 11 syllables drish-tvai-va kaa-laa-na-la-san-ni-bhaa-ni
- di–śo na jā–ne na la–bhe ca śar–ma 11 syllables di-sho na jaa-ne na la-bhe cha shar-ma
- pra–sī–da de–ve–śa ja–gan–ni–vā–sa || 11-25 11 syllables pra-see-da de-ve-sha ja-gan-ni-vaa-sa
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 11 Verse 25
Context
Arjuna’s fear leads him to plead for grace (11.23–11.25).
Meaning
The mouths are like kālānala, the fire that consumes the world at the end of time. Arjuna loses his bearings: he does not know the directions and cannot find śarma, refuge. He cries out prasīda, be gracious, calling the Divine the refuge of the very universe that frightens him.
In fear, Arjuna turns to the source of the fear itself for refuge. The Divine is both the terrifying and the merciful; the one we fear is also the one who shelters.
In Practice
In a fearful moment today, turn toward the Divine and say, “Be gracious.”
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 11: Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (The Vision of the Universal Form). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.