After hearing Krishna’s words in Chapter 10 that “With a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support the entire universe” (10.42), Arjuna wishes to see that all pervasive form of the Lord.
Although Krishna is driving Arjuna’s chariot, He pervades and supports the entire universe. Arjuna therefore wishes to see Krishna’s all-pervading form. Thus, after two introductory verses, Arjuna asks Krishna to reveal His universal form.
Krishna replies, “Time I am, the destroyer of the world. The great warriors on both sides are already slain by My plan. You can be but an instrument. Arise and fight!”
arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna saidmat - anugrahāya—just to show me favorparamam—supremeguhyam—confidential subjectadhyātma—spiritualsaṁjñitam—in the matter ofyat—whattvayā—by Youuktam—saidvacaḥ—wordstena—by thatmohaḥ—illusionayam—thisvigataḥ—is removedmama—my .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
mad-anugrahāya paramaṁ
mat - anugrahāya
just to show me favor
paramam
supreme
guhyam adhyātma-saṁjñitam
guhyam
confidential subject
adhyātma
spiritual
saṁjñitam
in the matter of
yat tvayoktaṁ vacas tena
yat
what
tvayā
by You
uktam
said
vacaḥ
words
tena
by that
moho ’yaṁ vigato mama
mohaḥ
illusion
ayam
this
vigataḥ
is removed
mama
my .
Important Words
mat - anugrahāya—just to show me favor
Arjuna names the cause of his deliverance as Kṛṣṇa's anugraha, not his own merit. The Gītā's whole curriculum rests on this acknowledgment — knowledge dawns by grace, never by extraction.
guhyam—confidential subject
The same word Kṛṣṇa used in 9.1 and will use in 18.63–64. What was guhya is now guhyatama because Arjuna has heard it with surrender; the secrecy is in the hearer, not the speaker.
adhyātma—spiritual
Literally 'pertaining to the self.' Arjuna recognises that what he received was not philosophy but adhyātma — knowledge that bears directly on the ātman, not on argument.
mohaḥ—illusion
The same moha Arjuna confessed to in 2.7 (kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ). The arc from 'tell me' to 'my moha is gone' is the inner arc of the Gītā so far.
vigataḥ—is removed
Past passive — 'has been carried away.' Arjuna does not say he conquered the illusion; he says it has been removed. The grammar itself is humble.
Arjuna said: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about these most confidential spiritual subjects, my illusion has now been dispelled.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna acknowledges that Kṛṣṇa's teaching through ch. 10 has dispelled his confusion about who Kṛṣṇa really is. The chapter opens not with a fresh question but with grateful confession: the words alone have already done their work.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Opening of the Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga. Arjuna's mohaḥ — the same word that named his collapse in 2.7 — is now declared vigataḥ, lifted. Yet hearing is not seeing: this very confession sets up his coming request to behold the form he has only heard described. The chapter pivots from śravaṇa to darśana, from instruction to vision.
mad-anugrahāya tvayā paramaṃ guhyam adhyātma-saṃjñitaṃ yat vacaḥ uktaṃ tena mama ayaṃ mohaḥ vigataḥ |
By the supremely confidential teaching, designated as adhyātma (the science of the Self), which You have spoken for the sake of showing me favor — by that, this delusion of mine has departed.
This chapter reveals Kṛṣṇa as the cause of all causes. He is even the cause of the Mahā-viṣṇu, from whom the material universes emanate. Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation; He is the source of all incarnations. That has been completely explained in the last chapter. Now, as far as Arjuna is concerned, he says that his illusion is over. This means that Arjuna no longer thinks of Kṛṣṇa as a mere human being, as a friend of his, but as the source of everything. Arjuna is very enlightened and is glad that he has such a great friend as Kṛṣṇa, but now he is thinking that although he may accept Kṛṣṇa as the source of everything, others may not. So in order to establish Kṛṣṇa’s divinity for all, he is requesting Kṛṣṇa in this chapter to show His universal form. Actually when one sees the universal form of Kṛṣṇa one becomes frightened, like Arjuna, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that after showing it He converts Himself again into His original form. Arjuna agrees to what Kṛṣṇa has several times said: Kṛṣṇa is speaking to him just for his benefit. So Arjuna acknowledges that all this is happening to him by Kṛṣṇa’s grace. He is now convinced that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes and is present in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
1. Arjuna said: By Your mercy, my illusion concerning Your powers is gone, through hearing the words you spoke concerning the highest secret of your vibhūtis along with knowledge of the soul.
Commentary
In the eleventh chapter, Arjuna, seeing the universal form, praises it in reverence. When Kṛṣṇa shows Himself again, Arjuna becomes pleased.
At the end of the last chapter, hearing about one aṁśa of his dear friend, the adipuruṣa who is the shelter of all the vibhūtis, with the words viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat, Arjuna became submerged in the highest bliss and desired to see that form. He praises what the Lord has just spoken in three verses.
“The words spoken by You revealing vibhūtis present in Yourself (adhyātma) have removed my ignorance concerning Your powers (mohaḥ).” The word adhyātma is here taken as an avyayībhāva compound of adhi (in) and ātmā (self), meaning “in the self.”
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
1. Arjuna said: My illusion concerning Your powers is gone, by hearing the words You spoke out of mercy concerning the highest secret of Your vibhūtis residing in paramātmā.
Commentary
In the eleventh chapter, on seeing the universal form, Arjuna, frightened, begins to praise that form. By showing His original form, the Lord then gives bliss to Arjuna.
From the description of the Lord’s vibhūtis beginning with aham ātmā guḍākeśa sarva-bhūtāśaya-sthitaḥ and concluding with viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam (BG 20-42), understanding that the shelter of all the vibhūtis (mahā viṣṇu), the puruṣa who creates the mahattattva, was an avatāra of Kṛṣṇa, and seeing that the source of all the avatāras including Maha Viṣṇu was standing in front of him, Arjuna, submerged in an ocean of friendly bliss, and desiring to see that puruṣa about whom Kṛṣṇa had just spoken, then began to speak.
My bewilderment was expressed in the words “O master of yoga māyā, by what method of thinking can I know you at all times? How should I think of you with devotion in various objects, O Lord?” (BG 10.17) That bewilderment is now gone by the words You spoke to show mercy to me—words which manifested (saṁjñitam) the description of the vibhūtis in You, paramātmā (adhyātma). These vibhūtis are very secret, not understood by anyone except Yourself.
Adhyātma functions as an inclinable compound meaning “in the paramātmā.”
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Arjuna acknowledges Krishna’s grace – By hearing everything that Krishna has said, Arjuna’s illusion
has been removed
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.1 Ayam, this; mahah, delusion; mama, of mine; vigatah, has departed, i.e., my non-discriminating idea has been removed; tena, as a result of that; vacah, speech of Yours; which is paramam, most, supremely; guhyam, secret; and adhyatma-sanjnitam, known as pertaining to the Self-dealing with discrimination between the Self and the non-Self; and yat, which; was uktam, uttered; tvaya, by You; madanugrahaya, for my benefit, out of favour for me.
Further,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.1 Arjuna said To show favour to me, who is deluded by the misconception that the body is the self, these words of supreme mystery concerned with the self, i.e., which is a proper description of the self, have been spoken by You in words beginning from 'There was never a time when I did not exist' (2.12) and ending with, 'Therefore, O Arjuna, become a Yogin' (6.46). By that this delusion of mine about the self is entirely removed.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.1 Now Arjuna seeks to perceive, with his own sense-organ (11.eye), what has been taught in the last chapter. The subject matter, learnt through the [teacher's] instructions, becomes ite clear if it is grasped by the knowledge of perception. For that end only the following conversation is made -
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.1 Arjuna said By this word (explanation) of the highest secret concerning the Self which Thou hast spoken, for the sake of blessing me, my delusion is gone.
Commentary
11.1 मदनुग्रहाय for the sake of blessing me? परमम् the highest? गुह्यम् the secret? अध्यात्मसंज्ञितम् called Adhyatma? यत् which? त्वया by Thee? उक्तम् spoken? वचः word? तेन by that? मोहः delusion? अयम् this? विगतः gone? मम my.Commentary After hearing the glories of the Lord? Arjuna has an intense longing to have the wonderful vision of the Cosmic Form with his own eyes. His bewilderment and delusion have now vanished.Adhyatma That which treats of the discrimination between the Self and the notSelf metaphysics.I was worried about the sin involved in killing my relations and preceptors. I had the ideas? I am the agent in killing them they are to be killed by me.This delusion has vanished now after receiving Thy most profound and valuable instructions. Thou hast dispelled this delusion of ignorance from me.The vision of the Cosmic Form is not the ultimate goal. If that were so? the Gita would have ended with this chapter. The vision of the Cosmic Form is also one more in a series of graded experiences. It is a terrible experience too. That is the reason why Arjuna said to the Lord? stammering with fear What an awful form Thou hast I have seen that which none hath seen before. My heart is glad? yet faileth me on account of fear. Show me? O God? Thine other form again. O God of gods? support of all the worlds? let me see Thy form with the diadem? and with the mace and discus in Thy hands. Again I wish to see Thee as before assume Thy fourarmed form? O Lord of thousand arms and of forms innumerable.Arjuna heard the Lords statement? viz.? Having pervaded this whole universe with one fragment of Myself? I remain. This induced him to have the vision of the Lords Cosmic Form. He says? O Lord of compassion? Thou hast taught me the spiritual wisdom which can hardly be found in the Vedas. Thou hast saved me. My delusion has disappeared. Thou hast disclosed to me the nature of the Supreme Self? the secrets of Nature and Thy divine glories. My greatest ambition at the present moment is that I should behold with my own eyes Thy entire Cosmic Form.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.1 Arjuna said This delusion of mine has departed as a result of that speech which is most secret and known as pertaining to the Self, and which was uttered by You for my benefit.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.1 "Arjuna said: My Lord! Thy words concerning the Supreme Secret of Self, given for my blessing, have dispelled the illusions which surrounded me.
When the most confidential teaching has been received, the heart's residual delusion lifts — but the soul is then drawn to want to see what it has heard.
Practical Applications
Welcome the natural movement from hearing to wanting to see.
Don't rush from understanding to demand for vision; let it ripen.
Notice when delusion lifts and trust the new clarity.
Reflection Questions
What recent hearing has actually lifted some delusion in me?
What 'wanting to see' does it stir?
Analogy
When the lamp is brought into a long-shut room, the shadows do not have to be argued with — they simply go. Arjuna does not announce that his doubt is conquered; he announces that the lamp has been lit, and the conquest follows.
