Be gracious to me

daṃṣṭrākarālāni ca te mukhāni dṛṣṭvaiva kālānalasannibhānidiśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa

Seeing Your mouths like the fire at time's end, I lose my bearings and find no shelter. Be gracious, Lord of gods.

What it means

Arjuna sees mouths like kalanala, the fire that ends each age of the world. He can't tell north from south. He finds no shelter. And so he does the only thing left. Prasida. Be gracious, he begs. Lord of gods, the one in whom the whole world lives.

The story

The great archer has no plan, no strategy, nothing left but a prayer. Prasida, be kind to me. It's one of the most human words in the Gita.

In your life

Think of someone in a hospital corridor at night, praying simply, please. When you're overwhelmed, a simple request for grace is enough. Ask for help without needing the right words.