BG 11.30 — Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 11.30Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · triṣṭubh

लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल् लोकान् समग्रान् वदनैर् ज्वलद्भिः ।

तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत् समग्रं भासस् तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ॥

lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl

lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ

tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṃ

bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Your blazing mouths lick and swallow the worlds whole, and your fierce radiance fills the entire universe, scorching all of it, O Vishnu.

ekras · bhāṣya

You lick all around, swallowing the entire lokas with blazing mouths. Filling the entire jagat with tejas, Your ugra radiances scorch, Vishno. Three verbs: lelihyase — licking; grasamanah — swallowing; pratapanti — scorching. The form's consuming activity is now total.

Shankara reads each verb precisely. Lelihyase — lick — names the cosmic person tasting what comes into the mouths. Grasamanah samantat — swallowing on every side — names the consuming as universal. Tejobhih apurya jagat samagram — filling the entire jagat with the tejas — confirms that the consuming is not localized but pervasive. Bhasah tava ugrah pratapanti — Your fierce radiances scorch. The verse spares nothing in naming what the form is doing.

Madhusudana reads with characteristic precision: the verbs are the chapter's most direct cosmic-violence vocabulary. The verse is the disciple's full report of what is being seen; the disciple's plea in the next verse follows naturally.

Ramanuja reads with characteristic seriousness: Bhagavan as the cosmic kala is fully revealed here. The verbs are not metaphors; they describe what the form actually does at the cosmic scale.

Madhva reads on the bheda-frame: svatantra Hari's manifest sovereign action of dissolution is fully visible.

Vallabha reads through pushti-marga: the prasada's terrible aspect is now total; the bhakta is being shown the whole picture.

Shridhara reads cleanly: lick, swallow, fill, scorch — all four together.

Context

where

Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga · meter triṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 11.29

As moths rush headlong into a blazing fire and are destroyed, so all these people rush into your mouths with the same fierce momentum, to the same end.

What's going on

Your blazing mouths lick and swallow the worlds whole, and your fierce radiance fills the entire universe, scorching all of it, O Vishnu.

Sūtras through this verse (46)

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerbetween

11.18Sat names the union of the two powers.───→here11.30───→11.34Already slain — the question is finally retired.

RāmānujaclassicalB

The śāstra is one bracket (2.12 → 18.66)between

11.1Arjuna confirms the bracket from inside.───→here11.30───→18.66The teaching closes with one command.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlybetween

10.14Faith comes only from the Lord's own giving.───→here11.30───→11.55Grace-soul acts only when the Lord wills.

show all 46

AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionbetween

11.1Now: experience what was taught.───→here11.30───→11.55See the world as Śiva's own body.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerbetween

11.8The eye is given, never earned by work.───→here11.30───→11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departurebetween

9.4He pervades, yet is not in any of it.───→here11.30───→11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalG

Saṃvit: one referent under many namesbetween

8.3Brahman, ātman, all facets of one Lord.───→here11.30───→11.34Consciousness itself swallows the cosmos.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalH

Bhakti as non-dual recognitionbetween

9.22Consciousness tending its own self-knowing modes.───→here11.30───→11.49Ananya bhakti is non-dual recognition.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalI

Anugraha: grace as the active powerbetween

11.8The eye is given; seeing is grace.───→here11.30───→11.35By grace-nature, the secret discloses itself.

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

11.1The aiśvarya-delusion now to be removed.───→here11.30───→12.1Sa-guṇa or nir-guṇa, which path wins?

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

9.27Whatever you do, do it as offering.───→here11.30───→11.55Five clauses, one shelter: mat-karma-kṛt.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionbetween

10.10I give the buddhi-yoga to those who love.───→here11.30───→11.54Undivided love beholds it.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyabetween

9.32Even the lowest birth reaches Me through this.───→here11.30───→11.55Five clauses for the one who is Mine.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

11.13Arjuna sees all at once.───→here11.30───→13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata similebetween

9.34Set toward Me, the seeker's whole posture.───→here11.30───→11.55He is the one telos.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvaraapproach

───→here11.30───→13.1One knower in every field — Parameśvara.

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktaapproach

───→here11.30───→13.20Both natures cause the body's binding.