Stories
Naciketas after the Third Boon
When Yama at last yielded the knowledge of the self in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, Naciketas did not need to add anything. The boy stood by the death-god's chariot, freed of every illusion, and the text records that he became virajaḥ — dust-free — and entered the supreme abode of Viṣṇu (tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam, Kaṭha 1.3.9). The Brahman he reached is the bodily effulgence of Bhagavān, not a featureless merger.
Arjuna's mood at BG 11.1 is the same. The teaching has done its work; the heart confirms it; only now the eye wishes to see Whose effulgence he has been hearing about.
भवाप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशो मया ।
त्वत्त: कमलपत्राक्ष माहात्म्यमपि चाव्ययम् ॥ २ ॥
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ
[bhavaapyayau hi bhootaanaam]
śrutau vistaraśo mayā
[shrutau vistarasho mayaa]
tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣa
[tvattah kamala-patraaksha]
māhātmyam api cāvyayam
[maahaatmyam api chaavyayam]
Word-for-word
bhava—appearanceapyayau—disappearancehi—certainlybhūtānām—of all living entitiesśrutau—have been heardvistaraśaḥ—in detailmayā—by metvattaḥ—from Youkamala - patra - akṣa—O lotus-eyed onemāhātmyam—gloriesapi—alsoca—andavyayam—inexhaustible .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ
bhava
appearance
apyayau
disappearance
hi
certainly
bhūtānām
of all living entities
śrutau vistaraśo mayā
śrutau
have been heard
vistaraśaḥ
in detail
mayā
by me
tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣa
tvattaḥ
from You
kamala - patra - akṣa
O lotus-eyed one
māhātmyam api cāvyayam
māhātmyam
glories
api
also
ca
and
avyayam
inexhaustible .
Important Words
bhava—appearance
Bhava and apyaya together cover the whole life of every entity. Arjuna is signalling that he has heard Kṛṣṇa's cosmology (chapters 7–10) and is ready to see its source.
apyayau—disappearance
Dual locative. Birth and dissolution treated as a pair — the same Lord presides over both. The dual form refuses to split creation from destruction.
kamala - patra - akṣa—O lotus-petal-eyed one
A vocative of intimate praise. Even as Arjuna is about to ask for the awful viśva-rūpa, he addresses Kṛṣṇa first by His lotus-eyed sweetness — the request for the terrible is framed by the tender.
māhātmyam—glories
Not mere mahattva (greatness) but māhātmya — glory as ontological status. Arjuna has heard not Kṛṣṇa's adjectives but His being.
avyayam—inexhaustible
A favourite Gītā word for the Lord and the self. Glory that cannot be spent — what Arjuna has heard cannot be exhausted by hearing alone, which is precisely why he must now ask to see.
O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible glories.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna recalls the cosmological survey of ch. 7-10: he has heard from Kṛṣṇa Himself about how all beings emerge and dissolve, and about the unending divine greatness. The vocative 'lotus-eyed' tenderizes the address — gratitude precedes the daring request that follows.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Two technical terms recap what was taught: bhava-apyayau (emergence-dissolution, the cycle of manifestation handled in ch. 7-10) and avyaya māhātmya (the inexhaustible glory exhibited in the vibhūti-yoga of ch. 10). Arjuna's emphasis on 'from You' (tvattaḥ) underlines that this is direct, not borrowed, knowledge — a precondition for asking to see what he has heard.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे कमल-पत्र-अक्ष! भूतानां भव-अप्ययौ अव्ययं माहात्म्यम् अपि च मया त्वत्तः विस्तरशः हि श्रुतौ ।
he kamala-patra-akṣa! bhūtānāṃ bhava-apyayau avyayaṃ māhātmyam api ca mayā tvattaḥ vistaraśaḥ hi śrutau |
O lotus-petal-eyed one, the origin and dissolution of beings, and also Your inexhaustible greatness, have indeed been heard by me from You in detail.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
भव-अप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशः मया । त्वत्तः कमल-पत्र-अक्ष माहात्म्यम् अपि च अव्ययम् ॥
bhava-apyayau hi bhūtānāṃ śrutau vistaraśaḥ mayā | tvattaḥ kamala-patra-akṣa māhātmyam api ca avyayam ||
Arjuna addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as “lotus-eyed” (Kṛṣṇa’s eyes appear just like the petals of a lotus flower) out of his joy, for Kṛṣṇa has assured him, in a previous chapter, ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā: “I am the source of the appearance and disappearance of this entire material manifestation.” Arjuna has heard of this from the Lord in detail. Arjuna further knows that in spite of His being the source of all appearances and disappearances, He is aloof from them. As the Lord has said in the Ninth Chapter, He is all-pervading, yet He is not personally present everywhere. That is the inconceivable opulence of Kṛṣṇa which Arjuna admits that he has thoroughly understood.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
2. O lotus-eyed one, in detail I have heard about the creation and dissolution of all beings arising through You, as well as how You remain unaffected as well.
Commentary
I have heard plenty about the creation and destruction of the living entities coming from You (tvattaḥ) in the middle six chapters, in such statements as ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā: I am the creation and destruction of the universe. And I have also heard how You remain aloof and unaffected in spite of being the creator and destroyer (māhātmyam avyayam), in such verses as mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: I am pervading all this universe; and na ca māṁ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti: these actions do not bind Me.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
2. O lotus-eyed one, many times I have heard from You about the creation and dissolution of all beings arising through You, about Your great powers, as well as how You remain unaffected.
Commentary
O louts-eyed Lord! Those two eyes are long and reddish at the tips like lotus petals, and their beauty is intensified by Your intense prema for Your devotees!
I have heard from You directly (tvattaḥ) many times (vistaraśaḥ) about the creation and dissolution of all beings caused by You (tvattaḥ). I have heard about Your eternal powers (avyayam māhātymam) in such words as ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā: I am the creation and destruction of the whole universe. (BG 7.6) And I have heard from You also that, though You are the creator of everything, You do not undergo change (avyayam); though You are the controller of all, You do not associate with and become affected by the controlled entities. This You have stated in such verses as mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: I pervade the whole universe; all beings are in Me, but I am not in them. (BG 9.4)
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
In the first six chapters of Bhagavad‑gita it was described about every living entity. What is the body? What is the soul? How to remove sorrow due to grieving for what is not worthy of grief?
And in the second six chapters up to this point, Arjuna heard Krsna's amazing glories. That He is the origin and dissolution of the creation of the all universe. He has heard that Krsna is inexhaustible, the ruler and all prakrti is under Him. He has heard all these things.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Arjuna expresses his understanding that “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.2 Kamala-partraksa, O You with eyes like lotus leaves; bhava-apyayau, the origin and dissolution- these two; bhutanam, of beings; srutau, have been heard; maya, by me; vistarasah, in detail-not in brief; tvattah, from You. Ca, and; (Your) avyayam, undecaying; mahatmyam, glory, too;-has been heard-(these last words) remain understood.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.2 Likewise, beginning from the seventh, and ending with the tenth discourse, the origination and dissolution of all beings other than You, as issuing from You, the Supreme Self, have been heard at length by me. Your unlimited greatness, immutable and eternal, Your principalship (Sesitva) over all sentient and non-sentient things, Your supreme greatness consisting of the host of auspicious attributes like knowledge, strength etc., Your being the supporter of all things and actuator of all activities like thinking, blinking etc., have also been heard. Here the term, 'hi' (verily) expresses the desire to have the vision which is going to be revealed.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.2 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.2 The origin and the destruction of beings verily have been heard by me in detail from Thee, O lotus-eyed Lord, and also Thy inexhaustible greatness.
Commentary
11.2 भवाप्ययौ the origin and the dissolution? हि indeed? भूतानाम् of beings? श्रुतौ hav been heard? विस्तरशः in detail? मया by me? त्वत्तः from Thee? कमलपत्राक्ष O lotuseyed? माहात्म्यम् greatness? अपि also? च and? अव्ययम् inexhaustible.Commentary Kamalapatraksha Lotuseyed or having eyes like lotuspetals. Kamalapatra also means knowledge of the Self. He who can be obtained by knowledge of the Self is Kamalapatraksha.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.2 O you with eyes like lotus leaves, the origin and dissolution of beings have been heard by me in detail from You. ['From You have been heard the origin and dissolution of beings in You.'] And (Your) undecaying glory, too, (has been heard).
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.2 O Lord, whose eyes are like the lotus petal! Thou hast described in detail the origin and the dissolution of being, and Thine own Eternal Majesty.
Arjuna acknowledges that he has heard about Kṛṣṇa's appearance and disappearance and inexhaustible glory.
Practical Applications
Cultivate explicit acknowledgment of what has been received in scripture.
Speak back what you have heard, like Arjuna recapping.
Don't hold teachings silently.
Reflection Questions
What teaching has been so quietly received that I haven't spoken it back?
What would speaking it back deepen?
Analogy
A pilgrim who has read every map of the mountain now asks for one glimpse of the peak. The maps were not wasted — they brought him to the trailhead — but at the trailhead the eye begins to ache for what the ear has memorised.
Stories
Brahmā in the Second Canto
In the Bhāgavatam (SB 2.9), Brahmā receives the four essential verses of the catuḥ-ślokī after long austerity. Kṛṣṇa first gives him the description — the words about His own nature — and only afterward does the form become available to his meditation.
Arjuna's request follows the same order. Hearing about the appearance and disappearance of beings precedes the wish to see; the description prepares the eye.
एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वमात्मानं परमेश्वर ।
द्रष्टुमिच्छामि ते रूपमैश्वरं पुरुषोत्तम ॥ ३ ॥
evam etad yathāttha tvam
[evam etad yathaattha tvam]
ātmānaṁ parameśvara
[aatmaanam parameshvara]
draṣṭum icchāmi te rūpam
[drashtum ichchaami te roopam]
aiśvaraṁ puruṣottama
[aishvaram purushottama]
Word-for-word
evam—thusetat—thisyathā—as it isāttha—have spokentvam—Youātmānam—Yourselfparama - īśvara—O Supreme Lorddraṣṭum—to seeicchāmi—I wishte—Yourrūpam—formaiśvaram—divinepuruṣa - uttama—O best of personalities .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evam etad yathāttha tvam
evam
thus
etat
this
yathā
as it is
āttha
have spoken
tvam
You
ātmānaṁ parameśvara
ātmānam
Yourself
parama - īśvara
O Supreme Lord
draṣṭum icchāmi te rūpam
draṣṭum
to see
icchāmi
I wish
te
Your
rūpam
form
aiśvaraṁ puruṣottama
aiśvaram
divine
puruṣa - uttama
O best of personalities .
