Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 11: The Vision of the Cosmic Form
Bhagavad Gita 11.35
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य
कृताञ्जलिर्वेपमानः किरीटी ।
नमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं
सगद्गदं भीतभीतः प्रणम्य ॥
etacchrutvā vacanaṃ keśavasya kṛtāñjalirvepamānaḥ kirīṭī | namaskṛtvā bhūya evāha kṛṣṇaṃ sagadgadaṃ bhītabhītaḥ praṇamya ||
Hearing these words of Krishna, Arjuna, trembling, with joined palms, bowed down and, very much afraid, spoke to Krishna again in a faltering voice.
Modern context
Sanjaya describes Arjuna trembling, palms joined, voice choked, deeply afraid, bowing again and again. It is a portrait of a man undone. And yet he speaks. Fear does not silence him entirely; it changes how he speaks. What follows is a hymn of praise, offered by someone who is shaking. Worship does not wait until we are composed.