अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥
athavā bahunaitena kiṃ jñātena tavārjuna | viṣṭabhyāham idaṃ kṛtsnam ekāṃśena sthito jagat ||
- अथवा · athavā
- but, however
- बहुना · bahunā
- with much
- एतेन ज्ञातेन · etena jñātena
- with this knowing
- किम् · kim
- what use
- तव · tava
- for you
- अर्जुन · arjuna
- O Arjuna
- विष्टभ्य · viṣṭabhya
- upholding, pervading
- इदम् कृत्स्नम् जगत् · idam kṛtsnam jagat
- this entire world
- एकांशेन · ekāṃśena
- with a single fragment
- स्थितः · sthitaḥ
- I abide
“But what use is all this knowing to you in detail, O Arjuna? Upholding this entire world with a single fragment of myself, I abide.”
— Original plain-language translation
The chapter's thunderclap: the whole glittering list is a speck beside the whole. One fragment upholds all worlds — and he exceeds even that. Arjuna's awe here opens the door to the cosmic vision of Chapter 11.
— Reader's notes (original)