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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 11.27

Awe and terror at the universal form

अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रा:

सर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घै: ।

भीष्मो द्रोण: सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ

सहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यै: ॥ २६ ॥

वक्‍त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति

दंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि ।

केचिद्विलग्न‍ा दशनान्तरेषु

सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गै: ॥ २७ ॥

amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ

sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ

bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau

sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ

vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti

daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni

kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu

sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ

Translation

All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with their allied kings, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa – and our chief soldiers also – are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.

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.

Arjuna Sees the Warriors’ Fate

  1. 1Arjuna sees warriors from both sides rushing into the Lord’s fearful mouths, some with heads smashed between His teeth.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that this shows Arjuna will be victorious after nearly all those assembled at Kurukṣetra die.
  3. 3Even Bhīṣma, thought to be unconquerable, will be destroyed, along with Karṇa and great warriors on Arjuna’s side.

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 11.27 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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The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 11 ›
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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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