Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 11, Verse 36
अर्जुन उवाच
स्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या
जगत् प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च।
रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति
सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घाः।।
स्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या
जगत् प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च।
रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति
सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घाः।।
arjuna uvāca
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā
jagat prahṛṣyaty anurajyate ca
rakṣānsi bhītāni diśo dravanti
sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saṅghāḥ
also searched as "sthane hrishikesha tava prakirtya"
Translation
Arjuna said, Rightly it is, O Krsna, that Your praise should move the world to joy and love. The rakshasas flee in fear on all sides, and all the hosts of siddhas bow down to You.
Vāṇi's rendering
Rightly the world rejoices in praising you. The demons scatter in terror; the perfected bow from every side.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| अर्जुनःarjuna | Arjuna |
| उवाचuvāca | said |
| स्थानेsthāne | fitting, rightly so — it is in its proper place |
| हृषीकेशhṛṣīkeśa | O Krishna, master of the senses |
| तवtava | your |
| प्रकीर्त्याprakīrtyā | by the praising of your glory |
| जगत्jagat | the world |
| प्रहृष्यतिprahṛṣyati | rejoices, thrills with delight (joined to the next word by sandhi) |
| अनुरज्यतेanurajyate | is drawn to you in love |
| चca | and |
| रक्षांसिrakṣānsi | the demons, the devouring ones |
| भीतानिbhītāni | terrified |
| दिशःdiśaḥ | in all directions (final s softens to o before the next word) |
| द्रवन्तिdravanti | run, scatter |
| सर्वेsarve | all |
| नमस्यन्तिnamasyanti | bow down |
| चca | and |
| सिद्धसङ्घाःsiddha-saṅghāḥ | the hosts of the perfected ones |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11 Verse 36 mean?
It is Arjuna's first word after the vision, and it is agreement. Sthāne — this is fitting, this belongs. He sees the world thrill and love at Krishna's praise, the devouring powers flee, the perfected ones bow. One sight, two responses. Arjuna is no longer describing a form; he is consenting to it.
What does the line sthane hrishikesha tava prakirtya say?
Rightly, fittingly, the world rejoices in praising you. Arjuna is not flattering Krishna. He is confirming that the world's joy is accurate — that praise is the correct response to what he has just been shown, not an exaggeration of it. The universe's gladness is well placed.
Why do the demons flee while the perfected ones bow?
Because the vision does not change; what meets it does. Whatever in you feeds on separateness cannot stand in that presence and runs. Whatever in you is already ripe recognises what it sees and lowers its head. The same immensity terrifies one and completes the other.
What can I take from this verse into an ordinary day?
Something will arrive today that is larger than your handle on it. Fear will offer itself first; it always does. But reverence is offered in the same instant, at the same cost. Learn to say sthāne — this is fitting — and you have stopped fleeing your own life.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
Arjuna has just seen everything, and the first word out of him is fitting. Not terrible, not save me — sthāne, it is right, it belongs. He has spent ten chapters arguing with what is. Now he looks at the whole and says: yes, this is as it should be. Notice what he sees in one breath. Some scatter in terror; some bow. The same vision, met two ways, and the difference is not in the vision. When something too large for you arrives, the terror and the reverence are both available. Which one you choose is the whole of your practice.