Shloka 16

Puruṣottama-yoga

The Discipline of the Supreme Person) — Chapter 15 (Bhagavadgītā

Devanagari script

अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतो5नन्तरूपम्‌ | नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप?

Transliteration

anekabāhūdaravaktranetram paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato 'nantarūpam | nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ paśyāmi viśveśvara viśvarūpa ||

Translation

Nakikita ko Ikaw na may di-mabilang na mga bisig, mga tiyan, mga bibig, at mga mata—isang anyong walang hanggan na umaabot sa lahat ng dako. O Panginoon ng sansinukob, O Anyong Pangkalahatan! Hindi ko matunton ang Iyong wakas, ni ang Iyong gitna, ni maging ang Iyong pasimula. Sa gitna ng digmaan, ang pangitain ni Arjuna ay lumihis mula sa paghatol sa larangan ng labanan ayon sa hangganan ng tao tungo sa pagkilala sa isang banal na realidad na lampas sa lahat ng sukat—na humihingi ng kababaang-loob at mapitagang pagsuko, sa halip na pagnanais na magkontrol o magtaglay ng katiyakan.

Word by Word

• {'aneka': 'many, numerous', 'bāhu': 'arm', 'udara': 'belly, abdomen', 'vaktra': 'mouth, face', 'netra': 'eye', 'paśyāmi': 'I see, I behold', 'tvām': 'You (accusative singular)', 'sarvataḥ': 'on all sides, everywhere', 'ananta-rūpam': 'of infinite form

• limitless in manifestation', 'na': 'not', 'anta': 'end, limit', 'madhya': 'middle, center', 'punar': 'again

• also/even', 'tava': 'Your', 'ādi': 'beginning, origin', 'viśveśvara': 'Lord of the universe', 'viśvarūpa': 'Universal Form (the all-encompassing cosmic form)'}

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Krishna (as Viśveśvara/Viśvarūpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the Divine (as the Universal Form) transcends all human categories of beginning, middle, and end. Ethically, it urges humility: one should not assume complete grasp over reality, especially when making grave choices in war and duty; instead, one aligns action with dharma while acknowledging the immeasurable divine order.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Kurukṣetra war discourse, Arjuna is granted a vision of Krishna’s Viśvarūpa. Overwhelmed, he describes seeing innumerable limbs and faces everywhere and admits he cannot locate any boundary or origin—signaling that the revelation is beyond ordinary perception and marks a turning point in Arjuna’s understanding.