Madhusūdanaclassicalmadhusudan_bhagavad_arpana

Madhusudan Bhagavad Arpanabetween · other

9.22Yogakshema as offering returned───→here11.30───→11.55Five offering-clauses

MadhusūdanaclassicalD

Offer the act to the Lord and it stops bindingbetween

9.22The undivided ones the Lord himself sustains.───→here11.30───→11.55The whole Gītā distilled to five offering-clauses.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

9.22Constant thought of Me is self-contemplation itself.───→here11.30───→11.55The five-clause crystal is bhakti named whole.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherbetween

11.1I worship the unborn, the self-luminous teacher.───→here11.30───→11.55With awe I praise him, Kāśirāja, my teacher.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

10.8From Me everything flows; wise ones know this and worship.───→here11.30───→11.55The crystal verse names the saguṇa in absolute form.

MadhusūdanaclassicalK

Arjuna's grief has two roots, not onebetween

11.1Arjuna marks the universal moha cured.───→here11.30───→18.73Confusion gone, memory gained — the cure complete.

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

11.16Aneka- is not just two-or-more.───→here11.30───→13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not just utterance.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsbetween

11.16Many-armed is Viṣṇu, not a pantheon.───→here11.30───→12.1Beyond avyakta is puruṣa, and Viṣṇu.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitbetween

9.25Each worship reaches its own destination.───→here11.30───→11.55Five-clause sādhana names the apex.

JayatīrthaclassicalG

Citation as proof — śruti, smṛti, MB, Aṣṭādhyāyī, Pañcarātrabetween

11.16Aṣṭādhyāyī 5.4.78 settles aneka-.───→here11.30───→15.1Aṣṭādhyāyī 3.2.4 settles aśvattha.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

11.16Aneka- means many; no upacāra needed.───→here11.30───→13.5Brahma-sūtra is text, not paraphrase.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markbetween

9.32The unsheltered take shelter and reach Me.───→here11.30───→11.54Undivided love — sādhana stripped, grace-clothed.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractbetween

9.32The unsheltered run to their cowherd-Lord.───→here11.30───→11.54The form revealed is Krishna in blue, not abstract.

VallabhaclassicalH

Stilling the mind — into the Lordbetween

6.47Stilling the mind into Vāsudeva — not into nothing.───→here11.30───→11.54Vision opens only to the love-stilled mind.

VallabhaclassicalI

A closed three-source citation gridbetween

9.32Even the unsheltered reach the highest goal.───→here11.30───→11.54Bhāgavata + Brahmasūtra fuse at the vision-verse.

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesbetween

11.21The cosmic-form catalogue is bracketed.───→here11.30───→11.45The frame, not the catalogue, carries the doctrine.

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

11.1By high compassion He showed the world-form.───→here11.30───→11.43Teacher, and teacher's teacher beyond compare.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homebetween

9.34Mind on Me, bowed to Me — you reach Me.───→here11.30───→11.54By undivided love alone — knowable, seen.

ŚrīdharaclassicalH

The grammar of single-pointednessbetween

9.22The undivided are my one foundation.───→here11.30───→11.54Undivided love alone unlocks the world-form.

ŚrīdharaclassicalD

The path that turns no one awayexit

9.32Women, śūdras, all, also reach the goal.───→here11.30───→

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsbetween

9.34Mind on Me, devoted — you reach Me.───→here11.30───→11.54Bhakti without rival is the seeing-instrument.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

9.1Chapter 7's residue of wonder forces 9's disclosure.───→here11.30───→11.54The saguṇa-bhakta privileged ahead of 12.1.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalJ

Sañjaya's frame — evidentiary, not ornamentalbetween

1.2Dṛṣṭvā tu — Sañjaya speaks to be heard later.───→here11.30───→11.50Sañjaya names the viśva-rūpa as witness.

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathbetween · v2

9.30Even the wrong-doer───→here11.30───→11.54Only by undivided bhakti

RamsukhdasclassicalF

Surrender — the single shelterbetween

9.30Even a great wrongdoer, fixed on Me, is good.───→here11.30───→11.55Five clauses join into one shelter.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here11.30───→

Ekrasmodernforgiveness

Forgivenessapproach · other

───→here11.30───→12.13Friendly, compassionate

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handbetween

9.22Pinky finger. Shraddha, faith. Gaurav lands shraddha with the Sushma Swaraj six-───→here11.30───→11.32Wrist, kalai. Kala, time. 'Kalo'smi loka-kshaya-krit pravriddhah.' Gaurav arrive

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingbetween

10.42With one part I pervade this whole world, and stand.───→here11.30───→11.55Acting for Me, holding Me supreme — that is the road.

