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BG 11.31 — 11.31 Tell me, who Thou art, so fierce of form. Salutations to Thee, O God Supreme: have mercy. I desire to know Thee, the original Being. I know not indee
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आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद |
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं
न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ||११-३१||

ākhyāhi me ko bhavānugrarūpo namo.astu te devavara prasīda . vijñātumicchāmi bhavantamādyaṃ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim ||11-31||


11.31 Tell me, who Thou art, so fierce of form. Salutations to Thee, O God Supreme: have mercy. I desire to know Thee, the original Being. I know not indeed Thy working.

Word-by-word meanings

11.31 आख्याहि tell? मे me? कः who (art)? भवान् Thou? उग्ररूपः fierce in form? नमः salutation? अस्तु be? ते to Thee? देववर O God Supreme? प्रसीद have mercy? विज्ञातुम् to know? इच्छामि (I) wish? भवन्तम् Thee? आद्यम् the original Being? न not? हि indeed? प्रजानामि (I) know? तव Thy? प्रवृत्तिम् doing.No Commentary.

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

11.31 Akhyahi, tell; me; kah, who; bhavan, You are; ugrarupah, fierce in form. Namah, salutation; astu, be; te, to You; deva-vara, O supreme God, foremost among the gods. Prasida, be gracious. Icchami, I desire; vijnatum, to fully know; bhavantam, You; adyam, who are the Primal One, who exist in the beginning. Hi, for; na prajanami, I do not understand; tava, Your; pravrttim, actions!

Swami Gambirananda

11.31 Tell me who You are, fierce in form. Salutation be to you, O supreme God; be gracious. I desire to fully know You who are the Prima One. For I do not understand Your actions!

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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