Shloka 24
Puruṣottama-yoga
The Discipline of the Supreme Person) — Chapter 15 (Bhagavadgītā
नभ:स्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्ण व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् दृष्टवा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णोः
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram | dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntarātmā dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ ||
Wenn ich Dich sehe — bis an den Himmel ragend, lodernd, vielfarbig, mit weit aufgerissenen Mündern und großen, strahlenden Augen — erzittert mein Innerstes vor Furcht. O Viṣṇu, ich finde weder Standhaftigkeit noch Frieden.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and spiritual shock that can arise when finite human courage meets the infinite. Arjuna’s loss of calm shows that true dharma is not mere battlefield bravery; it requires inner steadiness and surrender when confronted with realities beyond ordinary moral calculation.
After Kṛṣṇa reveals the cosmic form (viśvarūpa), Arjuna beholds a sky-reaching, blazing, multicolored vision with gaping mouths and radiant eyes. Overwhelmed by awe and fear, he confesses that his heart trembles and he cannot find mental firmness or peace, addressing the Lord as Viṣṇu.