आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद ।विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ॥
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo namo 'stu te deva-vara prasīda |vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṃ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim ||
- आख्याहि · ākhyāhi
- tell, declare
- कः भवान् · kaḥ bhavān
- who are you
- उग्ररूपः · ugra-rūpaḥ
- of fierce form
- नमः अस्तु · namaḥ astu
- homage be
- देववर · deva-vara
- O best of gods
- प्रसीद · prasīda
- be gracious
- आद्यम् · ādyam
- primeval
- प्रवृत्तिम् · pravṛttim
- working, intent, course
“Tell me — who are you, of fierce form? Homage to you, O best of gods, be gracious. I wish to know you, the primeval one, for I do not grasp the course of your working.”
— Original plain-language translation
The friend has become a stranger: Arjuna asks 'who are you?' of the one he has known for years. The question invites Krishna's most awesome self-naming in the next verse — Time itself.
— Reader's notes (original)