Important Words
parama - īśvara—O Supreme Lord
Arjuna is no longer addressing Kṛṣṇa as friend (he will repent that in 11.41–42). The vocative shifts to parama-īśvara because the request itself is one only the Supreme Lord can fulfil.
draṣṭum—to see
Infinitive of dṛś. The shift from śru (to hear) in verse 2 to dṛś here is the verse's whole movement — from auditory faith to ocular confirmation.
icchāmi—I wish
Arjuna voices the wish openly; he does not pretend he is content with hearing. Honest desire toward the Lord is itself a grace — sterile contentment with description is not.
rūpam—form
The chapter's key word. Across BG 11 rūpam will mean the universal form, the four-armed form, and finally the gentle two-armed form. The whole chapter is an inquiry into which rūpa is highest.
aiśvaram—opulent
From īśvara — that which belongs to the Lord as Lord. Arjuna asks specifically for the lordly form, not the intimate one; later (11.45) he will ask for the reverse.
puruṣa - uttama—O greatest of all personalities
Anticipates BG 15.18, where Kṛṣṇa Himself uses this title. Arjuna's intuition is already correct: the form he is about to see is uttama — beyond both kṣara and akṣara.
O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna fully accepts Kṛṣṇa's self-description — yet hearing breeds longing. With two reverent vocatives he asks for the decisive shift from word to vision: 'show me that lordly form.' Faith and curiosity rise together.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse pivots the chapter from receptive listening to active request. 'Yathā āttha' concedes the truth of all prior self-revelation (ch. 7-10); 'draṣṭum icchāmi' opens the new agenda. Arjuna uses 'aiśvara' (majestic), not yet 'viśva-rūpa' — he hardly knows what he is asking for. The vocatives 'parama-īśvara' and 'puruṣa-uttama' echo Kṛṣṇa's self-titles from ch. 8 and ch. 10.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे परम-ईश्वर! हे पुरुष-उत्तम! त्वम् आत्मानं यथा आत्थ एतत् एवम् (एव अस्ति); ते ऐश्वरं रूपं द्रष्टुम् इच्छामि ।
he parama-īśvara! he puruṣa-uttama! tvam ātmānaṃ yathā āttha etat evam (eva asti); te aiśvaraṃ rūpaṃ draṣṭum icchāmi |
O supreme controller, O best of persons, what You have declared about Yourself is exactly so; I wish to see that majestic form of Yours.
पुरुष (m.) + उत्तम (adj.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound)
O best of persons
Purport
The Lord said that because He entered into the material universe by His personal representation, the cosmic manifestation has been made possible and is going on. Now as far as Arjuna is concerned, he is inspired by the statements of Kṛṣṇa, but in order to convince others in the future who may think that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary person, Arjuna desires to see Him actually in His universal form, to see how He is acting from within the universe, although He is apart from it. Arjuna’s addressing the Lord as puruṣottama is also significant. Since the Lord is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is present within Arjuna himself; therefore He knows the desire of Arjuna, and He can understand that Arjuna has no special desire to see Him in His universal form, for Arjuna is completely satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Kṛṣṇa. But the Lord can understand also that Arjuna wants to see the universal form to convince others. Arjuna did not have any personal desire for confirmation. Kṛṣṇa also understands that Arjuna wants to see the universal form to set a criterion, for in the future there would be so many imposters who would pose themselves as incarnations of God. The people, therefore, should be careful; one who claims to be Kṛṣṇa should be prepared to show his universal form to confirm his claim to the people.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
3. O Supreme Lord, what You have spoken about Yourself is all true. O Supreme Person, I desire to see that powerful form of Yours.
Commentary
Whatever You have said about Yourself, such as “I am supporting the whole universe by one of My portions,” is indeed true (evam etad). I do not have any doubt about it. But still, desiring to be fully satisfied, I desire to see that form displaying Your powers. I now want to see, with my eyes, that expansion form of Yours by which You support this world.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
3. O Supreme Lord, what You have spoken about Yourself is all true. O Supreme Person, I desire to see that powerful form of Yours.
Commentary
What You have spoken (āttha) about Yourself (ātmānam) is true, in such verses as viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ. I do not have any doubt at all about it. However, I desire to see, out of curiosity, that form expressing Your power, showing You as the controller of all. O Supreme Lord! O Supreme Person! Since You are supreme, You certainly must know that I desire to see this, and You should fulfill this desire. I naturally relish Your sweetness, and am experiencing Your sweetness. But because You now desire to assume a sharp taste, I have now manifested a desire to experience Your majesty and power.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Krsna has already explained in Chapter Ten, that there is no way of understanding Krsna's actual position unless on hears from Him.
Arjuna has heard of Krsna's 'asesa', unending glories. He only heard about a little of them. They were described 82 different opulences of Krsna in the previous chapter. But Krsna doesn't have only 82 opulences ‑ His opulences are unlimited (asesa). Arjuna only heard about Krsna's opulences a little bit and now he wants to see that form of unlimited opulences. He has become restless to see because he has already heard.
In this verse Krsna is called by Arjuna as 'Paramesvara' and 'Purusottama'. Purusuttama means 'best of personalities' and Paramesvara means 'Supreme Lord'. Arjuna is saying: "You are both, the best of personalities and the Supreme Lord, so You know why I am asking You to show me this universal form, although I am Your devotee." And why? Why is Arjuna asking this?
Srila Prabhupada answers to this question in his Purport: "But the Lord can understand also that Arjuna wants to see the universal form to convince others. Arjuna did not have any personal desire for confirmation. Krsna also understands that Arjuna wants to see the universal form to set a criterion, for in the future there would be so many imposters who would pose themselves as incarnations of God. The people, therefore, should be careful; one who claims to be Krsna should be prepared to show his universal form to confirm his claim to the people."
To set this criteria that if one is claiming to be God, he has to be ready to shou the universal form. Therefore,
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Arjuna expresses his desire to see – Arjuna has heard that Krishna, who stands before him on the
chariot, supports and pervades the entire universe (Bg. 10.42); and thus Arjuna expresses his desire to see that
form
Focus of Learning
(a) Addresses Krishna as ‘lotus-eyed’ – Out of joy ; after being assured by Krishna that:
He is the source of all creation, maintenance and destruction (As explained in Bg. 7.6 – 7.7)
‘’He is still aloof’’ (Inconceivable opulence as explained in Bg. 9.4 – 9.5)
(a) Effect of hearing ‘’most confidential knowledge’’ – all illusion is dispelled
Power of Krishna’s grace – Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s grace by which the illusion is dispelled
What illusion is dispelled – ‘’that Krishna is an ordinary friend or a human being’’
One should know that Krishna is the source of everything and in everyone’s heart as Supersoul
Krishna’s supremacy over all – Chapter 11 reveals Krishna as the cause of all causes: cause of material nature, cause of all living entities, all demigods, even cause of Maha-Vishnu and all incarnations
(b) Why Arjuna requests Krishna to show His Universal Form (Refer to Text 11.3 ‘Focus of Learning’)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION I
One understands the Lord’s nature through the mercy of the Lord.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.3 Parama-isvara, O supreme Lord; evam, so; etat, it is-not otherwise; yatha, as; tvam, You; attha, speak; atmanam, about Yourself. Still, purusottama, O supreme Person; iccahmi, I wish; drastum, to see; the aisvaram, divine; rupam, form; te, of Yours, of Visnu, endowed with Knowledge, Sovereignty, Power, Strength, Valour and Formidability.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.3 O Supreme Lord, it is certain that it is even as you have described Yourself. O Supreme Person, O ocean of compassion for your dependants! I, however, wish to see or wish to realise directly, Your Lordly form peculiar to you - the form as the sovereign, protector, creator, destroyer, supporter of all, the mine of auspicious attributes, supreme and distinct from all other entities.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.3 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.3 (Now) O Supreme Lord, as Thou hast thus described Thyself, O Supreme Person, I wish to see Thy divine form.
Commentary
11.3 एवम् thus? एतत् this? यथा as? आत्थ hast declared? त्वम् Thou? आत्मानम् Thyself? परमेश्वर O Supreme Lord? द्रष्टुम् to see? इच्छामि (I) desire? ते Thy? रूपम् form? ऐश्वरम् sovereign? पुरुषोत्तम O Supreme Purusha.Commentary Some commentators take the two halves of this verse as two independent sentences and interpret it thusSo it is? O Supreme Lord? as Thou hast declared Thyself to be. (But still) I desire to see Thy form as Isvara? O Supreme Person.Rupamaisvaram Thy form as Isvara? that of Vishnu as possessed of infinite knowledge? sovereignty? power? strength? prowess and splendour.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.3 O supreme Lord, so it is, as You speak about Yourself. O supreme Person, I wish to see the divine form of Yours.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.3 I believe all as Thou hast declared it. I long now to have a vision of thy Divine Form, O Thou Most High!
His Holiness Jayapataka Swami· 1991-11-06· English
Personal Guidance
Arjuna asks to see the universal form You have described — the request is honest, not greedy.
Practical Applications
Make explicit requests to Kṛṣṇa rather than vague longings.
Honor the seeker's right to ask for direct experience.
Don't assume requests are improper; ask honestly.
Reflection Questions
What direct request am I avoiding voicing?
What would honest asking risk?
Analogy
A son hears his father described by every relative — soldier, scholar, friend of the king. At last he says, 'Father, I believe them all; let me see you in the room you really live in.' The asking is not doubt; it is the natural next step of love.
Stories
Mother Yaśodā Asking to Look
When Kṛṣṇa ate clay, Yaśodā asked Him to open His mouth — and the Bhāgavatam (SB 10.8) records that within that small mouth she saw the entire universe, planets, mountains, oceans, and herself within Vraja itself.
The pattern of BG 11.3 is the same: the devotee, having heard, wishes to see, and the Lord grants the seeing on His own terms. Arjuna will receive on the battlefield what Yaśodā received in her kitchen.
मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो ।
योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् ॥ ४ ॥
manyase yadi tac chakyaṁ
[manyase yadi tach chakyam]
mayā draṣṭum iti prabho
[mayaa drashtum iti prabho]
yogeśvara tato me tvaṁ
[yogeshvara tato me tvam]
darśayātmānam avyayam
[darshayaatmaanam avyayam]
Word-for-word
manyase—You thinkyadi—iftat—thatśakyam—is ablemayā—by medraṣṭum—to be seeniti—thusprabho—O Lordyoga - īśvara—O Lord of all mystic powertataḥ—thenme—unto metvam—Youdarśaya—showātmānam—Your Selfavyayam—eternal .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
manyase yadi tac chakyaṁ
manyase
You think
yadi
if
tat
that
mayā draṣṭum iti prabho
yogeśvara tato me tvaṁ
darśayātmānam avyayam
śakyam
is able
mayā
by me
draṣṭum
to be seen
iti
thus
prabho
O Lord
yoga - īśvara
O Lord of all mystic power
tataḥ
then
me
unto me
tvam
You
darśaya
show
ātmānam
Your Self
avyayam
eternal .
Important Words
manyase—You think
Second-person singular present middle of man. Arjuna places the decision squarely with Kṛṣṇa. The grammar is the practice: surrender means letting the Lord judge one's capacity.
yadi—if
A conditional that quietly admits the request may be refused. Real petitionary prayer always carries this 'if' — it asks without demanding.
śakyam—able
Verbal adjective of śak. Not a claim of strength but an open question about it. Arjuna does not say 'I am capable'; he asks whether he is.
prabho—O my Lord
Vocative of prabhu — the master who has authority. Arjuna addresses precisely the function he is invoking: the authority to grant or withhold darśana.
yoga - īśvara—O master of all mystic power
The viśva-rūpa will be a display of yoga (mystic potency) — Arjuna names this title because only the yoga-īśvara can show what he is asking to see.
avyayam—inexhaustible
Same word as 11.2 — Arjuna asks specifically for the imperishable Self, not a transient vision. The repetition signals that hearing has produced precise desire.
If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that unlimited universal Self.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna hedges his bold request with humility: 'if You judge me capable.' He calls Kṛṣṇa yoga-īśvara — the one who alone decides what mystic vision a soul can bear — and waits for permission rather than demanding the showing.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The conditional 'manyase yadi' is the verse's hinge: revelation depends not on the seeker's eagerness but on the Lord's estimate of his fitness. The title yogeśvara prepares the technical sense of yoga as the Lord's power to manifest forms (answered in 11.8's 'paśya me yogam aiśvaram'). 'Avyaya' (imperishable) is a deliberate request — Arjuna wants not a trick but the true Self.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे प्रभो! हे योग-ईश्वर! तत् मया द्रष्टुं शक्यम् इति यदि मन्यसे ततः त्वम् अव्ययम् आत्मानं मे दर्शय ।
he prabho! he yoga-īśvara! tat mayā draṣṭuṃ śakyam iti yadi manyase tataḥ tvam avyayam ātmānaṃ me darśaya |
O Lord, O master of yoga, if You think it is possible for me to behold that — then please show me Your imperishable Self.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
मन्यसे यदि तत् शक्यं मया द्रष्टुम् इति प्रभो । योग-ईश्वर ततः मे त्वं दर्शय आत्मानम् अव्ययम् ॥
manyase yadi tat śakyaṃ mayā draṣṭum iti prabho | yoga-īśvara tataḥ me tvaṃ darśaya ātmānam avyayam ||
√दृश् caus. (causative) impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
show, cause to see
आत्मानम्
ātmānam
आत्मन् (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)
the Self
अव्ययम्
avyayam
अव्यय (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m.
imperishable
Purport
It is said that one can neither see, hear, understand nor perceive the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, by the material senses. But if one is engaged in loving transcendental service to the Lord from the beginning, then one can see the Lord by revelation. Every living entity is only a spiritual spark; therefore it is not possible to see or to understand the Supreme Lord. Arjuna, as a devotee, does not depend on his speculative strength; rather, he admits his limitations as a living entity and acknowledges Kṛṣṇa’s inestimable position. Arjuna could understand that for a living entity it is not possible to understand the unlimited infinite. If the infinite reveals Himself, then it is possible to understand the nature of the infinite by the grace of the infinite. The word yogeśvara is also very significant here because the Lord has inconceivable power. If He likes, He can reveal Himself by His grace, although He is unlimited. Therefore Arjuna pleads for the inconceivable grace of Kṛṣṇa. He does not give Kṛṣṇa orders. Kṛṣṇa is not obliged to reveal Himself unless one surrenders fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engages in devotional service. Thus it is not possible for persons who depend on the strength of their mental speculations to see Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
4. If You think that I am qualified to see that form, O master, O Lord of qualification,
Commentary
then show to me that indestructible form.
The word yogeśvara indicates that though Arjuna is unqualified (ayogya), the Lord with His power of qualification (yoga), can make him qualified to see that form.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
4. If You think that I am qualified to see that form, O master, O Lord of qualification,
Commentary
then show to me that indestructible form.
In this verse, Arjuna receives permission from the Lord to see that form of power. If You think, if You know, if You desire, that I am qualified to see that form, O master of all (prabho), show that indestructible form to me. O lord of qualification (yogeśvara), if I am not qualified (ayogya) to see You, Your śakti will make me qualified.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "Every living entity is only a spiritual spark; therefore it is not possible to see or to understand the Supreme Lord. Arjuna, as a devotee, does not depend on his speculative strength; rather, he admits his limitations as a living entity and acknowledges Krsna's inestimable position. Arjuna could understand that for a l entity it is not possible to understand the unlimited infinite. If the infinite reveals Himself, then it is possible to understand the nature of the infinite by the grace of the infinite. The word yogesvara is also very significant here because the Lord has inconceivable power. If He likes, He can reveal Himself by His grace, although He is unlimited. Therefore Arjuna pleads for the inconceivable grace of Krsna. He does not give Krsna orders. Krsna is not obliged to reveal Himself unless one surrenders fully in Krsna consciousness and engages in devotional service. Thus it is not possible for persons who depend on the strength of their mental speculations to see Krsna."
Arjuna knows that Krsna is not obliged to show His universal form, that's why he says: "If You think that I am qualified, then show me".
Now Arjuna will be able to see the opulences which Krsna has previously spoken of.
[2. Krsna first describes His universal form of opulences, demigods, and time, which He'll soon show Arjun. He then bestows upon Arjuna, the divine eyes necessary to see it. (5‑8) ]
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
StudyKey verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Arjuna pleads and does not order – Arjuna requests to see Krishna in His form pervading the entire
universe (Unlimited Universal-self), only if , Arjuna is ‘qualified’ to see such a form and thus Arjuna is not
ordering Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.4 Prabho, O Lord, Master; yadi, if; manyase, You think; iti, that; tat sakyam, it is possible; drastum, to be see; maya, by me, by Arjuna; tatah, then, since I am very eager to see, therefore; yogeswara, O Lord of Yoga, of yogis-Yoga stands for yogis; their Lord is yogeswara; tvam, You; darsaya, show; me, me, for my sake; atmanam avyayam, Your eternal Self.
Being thus implored by Arjuna,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.4 If You think that Your form as all-creator, as all-ruler and as all-supporter, can be seen by me, then, O Lord of Yoga - Yoga is the property of having knowledge and other auspicious attributes, for it will be said later on: 'Behold My Lordly Yoga' (11.8) - O treasure of knowledge, strength, sovereignty, valour, power and glory which are inconceivable in any one else! Reveal Yourself to me completely. 'Avyayam' (completely) is an adverb. The meaning is, 'Reveal everything about Yourself to me.'
Thus, prayed to by Arjuna, who was desirous to know, and whose voice was therefore choked with fervour, the Lord said as follows to him:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.4 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.4 If Thou, O Lord, thinkest it possible for me to see it, do Thou, then, O Lord of the Yogins, show me Thy imperishable Self.
Commentary
11.4 मन्यसे Thou thinkest? यदि if? तत् that? शक्यम् possible? मया by me? द्रष्टुम् to see? इति thus? प्रभो O Lord? योगेश्वर O Lord of Yogins? ततः then? मे me? त्वम् Thou? दर्शय show? आत्मानम् (Thy) Self? अव्ययम् imperishable.Commentary Arjuna is very keen and eager to see the Cosmic Form of the Lord. He prays to Him to grant him the vision. This supreme vision can be obtained only through His grace.Yogesvara also means the Lord of Yoga. A Yogi is one who is endowed with the eight psychic powers (Siddhis). The Lord of the Yogins is Yogesvara. And? Yoga is identity of the individual soul with the Absolute. He who is able to bestow this realisation of identity on the deserving spiritual aspirant is Yogesvara.He Who is able to create? preserve? destroy? veil and graciously release is the Lord. (These five actions? Panchakriyas? are known respectively as Srishti? Sthiti? Samhara? Tirodhana and Anugraha.)
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.4 O Lord, if You think that it is possible to be seen by me, then, O Lord of Yoga, You show me Your eternal Self.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.4 If Thou thinkest that it can be made possible for me to see it, show me, O Lord of Lords, Thine own Eternal Self.
If You think it possible for me to behold it, then please show — Arjuna leaves the decision to Kṛṣṇa.
Practical Applications
Voice your request, then leave the decision to Kṛṣṇa.
Don't try to manipulate the answer.
Practice the posture: ask, then trust His judgment.
Reflection Questions
Where am I trying to manipulate Kṛṣṇa's response?
What does pure asking-without-pressure look like?
Analogy
A student asks the teacher for the highest text only after the teacher has agreed he is ready. Arjuna does not assume his own qualification — he hands the verdict back to Kṛṣṇa, the way an honest patient hands the prognosis back to the physician.
Stories
Uddhava at Kṛṣṇa's departure
When Kṛṣṇa was preparing to leave the world, Uddhava clasped His feet and asked to be given the highest knowledge before parting (Bhāgavatam 11.6–7). He did not presume; he placed the request and let the Lord judge what he could carry. Kṛṣṇa then spoke the long Uddhava-gītā, opening one mystery after another because the disciple had asked in the right mood.
Arjuna's manyase yadi tat śakyam — 'if You think me capable' — is in this lineage. The disciple asks; Bhagavān decides what the disciple can hold.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रश: ।
नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च ॥ ५ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
[pashya me paartha roopaani]
śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ
[shatasho ’tha sahasrashah]
nānā-vidhāni divyāni
[naanaa-vidhaani divyaani]
nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca
[naanaa-varnaakriteeni cha]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead saidpaśya—just seeme—Mypārtha—O son of Pṛthārūpāṇi—formsśataśaḥ—hundredsatha—alsosahasraśaḥ—thousandsnānā - vidhāni—variegateddivyāni—divinenānā—variegatedvarṇa—colorsākṛtīni—formsca—also .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
paśya
just see
me
My
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
rūpāṇi
forms
śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ
śataśaḥ
hundreds
atha
also
sahasraśaḥ
thousands
nānā-vidhāni divyāni
nānā - vidhāni
variegated
divyāni
divine
nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca
nānā
variegated
varṇa
colors
ākṛtīni
forms
ca
also .