Śabda · lemmas (15 unique · 16 occurrences)

लेलिह्यसे √lelih — to lick repeatedly (intens. of √lih) · present indicative pass 2nd person singular verb
प्रतपन्ति pra-√tap — (pra- + tap: to heat) · present indicative 3rd person plural verb
विष्णो viṣṇu — Viṣṇu (one of the Trimūrti) · vocative masculine singular noun · also at 11.24
समग्रान्·समग्रम् samagra ×2 — (sam- + agra: front) · accusative masculine plural noun / accusative neuter singular noun
ग्रसमानः √gras — to swallow, devour (verbal root) · nominative masculine singular present participle verb
लोकान् loka — world, realm; people · accusative masculine plural noun
ज्वलद्भिः √jval — to blaze, flame (verbal root) · instrumental neuter plural present participle verb
आपूर्य āpūray — to fill up (caus. of ā- + √pṝ) · conv

show all 15

समन्तात् samantāt — all around, on every side (abl. of samanta)
वदनैः vadana — face, mouth (from √vad) · instrumental neuter plural noun
तेजोभिः tejas — splendor, brilliance, energy · instrumental neuter plural noun
जगत् jagant — the world, the moving (universe) · accusative neuter singular noun
भासः bhās — to shine, appear (verbal root); light · nominative feminine plural noun
तव tvad — you (2nd person pronoun stem) · genitive singular noun
उग्राः ugra — fierce, terrible · nominative feminine plural noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01When we witness a force that simultaneously creates and destroys without any apparent moral distinction — war, pandemic, ecological collapse — what does it mean to call that force 'divine' rather than simply 'indifferent'?
02Arjuna is watching people he loves being swallowed alive; the Lord licks his lips. What does the text demand of us when beauty and horror are not merely adjacent but identical?

show all 7

03Each school hears a different emotion in the Lord's licking — Advaita hears the Self tasting itself, Rāmānuja hears wrathful sovereignty, Vallabha hears intimate sweetness. What does the fact that the same image accommodates all three tell us about how sacred texts function?
04The verse addresses the Lord as 'Viṣṇo' — pervader. If the one doing the devouring is simultaneously pervading all that is devoured, who is actually being consumed?
05Madhusūdana names specific individuals (Duryodhana and the others) in his gloss. What shifts when abstract cosmic consumption becomes the named annihilation of people you know?
06Śrīdhara and Madhusūdana both emphasize the scorching (pratapanti / santāpaṃ janayanti) of the universe by the Lord's own rays. How is the origin of suffering being located here — within the divine itself?
07The Viśiṣṭādvaita reading frames this as the fulfillment of Arjuna's own petition (11.4). When we ask to see the full truth and the full truth is unbearable, what do we do with having asked?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When you notice yourself consuming an experience — scrolling, eating, working past exhaustion — pause to ask: is the one who craves and the thing craved actually separate? The Advaita application is not to stop consuming but to see that the compulsion arises from imagining a hungry separate self where only the Self pervades. The licking stops when the taster and the tasted are recognized as one.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

In moments when your authority is challenged and you feel the impulse to assert it fully — at work, in a family dispute — Rāmānuja's reading asks: is this the exercise of real sovereignty, or the performance of it? True lordship (aiśvarya) does not need to devour; it fills the space with its own luminosity. The application is to lead from abundance (āpūrya, filling) rather than from appetite (lelihyase, licking).

show all 6

Dvaita

When facing systems or forces vastly more powerful than yourself — illness, institutional authority, market collapse — Madhva's framework offers a precise comfort: your dependence (paratantrya) on what is beyond you is not a failure of will. It is the actual structure of existence. The application is to act with full effort while releasing the fiction that the outcome depends on you alone.

Śuddhādvaita

In grief, when someone or something beloved is lost, the Puṣṭi-mārga application is counterintuitive: the Lord is not punishing you. He is drawing his own manifestation back into himself. The loss is real and the intimacy is real simultaneously. Vallabha's 'anyat spaṣṭam' (the rest is clear) is the practice — trust that what is taken was always his to take, and that the taking is not indifferent.

Bhakti

When overwhelmed by forces you cannot control or comprehend — a diagnosis, a betrayal, a systemic injustice — Śrīdhara's philological precision offers a strange stability: observe exactly what is happening (grasamānaḥ, swallowing; jvaladbhir, blazing) without metaphor. Name the event clearly. Devotional surrender does not require minimizing; it requires seeing clearly and choosing to remain in relationship with what you see.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's synthesis applies when you are both the intellectual who understands why suffering is inevitable (Advaita: multiplicity being consumed back into unity) and the person who is suffering anyway. The application is not to use the understanding to bypass the grief, but to let the understanding and the grief coexist — the devotee who knows and still trembles, who sees the Viṣṇu-pervasion and still weeps for Duryodhana.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 11, Verse 30: Krishna to Arjuna — Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga