Shloka

अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य-
मनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् |
पश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रं
स्वतेजसा विश्वमिदं तपन्तम् ||११-१९||

Transliteration

anādimadhyāntamanantavīryam anantabāhuṃ śaśisūryanetram .
paśyāmi tvāṃ dīptahutāśavaktraṃ svatejasā viśvamidaṃ tapantam ||11-19||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

11.19. I observe You having to beginning, no middle and no end; having infinite creative power, and infinite arms; as havig the moon and the sun for Your eyes, and the blazing fire for Your mouth; [and] as acorching this universe with Your rediance.

Shri Purohit Swami

11.19 Without beginning, without middle and without end, infinite in power, Thine arms all-embracing, the sun and moon Thine eyes, Thy face beaming with the fire of sacrifice, flooding the whole universe with light.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

11.19 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.

Sri Ramanuja

11.19 I behold You as without beginning, middle and end. Your might is infinite, of unsurpassed excellence. Here the term ‘might’ is used for illustration. The meaning is that You are the sole repository of knowledge, strength, sovereignty, valour, power and glory, one whose excellence cannot be surpassed. Your arms are infinite, i.e., they are countless. This is also for illustration, implying that You have an infinite number of arms, stomachs, feet, mouths etc. The sun and moon are Your eyes; all Your eyes are like the moon and the sun, beaming with grace and power. The grace is directed towards the devotees like the gods who offer salutations etc., and power is directed against Asuras, Raksasas etc., who are opposed to these. For it will be said later on: ‘The Raksasas flee on all sides in fear, and all the hosts of Siddhas bow down to You’ (11.36). Your mouth is emitting fire, namely, the fire appropriate for destroying all things, as the Fire of Time consumes the world at the time of dissolution. With Your own radiance You are warming the universe. By radiance (Tejas) is meant the poweer to vanish others. I behold You warming (or governing) the universe with Your own radiance. The meaning is this: ‘I directly realise You’ as taught before as the Creator of all, as the supporter of everything, as the sovereign over everything, as the destroyer of everything, as the ocean of knowledge and other infinite attributes, as without beginning, middle and end, and as possessing a divine body of this nature. How, in one divine body, can there be many stomachs etc.? This is possible in the following way: From a hip of infinite extent, stomachs etc., as described, branc off upwards. The divine feet etc., branch off downwards. So there is no contradiction in attributing a pair of eyes for each face.

‘On perceiving You to be thus, the gods etc., and myself, have become frightened - says Arjuna in the following words:

Sri Shankaracharya

11.19 Pasyami, I see; tvam, You; as anadi-madhya-antam, without beginning, middle and end; ananta-viryam, possessed of infinite valour; and also ananta-bahum, having innumerable arms; sasi-surya-netram, having the sun and the moon as the eyes; dipta-hutasavakram, having a mouth like a blazing fire; tapantam, heating up; idam, this; visvam, Universe; sva-tejasa, by Your own birlliance.

Swami Adidevananda

11.19 I behold You as without beginning, middle and end. Your might is infinite. You are endowed with an endless number of arms. The sun and moon are Your eyes. Your mouth is emitting burning fire. With Your own radiance You are warning the whole universe.

Swami Gambirananda

11.19 I see You as without beginning, middle and end, possessed of infinite valour, having innumerable arms, having the sun and the moon as eyes, having a mouth like a blazing fire, and heating up this Universe by Your own brilliance.

Swami Sivananda

11.19 I see Thee without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power, of endless arms, the sun and the moon being Thy eyes, the burning fire Thy mouth, heating the whole universe with Thy radiance.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

11.19 अनादिमध्यान्तम् without beginning? middle or end? अनन्तवीर्यम् infinite in power? अनन्तबाहुम् of endless arms? शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् Thy eyes as the sun and the moon? पश्यामि (I) see? त्वाम् Thee? दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रम् Thy mouth as the burning fire? स्वतेजसा with Thy radiance? विश्वम् the universe? इदम् this? तपन्तम् heating.Commentary Anantabahu Having endless arms. This denotes that the multiplicity of His limbs are endless.