Important Words
paśya—behold
Imperative. The verse begins with the command to see. The visionary apparatus has already been granted (verse 8); paśya activates it.
rūpāṇi—forms
Neuter plural — many forms, not one. Vedānta's 'one without a second' is not contradicted; the one Lord wears uncountable forms without ceasing to be one.
śataśaḥ—by the hundreds
Distributive numeral. The plurality is countable in principle but uncountable in practice. The grammar models the experience.
sahasraśaḥ—by the thousands
Doubled with śataśaḥ for cumulative force. Kṛṣṇa is not modest about His amplitude — the disciple must be prepared for excess.
nānā - vidhāni—various
Of many kinds. The forms differ qualitatively, not just numerically — different shapes, functions, moods.
divyāni—divine
Belonging to the deva-realm, beyond material reckoning. Arjuna will need divya-cakṣus (verse 8) precisely because the forms are divya.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, see now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa grants the request immediately and on grand scale. He does not show a single tableau but an exploding multiplicity — hundreds, thousands, of every possible color and shape. The address 'Pārtha' keeps the warm friend-tone before the awe-tone begins.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The graduated phrase 'śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ' enacts the scale: the cosmic form is not one image but a tumult of forms containing all forms. 'Divyāni' marks them as not of this world; they require the divya-cakṣus given in 11.8. The verse matches the vibhūti-list of ch. 10 — there narrated, here exhibited.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे पार्थ! मे शतशः अथ सहस्रशः नाना-विधानि नाना-वर्ण-आकृतीनि च दिव्यानि रूपाणि पश्य ।
he pārtha! me śataśaḥ atha sahasraśaḥ nānā-vidhāni nānā-varṇa-ākṛtīni ca divyāni rūpāṇi paśya |
O son of Pṛthā, behold My forms — by hundreds, then by thousands — of many kinds, divine, of many colors and shapes.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्री-भगवान् उवाच
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशः अथ सहस्रशः । नाना-विधानि दिव्यानि नाना-वर्ण-आकृतीनि च ॥
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśaḥ atha sahasraśaḥ | nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇa-ākṛtīni ca ||
Grammar(व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
Sanskrit
IAST
Grammar
Meaning
पश्य
paśya
√दृश् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa in His universal form, which, although a transcendental form, is just manifested for the cosmic manifestation and is therefore subject to the temporary time of this material nature. As the material nature is manifested and not manifested, similarly this universal form of Kṛṣṇa is manifested and nonmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Kṛṣṇa’s other forms. As far as a devotee is concerned, he is not eager to see the universal form, but because Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa in this way, Kṛṣṇa reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Kṛṣṇa must give one the power to see it.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
5. The Lord said: O son of Pṛthā, see My hundreds and thousands of wonderful forms, of various types, of various colors, and various shapes.
Commentary
“First I will show him that form described in the puruṣa-sūkta as sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt: that form with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. It is My own expansion, the first puruṣa avatāra (Mahaviṣṇu), the antaryāmī of prakṛti. Later, by having the necessary qualification, I will show him My form of time.” Considering in this way in His mind, the Lord faced Arjuna, telling him to pay attention. Thus He speaks this verse.
“See these hundreds and thousands of forms (rūpāṇi). In My one form, My svarūpa, see hundreds of My svarūpas, which are My vibhūtis.”
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
5. The Lord said: O son of Pṛthā, see My hundreds and thousands of wonderful forms, of various types, of various colors and various shapes.
Commentary
Being thus requested, the Lord speaks in four verses to let Arjuna see His own form as all the devatās, as the creator with a thousand heads, the antaryāmī of prakṛti, and then, having made him qualified by that vision, to reveal to him His form as time. By repeating the word paśya in several verses the Lord conveys the astonishing nature of these forms that He will show. See these hundreds and thousands of forms of vibhūtis in one form of Mine appearing with a thousand heads. This should mean “Be fit to see these forms.” Imperative case can be used to suggest qualification. [Note: Perhaps the rule is Pāṇini 3.3.173 .]
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Krishna’s Description
COMMON THEME: Krishna responds by offering to show Arjuna, the opulences He described in Chapter 10
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
Focus of Learning
(a) Qualification to see the Lord
Only by revelation by the mercy of the Lord – Therefore Arjuna requests and pleads and not orders
Not possible by “mental speculation” or “perception by material senses”
Because living entity as infinitesimal spiritual spark ,cannot know unlimited infinite
Arjuna admits his limitations as a living entity and acknowledges Krishna’s inestimable position
Lord is addressed as ‘Yogesvara’ –
To point out His inconceivable potencies by which the infinite can reveal to the finite
Krishna is not obliged to reveal Himself until one ‘fully surrenders’ in Krishna consciousness and engages in transcendental loving service
(a) Why Arjuna requests Krishna to show His Universal Form (4 points):
1. To establish Krishna’s divinity for all (11.1 purport)
2. To convince others, although he does not have any personal desire and is completely
satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Krishna (11.3 purport)
Lord is addressed as Purushottama – Implies that Lord as Supreme Personality of Godhead, knows the heart of Arjuna, that he has no personal desire to see
3. To avoid imposters - Wants to set a criteria for in the future there will be so many imposters
who will pose as incarnations of God (11.3 purport)
4. Arjuna, as a responsibility, wants to substantiate Krishna’s statement – so that in the future
people can understand that Krishna “not only theoretically or philosophically”, but ‘actually’
presented Himself as such to Arjuna – Arjuna fulfils his responsibility because he is the
beginning of the Parampara (11.8 purport)
KRISHNA’S DESCRIPTION OF HIS OWN UNIVERSAL FORM
Krishna shows variegated forms – “See My Opulences!, Hundreds and thousands of varied divine and multicoloured forms” (11.5)
Universal form is transcendental but temporary because it is subject to the temporary time of material nature (Is manifested and unmanifested like material nature) (11.5)
Not eternally situated in spiritual sky (11.5)
Universal Form is not possible to be seen by ordinary men – Krishna must give one the power to see it (11.5)
Wonderful forms with different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all other demigods
No-one has ever seen or heard of this before (11.6)
Even Arjuna, a personal friend and most advanced learned man, did not know all about Krishna (11.6)
Could see the entire universe (All moving and non-moving) sitting at one place (11.7*)
Even most advanced scientist cannot see other parts of universe, which a pure devotee could see so easily (11.7*)
Could see past, present and future, all what Arjuna wanted to see (11.7*)
Thus Arjuna will be shown the future destiny of all the relatives and warriors and thus will be motivated to just become an instrument (11.7*)
Needed divine vision – Cannot be seen with the present eyes (11.8*)
Pure devotees do not like to see Krishna in any form, other than His two-handed form
Therefore Arjuna is told not to change the mind, but change the eyes by Krishna’s grace (11.8*)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.5 O son of Prtha, pasya, behold; me, My; rupani, forms; satasah, in (their) hundreds; atha, and; sahasrasah, in thousands, i.e. in large numbers. And they are nana-vidhani, of different kinds; divyani, celestial, supernatural; and nana-varna-akrtini, of various colours and shapes-forms which have different (nana) colours (varna) such as blue, yellow, etc. as also (different) shapes (akrtayah), having their parts differently arranged.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.5 The Lord said Behold My forms which are the foundation of all, hundreds upon thousands, varied and possessing manifold modes. They are divine, i.e., supernatural. They are multi-formed and multi-coloured like white, black etc. And they are of varied configurations. Behold that form!
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.5 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.5 The Blessed Lord said Behold, O Arjuna, forms of Mine, by the hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, divine, and of various colours and shapes.
Commentary
11.5 पश्य behold? मे My? पार्थ O Partha? रूपाणि forms? शतशः by hundreds? अथ and? सहस्रशः by thousands? नानाविधानि of different sorts? दिव्यानि divine? नानावर्णाकृतीनि of various colours and shapes? च and.Commentary Divyani Divine supernatural.Satasah? Sahasrasah By the hundreds and thousands -- countless.O Arjuna? I want you to behold the Cosmic Form. All beings and entities are there. The fat and the lean? the short and the tall? the red and the black? the active and the passive? the rich and the poor? the intelligent and the dull? the healthy and the sick? the noisy and the silent? those that are awake? those that are asleep? the beautiful and the ugly? and all grades of beings with their distinctive marks are all there. The blueness of the sky? the yellowness of the silk? the redness of the twilight? the blackness of the coal? the whiteness of the snow? and the greenness of the leaves will be seen by you. You will also behold the objects of various shapes.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.5 The Blessed Lord said O son of Prtha, behold My forms in (their) hundreds and in thousands, of different kinds, celestial, and of various colours and shapes.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.5 Lord Shri Krishna replied: Behold, O Arjuna! My celestial forms, by hundred and thousands, various in kind, in colour and in shape.
Behold My hundreds and thousands of forms, varied in shape, color, and feature — divine, unlimited.
Practical Applications
Don't fix Kṛṣṇa to one form mentally; He has hundreds, thousands.
Honor the variety of His expressions.
Use this verse against rigid mental images.
Reflection Questions
What single fixed image of Kṛṣṇa am I clinging to?
What variety opens up by releasing it?
Analogy
A jeweller opens not one drawer but the entire vault. Kṛṣṇa does not single out one form; He says, see hundreds, thousands — the abundance itself is the lesson.
Stories
Brahmā's Bewilderment in Vraja
When Brahmā stole the calves and boys of Vraja to test Kṛṣṇa (SB 10.13), he returned to find the calves and boys still there — each one a fresh Viṣṇu, four-armed, holding conch and disc, being worshiped by all the Brahmās of all the universes.
Brahmā saw with his own eyes what Kṛṣṇa announces in 11.5: rūpāṇi śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ — forms by the hundreds and thousands. The display is not exaggeration; it is the literal economy of the Lord's being.
