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Chapter 11 · The Universal Form · 55 verses

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Questions & crisisChapter 11 · The Universal Form

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 11.21

Awe and terror at the universal form

अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घा विशन्ति

केचिद्भ‍ीता: प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति ।

स्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घा:

स्तुवन्ति त्वां स्तुतिभि: पुष्कलाभि: ॥ २१ ॥

amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā viśanti

kecid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti

svastīty uktvā maharṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ

stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ

Translation

All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying “All peace!” are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Prayers Before the Universal Form

  1. 1The demigods surrender and enter into You, while great sages and perfected beings sing Vedic hymns, praying for peace.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that the demigods feared the universal form and its dazzling light, so they prayed for protection.
  3. 3When afraid, we can pray to the Lord for protection.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 11, The Universal Form: awe and terror at the universal form.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Honest questions open the way to wisdom.

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Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: saṁśaya, viṣāda.

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Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 11.21 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to questions & crisis?

Practice

Write down the real question behind your current dilemma.

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Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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