In Bhagavad Gita 11.30, Arjuna says Krishna licks up and devours the worlds on every side with flaming mouths, and his fierce rays fill the universe with radiance and scorch it.
Sanskrit Verse
अर्जुन उवाच · Arjuna said
लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल्-
लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः
तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं
भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ॥ ११-३० ॥
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl-
lokānsamagrānvadanairjvaladbhiḥ
tejobhirāpūrya jagatsamagraṃ
bhāsastavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo
English transliteration lelihyase grasamaanah samantaal-
lokaansamagraanvadanairjvaladbhih
tejobhiraapoorya jagatsamagram
bhaasastavograah pratapanti vishno ॥ 11.30 ॥
Translation / Meaning
You lick Your lips, devouring all the worlds on every side with Your flaming mouths. Filling the whole universe with radiance, Your fierce rays are scorching it, O Vishnu.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| लेलिह्यसे lelihyase | You lick |
| ग्रसमानः grasamānaḥ | devouring |
| समन्तात् samantāt | on every side |
| लोकान् lokān | worlds |
| समग्रान् samagrān | all |
| वदनैः vadanaiḥ | with mouths |
| ज्वलद्भिः jvaladbhiḥ | flaming |
| तेजोभिः tejobhiḥ | with radiance |
| आपूर्य āpūrya | filling |
| जगत् jagat | universe |
| समग्रम् samagram | whole |
| भासः bhāsaḥ | rays |
| तव tava | Your |
| उग्राः ugrāḥ | fierce |
| प्रतपन्ति pratapanti | scorch |
| विष्णो viṣṇo | O Viṣṇu |
Word-wise Chanting
- le–lih–ya–se gra–sa–mā–naḥ sa–man–tāl– 11 syllables le-lih-ya-se gra-sa-maa-nah sa-man-taal-
- lo–kān–sa–mag–rān–va–da–nair–jva–lad–bhiḥ | 11 syllables lo-kaan-sa-mag-raan-va-da-nair-jva-lad-bhih
- te–jo–bhi–rā–pūr–ya ja–gat–sa–mag–raṃ 11 syllables te-jo-bhi-raa-poor-ya ja-gat-sa-mag-ram
- bhā–sas–ta–vog–rāḥ pra–ta–pan–ti viṣ–ṇo || 11-30 11 syllables bhaa-sas-ta-vog-raah pra-ta-pan-ti vish-no
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 30
Context
Arjuna’s description of the devouring form reaches its peak (11.15–11.31).
Meaning
The cosmic form devours the worlds on every side. Its flaming radiance fills and scorches the entire universe. The Divine is revealed as the force of dissolution that consumes all.
This is the Divine as time and destruction, the counterpart of the Divine as creator. Every beginning has an end, and both belong to the same reality.
In Practice
Accept one ending in your life today, a habit, a phase or a possession, as part of the Divine order.
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.