पश्यादित्यान्वसून्रुद्रानश्विनौ मरुतस्तथा ।
बहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणिपश्याश्चर्याणिभारत ॥ ६ ॥
paśyādityān vasūn rudrān
[pashyaadityaan vasoon rudraan]
aśvinau marutas tathā
[ashvinau marutas tathaa]
bahūny adṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi
[bahoony adrishta-poorvaani]
paśyāścaryāṇi bhārata
[pashyaashcharyaani bhaarata]
Word-for-word
paśya—seeādityān—the twelve sons of Aditivasūn—the eight Vasusrudrān—the eleven forms of Rudraaśvinau—the two Aśvinīsmarutaḥ—the forty-nine Maruts (demigods of the wind)tathā—alsobahūni—manyadṛṣṭa—that you have not seenpūrvāṇi—beforepaśya—seeāścaryāṇi—all the wondersbhārata—O best of the Bhāratas .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
paśyādityān vasūn rudrān
paśya
see
ādityān
the twelve sons of Aditi
vasūn
the eight Vasus
rudrān
the eleven forms of Rudra
aśvinau marutas tathā
aśvinau
the two Aśvinīs
marutaḥ
the forty-nine Maruts (demigods of the wind)
tathā
also
bahūny adṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi
bahūni
many
adṛṣṭa
that you have not seen
pūrvāṇi
before
paśyāścaryāṇi bhārata
paśya
see
āścaryāṇi
all the wonders
bhārata
O best of the Bhāratas .
Important Words
ādityān—the Ādityas
Twelve sun-gods, sons of Aditi. By beginning with them, Kṛṣṇa anchors Arjuna's vision in the most luminous demigods — a gentle on-ramp to what is to come.
rudrān—the Rudras
Eleven forms of Śiva, presiding over destruction. Their inclusion forewarns Arjuna that the vision will not be only solar and benign; the dissolving aspect is already on the list.
marutaḥ—the Maruts
Forty-nine storm-gods. Their wind-energy belongs to the cosmic body Arjuna will see in verses 10–11 as 'all-expanding.'
adṛṣṭa—never seen
Compound participle, 'not-seen.' Kṛṣṇa flags that what follows is unprecedented — even great sages have not seen this.
āścaryāṇi—wonders
Neuter plural of āścarya — that which arrests perception. The Gītā uses āścarya again in 2.29 ('one sees the self as a wonder'); wonder is the proper register for both ātman and viśva-rūpa.
O best of the Bhāratas, see here the different manifestations of Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aśvinī-kumāras and all the other demigods. Behold the many wonderful things which no one has ever seen or heard of before.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa lists the principal classes of devas already cataloged in ch. 10 — now visible at once inside His body. The promise 'never seen before' raises the stakes: this will outstrip every prior vision in scripture or memory.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The catalog (12 Ādityas, 8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 2 Aśvins, 49 Maruts) maps the entire Vedic pantheon onto the viśvarūpa. What ch. 10 declared by name is here offered to direct perception. 'Adṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi' establishes Arjuna's uniqueness — the gift exceeds anything granted to ṛṣis or devas; cf. 11.47-48.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे भारत! आदित्यान् वसून् रुद्रान् अश्विनौ तथा मरुतः पश्य; बहूनि अदृष्ट-पूर्वाणि आश्चर्याणि (अपि) पश्य ।
Even though Arjuna was a personal friend of Kṛṣṇa and the most advanced of learned men, it was still not possible for him to know everything about Kṛṣṇa. Here it is stated that humans have neither heard nor known of all these forms and manifestations. Now Kṛṣṇa reveals these wonderful forms.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
6. See the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Aśvins and the Maruts. O descendant of Bharata, see many astonishing forms not seen before.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
6. See the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Aśvins and the Maruts. O descendent of Bharata, see many astonishing forms not seen before.
Commentary
The Lord speaks about these forms situated in one place in two verses. See many forms which have not been seen by others or by you before, which are most astonishing.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Krsna keeps saying 'pasya',"see this, see that!..."
Krsna also says 'no one has ever seen this before'. Krsna showed something like this to Duryodhana when He went as a messanger of Yudhisthira to plead with them for peace settlement. Karna and Duryodhana had an horrible plan. They said: "Krsna has come on behalf of Yudhisthira and Arjuna, let us teach Him a something." They plotted to tie Him up with ropes and put Him in prison just before He was going to leave. At that time, Krsna showed part of His universal form and He expanded Himself and they were all frightened but Krsna was laughing in a very amazing way.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Krishna’s Description
COMMON THEME: Krishna responds by offering to show Arjuna, the opulences He described in Chapter 10
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
Focus of Learning
(a) Qualification to see the Lord
Only by revelation by the mercy of the Lord – Therefore Arjuna requests and pleads and not orders
Not possible by “mental speculation” or “perception by material senses”
Because living entity as infinitesimal spiritual spark ,cannot know unlimited infinite
Arjuna admits his limitations as a living entity and acknowledges Krishna’s inestimable position
Lord is addressed as ‘Yogesvara’ –
To point out His inconceivable potencies by which the infinite can reveal to the finite
Krishna is not obliged to reveal Himself until one ‘fully surrenders’ in Krishna consciousness and engages in transcendental loving service
(a) Why Arjuna requests Krishna to show His Universal Form (4 points):
1. To establish Krishna’s divinity for all (11.1 purport)
2. To convince others, although he does not have any personal desire and is completely
satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Krishna (11.3 purport)
Lord is addressed as Purushottama – Implies that Lord as Supreme Personality of Godhead, knows the heart of Arjuna, that he has no personal desire to see
3. To avoid imposters - Wants to set a criteria for in the future there will be so many imposters
who will pose as incarnations of God (11.3 purport)
4. Arjuna, as a responsibility, wants to substantiate Krishna’s statement – so that in the future
people can understand that Krishna “not only theoretically or philosophically”, but ‘actually’
presented Himself as such to Arjuna – Arjuna fulfils his responsibility because he is the
beginning of the Parampara (11.8 purport)
KRISHNA’S DESCRIPTION OF HIS OWN UNIVERSAL FORM
Krishna shows variegated forms – “See My Opulences!, Hundreds and thousands of varied divine and multicoloured forms” (11.5)
Universal form is transcendental but temporary because it is subject to the temporary time of material nature (Is manifested and unmanifested like material nature) (11.5)
Not eternally situated in spiritual sky (11.5)
Universal Form is not possible to be seen by ordinary men – Krishna must give one the power to see it (11.5)
Wonderful forms with different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all other demigods
No-one has ever seen or heard of this before (11.6)
Even Arjuna, a personal friend and most advanced learned man, did not know all about Krishna (11.6)
Could see the entire universe (All moving and non-moving) sitting at one place (11.7*)
Even most advanced scientist cannot see other parts of universe, which a pure devotee could see so easily (11.7*)
Could see past, present and future, all what Arjuna wanted to see (11.7*)
Thus Arjuna will be shown the future destiny of all the relatives and warriors and thus will be motivated to just become an instrument (11.7*)
Needed divine vision – Cannot be seen with the present eyes (11.8*)
Pure devotees do not like to see Krishna in any form, other than His two-handed form
Therefore Arjuna is told not to change the mind, but change the eyes by Krishna’s grace (11.8*)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.6 Pasya, see; adityan, the twelve Adityas; vasun, the eight Vasus; rudran, the eleven Rudras; asvinau, the two Asvins; and amarutah, the Maruts, who are divided into seven groups of seven each. Bharata, O scion of the Bharata dynasty; pasya, behold; tatha, also; bahuni, the many other; ascaryani, wonders; adrstapurvani, not seen before-by you or anyone else in the human world.
Not only this much,-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.6 Behold in My single form (i.e., the many forms in the one form revealed to Arjuna), the twelve Adityas, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, the two Asvins and forty-nine Maruts. This is just illustrative. Behold all those things directly perceived in this world and those described in the Sastras, and also many marvels, not seen before in all the worlds and in all the Sastras.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.6 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.6 Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins and also the Maruts; behold many wonders never seen before, O Arjuna.
Commentary
11.6 पश्य behold? आदित्यान् the Adityas? वसून् the Vasus? रुद्रान् the Rudras? अश्िवनौ the (two) Asvins? मरुतः the Maruts? तथा also? बहूनि many? अदृष्टपूर्वाणि never seen before? पश्य see? आश्चर्याणि wonders? भारत O Bharata.Commentary Adityas? Vasus? Rudras and Maruts have already been described in the previous chapter.Not these alone Behold also many other wonders never seen before by you or anybody else in this world.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.6 See the Adiyas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins and the Maruts. O scion of the Bharata dynasty, behold also the many wonders not seen before.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.6 Behold thou the Powers of Nature: fire, earth, wind and sky; the sun, the heavens, the moon, the stars; all forces of vitality and of healing; and the roving winds. See the myriad wonders revealed to none but thee.
His Holiness Bir Krishna Goswami· 2020-08-10· English
Personal Guidance
Behold the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aśvinī-kumāras, Maruts — many wonders that no one has seen before.
Practical Applications
Recognize that you are being shown what others have not seen.
Treat received vision as gift, not entitlement.
Don't trivialize what scripture marks as rare.
Reflection Questions
What gift of vision have I taken for granted?
How would gratitude reshape it?
Analogy
A child taken into the royal household is first shown the ministers, the generals, the priests — only later the king. Kṛṣṇa lists Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras before showing the totality, so Arjuna's vision can climb a familiar staircase before it enters the unfamiliar hall.
Stories
Vidura at the Court of Maitreya
When Vidura, exiled, sought out the sage Maitreya (SB 3.20–32), he was first given an orderly account of the demigods — Brahmā, the Prajāpatis, the Manus, the Ādityas — before being given the highest teaching of devotional service to Hari.
Kṛṣṇa here follows the same pedagogy: paśya ādityān vasūn rudrān — see the catalogue first, the apex next. The mind that has not located the parts cannot bear the whole.
iha—in thiseka - stham—in one placejagat—the universekṛtsnam—completelypaśya—seeadya—immediatelysa—withcara—the movingacaram—and not movingmama—Mydehe—in this bodyguḍākeśa—O Arjunayat—that whichca—alsoanyat—otherdraṣṭum—to seeicchasi—you wish .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ihaika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ
iha
in this
eka - stham
in one place
jagat
the universe
kṛtsnam
completely
paśyādya sa-carācaram
paśya
see
adya
immediately
sa
with
cara
the moving
acaram
and not moving
mama dehe guḍākeśa
mama
My
dehe
in this body
guḍākeśa
O Arjuna
yac cānyad draṣṭum icchasi
yat
that which
ca
also
anyat
other
draṣṭum
to see
icchasi
you wish .
