ॐ

यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखाः द्रवन्ति। तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति।।11.28।।

yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ samudram evābhimukhā dravanti tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrā viśhanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 11, Verse 28
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Verily, just as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, so too these heroes in the world of men enter Thy flaming mouths.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: as many torrents of rivers rush toward the ocean, so do these heroes of the world rush into Krishna's blazing mouths, using a natural image, rivers converging into the sea, to describe an otherwise incomprehensible mass event.

In life: sometimes a natural, familiar image, water flowing toward the sea, a season changing, helps make an otherwise overwhelming, large-scale event feel at least slightly more comprehensible.

Teaching: when trying to make sense of a large-scale event that feels too big to fully grasp, reach for a natural, familiar image the way this verse does, it won't fully explain the event, but it can make it slightly more bearable to hold.

yathāas
nadīnāmof the rivers
bahavaḥmany
ambu-vegāḥwater waves
samudramthe ocean
evaindeed
abhimukhāḥtoward
dravantiflowing rapidly
tathāsimilarly
tavayour
amīthese
nara-loka-vīrāḥkings of human society
viśhantienter
vaktrāṇimouths
abhivijvalantiblazing

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
11.28 यथा as? नदीनाम् of rivers? बहवः many? अम्बुवेगाः watercurrents? समुद्रम् to the ocean? एव verily? अभिमुखाः towards? द्रवन्ति flow? तथा so? तव Thy? अमी these? नरलोकवीराः heroes in the world of men? विशन्ति enter? वक्त्राणि mouths? अभिविज्वलन्ति flaming.Commentary Ami These warriors such as Bhishma. Arjuna is now seeing all these warriors,whom he did not wish to kill? rushing to death. His delusion has vanished. He thinks now This battle cannot be avoided. It has the sanction of the Supreme Lord. Why should I worry about the inevitable The Lord has already destroyed these warriors. I am only an instrument in His hands. No sin can touch me even if I kill them. This is a just cause also.Why and how do they enter Arjuna says --