Chapter 11 Verse 17

I see You with the diadem, club, and discus, a mass of radiance shining everywhere, very hard to look at, blazing all around like a burning fire and the sun, and immeasurable.

Core Meaning

Arjuna describes a vision of the divine that is brilliantly radiant and impossible to stare at. The crown, mace, and discus are symbols of power and authority; the endless light shows that the divine fills all directions and cannot be contained by the senses.

This verse points to the idea that ultimate reality is both awe-inspiring and beyond ordinary perception. The divine can appear beautiful and terrifying at once, because it holds the power to create, preserve, and destroy without limit.

Seeing this vast, immeasurable presence invites humility and surrender. It reminds us that our usual ways of judging and controlling things are small compared with the larger life-process that the vision represents.

Life Application

• When overwhelmed, pause and breathe; remember there is a wider reality beyond your immediate worry. This steadies judgment and reduces panic.
• Treat power and change with respect rather than fear—accept endings and new beginnings as part of a larger flow.
• Cultivate humility: admit what you cannot control and choose actions from calm awareness instead of reactivity.

Reflection Question

What feels larger than you right now, and how would acknowledging it change your response?