Important Words
iha—here
Locative adverb. Not somewhere else, not in some abstract sphere — here, in this body in front of you. The Gītā's vision is incarnational, not escapist.
eka - stham—in one place
Compound: 'standing as one.' The whole universe is gathered into a single locus. This is the verse's most startling claim — totality without distribution.
jagat—the universe
From jam, 'to move' — literally, 'the moving.' Yet Kṛṣṇa immediately adds sa-carācaram, including the unmoving. Even etymology is gathered up and exceeded.
kṛtsnam—complete
Adjective meaning 'whole, without remainder.' Nothing is excluded — no continent, no being, no era. Kṛtsnam closes every loophole the mind might use to localise.
guḍākeśa—O conqueror of sleep
Vocative for Arjuna. The conqueror of sleep is precisely the one who can stay awake through such a vision; Kṛṣṇa addresses him by the capacity he is about to exercise.
O Arjuna, whatever you wish to see, behold at once in this body of Mine! This universal form can show you whatever you now desire to see and whatever you may want to see in the future. Everything – moving and nonmoving – is here completely, in one place.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa makes the offer unconditional: not only the universe with everything mobile and immobile, but anything Arjuna can want to see is already in this one body. The vocative 'conqueror of sleep' compliments the alertness needed for this vision.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Eka-stham … kṛtsnam' compresses the entire vibhūti chapter into a single visual axiom: every distributed glory of ch. 10 is co-located in this body. 'Yac cānyad draṣṭum icchasi' anticipates and forecloses any later 'but show me also…' — the viśvarūpa is exhaustive. Cf. Yaśodā seeing the universes in baby Kṛṣṇa's mouth (Bhāgavata 10.8).
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे गुडाकेश! अद्य इह मम देहे एक-स्थं कृत्स्नं स-चर-अचरं जगत्, यत् च अन्यत् द्रष्टुम् इच्छसि (तत् च) पश्य ।
he guḍākeśa! adya iha mama dehe eka-sthaṃ kṛtsnaṃ sa-cara-acaraṃ jagat, yat ca anyat draṣṭum icchasi (tat ca) paśya |
O Guḍākeśa, today behold here in My body, gathered in one place, the entire universe with all that moves and is still, and whatever else you wish to see.
√इष् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
you wish
Purport
No one can see the entire universe while sitting in one place. Even the most advanced scientist cannot see what is going on in other parts of the universe. But a devotee like Arjuna can see everything that exists in any part of the universe. Kṛṣṇa gives him the power to see anything he wants to see, past, present and future. Thus by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is able to see everything.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
7. Now, in this place, see in one part of My body this whole universe with its moving and non-moving entities, O conqueror of sleep, and see whatever else you desire to see.
Commentary
On this occasion (iha), this universe, which is impossible for you to see completely even if you wander within it for millions of years, is situated in just one part of My body (eka-stham). See that universe and whatever else you desire to see, such as your victory or defeat (yac ca anyat), in My body, which is the shelter of the universe, being its cause.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
7. Now, in this place, see in one part of My body this whole universe with its moving and non-moving entities, O conqueror of sleep, and see whatever else you desire to see.
Commentary
See now everything in this whole universe with its moving and non-moving entities situated within one place in My body, because it is impossible for you to see all these forms even by wandering through the universe for thousands of years. Therefore, at one time, in one place, see these by My mercy. See also whatever else you desire to see. See My form as the shelter of the universe, as the cause of the pradhāna and mahat tattva, and see your victory and others’ defeat, as well as other things.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Krishna’s Description
COMMON THEME: Krishna responds by offering to show Arjuna, the opulences He described in Chapter 10
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
Focus of Learning
(a) Qualification to see the Lord
Only by revelation by the mercy of the Lord – Therefore Arjuna requests and pleads and not orders
Not possible by “mental speculation” or “perception by material senses”
Because living entity as infinitesimal spiritual spark ,cannot know unlimited infinite
Arjuna admits his limitations as a living entity and acknowledges Krishna’s inestimable position
Lord is addressed as ‘Yogesvara’ –
To point out His inconceivable potencies by which the infinite can reveal to the finite
Krishna is not obliged to reveal Himself until one ‘fully surrenders’ in Krishna consciousness and engages in transcendental loving service
(a) Why Arjuna requests Krishna to show His Universal Form (4 points):
1. To establish Krishna’s divinity for all (11.1 purport)
2. To convince others, although he does not have any personal desire and is completely
satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Krishna (11.3 purport)
Lord is addressed as Purushottama – Implies that Lord as Supreme Personality of Godhead, knows the heart of Arjuna, that he has no personal desire to see
3. To avoid imposters - Wants to set a criteria for in the future there will be so many imposters
who will pose as incarnations of God (11.3 purport)
4. Arjuna, as a responsibility, wants to substantiate Krishna’s statement – so that in the future
people can understand that Krishna “not only theoretically or philosophically”, but ‘actually’
presented Himself as such to Arjuna – Arjuna fulfils his responsibility because he is the
beginning of the Parampara (11.8 purport)
KRISHNA’S DESCRIPTION OF HIS OWN UNIVERSAL FORM
Krishna shows variegated forms – “See My Opulences!, Hundreds and thousands of varied divine and multicoloured forms” (11.5)
Universal form is transcendental but temporary because it is subject to the temporary time of material nature (Is manifested and unmanifested like material nature) (11.5)
Not eternally situated in spiritual sky (11.5)
Universal Form is not possible to be seen by ordinary men – Krishna must give one the power to see it (11.5)
Wonderful forms with different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all other demigods
No-one has ever seen or heard of this before (11.6)
Even Arjuna, a personal friend and most advanced learned man, did not know all about Krishna (11.6)
Could see the entire universe (All moving and non-moving) sitting at one place (11.7*)
Even most advanced scientist cannot see other parts of universe, which a pure devotee could see so easily (11.7*)
Could see past, present and future, all what Arjuna wanted to see (11.7*)
Thus Arjuna will be shown the future destiny of all the relatives and warriors and thus will be motivated to just become an instrument (11.7*)
Needed divine vision – Cannot be seen with the present eyes (11.8*)
Pure devotees do not like to see Krishna in any form, other than His two-handed form
Therefore Arjuna is told not to change the mind, but change the eyes by Krishna’s grace (11.8*)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.7 Pasya, see; adya, now; O Gudakesa, the krtsnam, entire; jagat, Universe; sa-cara-acaram, existing together with the moving and the non-moving; ekastham, concentrated at the same place; iha, here; mama dehe, in My body; ca, as also; yat anyat, whatever else-even those victory, defeat, etc. with regard to which you expressed doubt in, 'whether we shall win, or whether they shall coner us' (2.6); if icchasi, you would like; drastum, to see them.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.7 'Here', in this one body of Mine, and even there, gathered together in a single spot, behold the universe with all mobile and immobile entities. Whatever else you desire to see (i.e., Arjuna's chances of victory), behold that also in one part of this single body.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.7 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.7 Now behold, O Arjuna, in this, My body, the whole universe centred in one including the moving and the unmoving and whatever else thou desirest to see.
Commentary
11.7 इह in this? एकस्थम् centred in one? जगत् the universe? कृत्स्नम् whole? पश्य behold? अद्य now? सचराचरम् with the moving and the unmoving? मम My? देहे in body? गुडाकेश O Gudakesa? यत् whatever? च and? अन्यत् other? द्रष्टुम् to see? इच्छसि (thou) desirest.Commentary Anyat Other whatever else. Your success or defeat in the war? about which you,have entertained a doubt. (Cf.II.6)
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.7 See now, O gudakesa, O Gudakesa (Arjuna), the entire Universe together with the moving and the non-moving, concentrated at the same place here in My body, as also whatever else you would like to see.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.7 Here in Me living as one, O Arjuna, behold the whole universe, movable and immovable, and anything else that thou wouldst see!
His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami· 2011-11-13· English
Personal Guidance
Within My body, behold today the entire universe — the moving and the unmoving — at one place.
Practical Applications
Practice the contemplation: all of creation is within Kṛṣṇa.
Don't fragment the universe; recognize its integration in Him.
Use this seeing during ordinary perception.
Reflection Questions
When did I last sense the universe as integrated within Him?
What practice opens that sensing?
Analogy
A single window opens onto the entire sky — the window has not grown, the sky has not shrunk, but through that frame the whole heaven is given. Kṛṣṇa's body is that window: one place where the moving and the unmoving are simultaneously held.
Stories
Yaśodā Seeing the Universe in Kṛṣṇa's Mouth
Suspecting her child of eating clay, Yaśodā asked Him to open His mouth. Within that small aperture (SB 10.8) she saw the planets, mountains, oceans, the wind, fire, the moon, the stars — and herself standing in Vraja inside His mouth.
This is precisely what Kṛṣṇa offers Arjuna in 11.7: ihaika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnam — the entire jagat in one place. The mother received this vision in tenderness; the warrior is about to receive it in awe.
न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुमनेनैव स्वचक्षुषा ।
दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षु: पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् ॥ ८ ॥
na tu māṁ śakyase draṣṭum
[na tu maam shakyase drashtum]
anenaiva sva-cakṣuṣā
[anenaiva sva-chakshushaa]
divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ
[divyam dadaami te chakshuh]
paśya me yogam aiśvaram
[pashya me yogam aishvaram]
Word-for-word
na—nevertu—butmām—Meśakyase—are abledraṣṭum—to seeanena—with theseeva—certainlysva - cakṣuṣā—your own eyesdivyam—divinedadāmi—I givete—to youcakṣuḥ—eyespaśya—seeme—Myyogam aiśvaram—inconceivable mystic power .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na tu māṁ śakyase draṣṭum
na
never
tu
but
mām
Me
śakyase
are able
draṣṭum
to see
anenaiva sva-cakṣuṣā
anena
with these
eva
certainly
sva - cakṣuṣā
your own eyes
divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ
divyam
divine
dadāmi
I give
te
to you
cakṣuḥ
eyes
paśya me yogam aiśvaram
paśya
see
me
My
yogam aiśvaram
inconceivable mystic power .
Important Words
sva - cakṣuṣā—with your own eyes
Instrumental case. The natural sense-organ is competent for the material world only; for the divya it must be supplemented. The Gītā does not abolish the senses — it requalifies them.
divyam—divine
Adjective from div, 'to shine.' Not a metaphor — Arjuna receives a literally different organ of vision, attuned to the radiance of the spiritual order.
dadāmi—I give
First-person singular present. The verb is decisive: Kṛṣṇa gifts the sight; Arjuna does not earn it. The hierarchy of seer and seen is set right by this single word.
cakṣuḥ—eye
Singular. Not 'eyes' — one organ of vision granted for one purpose. Once the viśva-rūpa is withdrawn (11.49), this cakṣuḥ will presumably go with it.
yogam aiśvaram—mystic opulence
Compound: yoga (mystic potency) + aiśvaram (lordly). What Arjuna is about to see is not Kṛṣṇa's essence but Kṛṣṇa's yoga-aiśvarya — a controlled display.
But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes. Behold My mystic opulence!
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa concedes Arjuna's permission-question (11.4) but with a crucial qualification: ordinary sight is structurally unequal to this object. He bestows the divya-cakṣus — a divine faculty matched to the divine form — and only then commands, 'behold.'
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The most often-quoted verse of the chapter. 'Divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ' establishes the doctrinal point that revelation of Kṛṣṇa's higher forms requires a transformation in the perceiver, not just an event in the object. The 'yogam aiśvaram' is the same yoga of ch. 9-10 (4.5, 9.5, 10.7) now displayed. Sañjaya, too, is granted this sight by Vyāsa to narrate ch. 11.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
अनेन स्व-चक्षुषा एव मां द्रष्टुं तु न शक्यसे; ते दिव्यं चक्षुः ददामि — मे ऐश्वरं योगं पश्य ।
anena sva-cakṣuṣā eva māṃ draṣṭuṃ tu na śakyase; te divyaṃ cakṣuḥ dadāmi — me aiśvaraṃ yogaṃ paśya |
But you are not able to see Me with this, your own eye; I give you a divine eye — behold My majestic power of yoga.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुम् अनेन एव स्व-चक्षुषा । दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षुः पश्य मे योगम् ऐश्वरम् ॥
na tu māṃ śakyase draṣṭum anena eva sva-cakṣuṣā | divyaṃ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ paśya me yogam aiśvaram ||
A pure devotee does not like to see Kṛṣṇa in any form except His form with two hands; a devotee must see His universal form by His grace, not with the mind but with spiritual eyes. To see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is told not to change his mind but his vision. The universal form of Kṛṣṇa is not very important; that will be clear in subsequent verses. Yet because Arjuna wanted to see it, the Lord gives him the particular vision required to see that universal form. Devotees who are correctly situated in a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa are attracted by loving features, not by a godless display of opulences. The playmates of Kṛṣṇa, the friends of Kṛṣṇa and the parents of Kṛṣṇa never want Kṛṣṇa to show His opulences. They are so immersed in pure love that they do not even know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In their loving exchange they forget that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that the boys who play with Kṛṣṇa are all highly pious souls, and after many, many births they are able to play with Kṛṣṇa. Such boys do not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They take Him as a personal friend. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī recites this verse: itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ “Here is the Supreme Person, who is considered the impersonal Brahman by great sages, the Supreme Personality of Godhead by devotees, and a product of material nature by ordinary men. Now these boys, who have performed many, many pious activities in their past lives, are playing with that Supreme Personality of Godhead.” ( Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.12.11) The fact is that the devotee is not concerned with seeing the viśva-rūpa, the universal form, but Arjuna wanted to see it to substantiate Kṛṣṇa’s statements so that in the future people could understand that Kṛṣṇa not only theoretically or philosophically presented Himself as the Supreme but actually presented Himself as such to Arjuna. Arjuna must confirm this because Arjuna is the beginning of the paramparā system. Those who are actually interested in understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and who follow in the footsteps of Arjuna should understand that Kṛṣṇa not only theoretically presented Himself as the Supreme, but actually revealed Himself as the Supreme. The Lord gave Arjuna the necessary power to see His universal form because He knew that Arjuna did not particularly want to see it, as we have already explained.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
8. But you will not be able to see with your material eye alone. I give you the eye of the devas. Behold My majestic power.
Commentary
Arjuna should not think that this is some form caused by magical trick or material illusion. For the purpose of giving him faith that the form which contains this whole universe is sat-cid-ānanda, He speaks this verse.
By your material eyes (anena) you cannot see Me. You cannot see My purely spiritual form. Śaknose stands for śaknosi. Therefore, I give you divine (divyam) eyes. See with those divine eyes. By letting him see with those eyes, the Lord’s intention was to give a little astonishment to Arjuna, who was thinking himself to be a material person.
Actually, because he is a principal associate of the Lord, and therefore previously had appeared as Nara along with the Nārāyaṇa avatāra, Arjuna does not have material eyes like ordinary material persons. What is the logic in giving spiritual eyes to Arjuna in order to see a mere expansion of the Lord, when that same Arjuna with his very eyes directly realizes the sweetness of his Lord?
But, on the other hand, it can be said that the superior eye which sees only the great sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s human pastimes, as in the case of the ananya-bhakta, does not at all accept the glories of the Lord’s pastimes performed with the devatās (deva līlā). One who has tasted the juice of the white lotus cannot relish sugar candy with his tongue. Thus the Lord, wanting to show the majestic nature of His pastimes with the devatās (deva-līlā), in order to cause astonishment in Arjuna who had requested just that, gave to Arjuna non-human eyes suitable for seeing deva-līlā (divyam), majestic in quality. The intention of giving such eyes will be explained at the end of the chapter.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
8. But you will not be able to see with your material eye alone. I give you the eye of the devas. Behold My majestic form.
Commentary
Intent on fulfilling what Arjuna prayed for, qualification to see that form, in the words manyase yadi tac chakyam, the Lord gave Arjuna celestial eyes to see the heavenly form composed of all the devatās, in order to astonish him.
You cannot see Me with a thousand heads, a form shining like a thousand suns at once, by your eyes which are accustomed only to My sweetness. Therefore, I give you celestial, heavenly eyes. As I would put oil on My body in entering a swiftly moving stream, so I anoint your eyes suitably. See My majestic form (yogam) with those eyes. Yoga means that which makes the mind concentrate (yujyate). In the next verse the phrase paramaṁ rūpam aiśvaram occurs. Thus rūpa is the meaning of yoga. [Note: Another meaning of yoga is “magic.” Here by context, yoga means a real form, not something illusory.] It should be understood however, that though Kṛṣṇa gave celestial eyes to Arjuna, He did not give him a celestial mind. If He gave that type of mind to Arjuna, Arjuna would take pleasure in that celestial form. Some say that the universal form with a thousand heads is superior to the form of Kṛṣṇa as the chariot driver of Arjuna, and thus Kṛṣṇa had to give Arjuna different eyes to see that universal form. This idea is refuted later.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
'Divyam caksuh', divine eyes.
The acaryas make so very interesting point about this. Arjuna was seeing Krsna in His two‑armed form and understanding Krsna's position as the most all‑attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. So he needed spiritual vision to see Krsna's position. Krsna is going to show Arjuna His universal form. Which is higher: the universal form or Krsna's two‑armed most beautiful form? Since Krsna's two‑armed form is higher, so why Krsna had to give Arjuna divine eyes to see something that is lower? Arjuna already had, in fact, divine eyes.
The explanation the acaryas give is that this 'divyam caksuh' also means 'heavenly vision'. Heavenly means 'higher' materially, but away lower then spiritual. Because Arjuna had spiritual vision as Krsna's eternal associate, Krsna gave him 'heavenly' vision, material vision, so Arjuna could see the universal form. Krsna gave him the vision of a demigod, otherwise Arjuna wouldn't show any interest. Like mother Yasoda, she had 'prema' eyes. When Krsna showed her His universal form, she didn't show any interest. Similarly, Arjuna wouldn't been interested.
Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "A pure devotee does not like to see Krsna in any form except His form with two hands; a devotee must see His universal form by His grace, not with the mind but with spiritual eyes. To see the universal form of Krsna, Arjuna is told not to change his mind but his vision. The universal form of Krsna is not very important; that will be clear in subsequent verses. Yet because Arjuna wanted to see it, the Lord gives him the particular vision required to see that universal form." And then: " The fact is that the devotee is not concerned with seeing the visva‑rupa, the universal form, but Arjuna wanted to see it to substantiate Krsna's statements so that in the future people could understand that Krsna not only theoretically or philosophically presented Himself as the Supreme but actually presented Himself as such to Arjuna. Arjuna must confirm this because Arjuna is the beginning of the parampara system. Those who are actually interested in understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and who follow in the footsteps of Arjuna should understand that Krsna not only theoretically presented Himself as the Supreme actually revealed Himself as the Supreme.
The Lord gave Arjuna the necessary power to see His universal form because He knew that Arjuna did not particularly want to see it, as we have already explained."
[B. SANJAYA'S DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM (11. 9‑31)
1. Sanjaya describes how Krsna bestows upon Arjuna the necessary vision upon Arjuna. Arjuna then beholds Krsna's Universal Form with its expansions divided into many thousands although situated in one place. He sees its unlimited mouths with eyes decorated with dazzling ornaments, garlands, scents and garments all magnificently effulgent like 1000 suns. (9‑13) ]
Up to this point Arjuna has been receiving only Krsna's words but now with the 'divyam caksuh' he will start to see that universal form.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Krishna’s Description
COMMON THEME: Krishna responds by offering to show Arjuna, the opulences He described in Chapter 10
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
Focus of Learning
(a) Qualification to see the Lord
Only by revelation by the mercy of the Lord – Therefore Arjuna requests and pleads and not orders
Not possible by “mental speculation” or “perception by material senses”
Because living entity as infinitesimal spiritual spark ,cannot know unlimited infinite
Arjuna admits his limitations as a living entity and acknowledges Krishna’s inestimable position
Lord is addressed as ‘Yogesvara’ –
To point out His inconceivable potencies by which the infinite can reveal to the finite
Krishna is not obliged to reveal Himself until one ‘fully surrenders’ in Krishna consciousness and engages in transcendental loving service
(a) Why Arjuna requests Krishna to show His Universal Form (4 points):
1. To establish Krishna’s divinity for all (11.1 purport)
2. To convince others, although he does not have any personal desire and is completely
satisfied to see Him in His personal form of Krishna (11.3 purport)
Lord is addressed as Purushottama – Implies that Lord as Supreme Personality of Godhead, knows the heart of Arjuna, that he has no personal desire to see
3. To avoid imposters - Wants to set a criteria for in the future there will be so many imposters
who will pose as incarnations of God (11.3 purport)
4. Arjuna, as a responsibility, wants to substantiate Krishna’s statement – so that in the future
people can understand that Krishna “not only theoretically or philosophically”, but ‘actually’
presented Himself as such to Arjuna – Arjuna fulfils his responsibility because he is the
beginning of the Parampara (11.8 purport)
KRISHNA’S DESCRIPTION OF HIS OWN UNIVERSAL FORM
Krishna shows variegated forms – “See My Opulences!, Hundreds and thousands of varied divine and multicoloured forms” (11.5)
Universal form is transcendental but temporary because it is subject to the temporary time of material nature (Is manifested and unmanifested like material nature) (11.5)
Not eternally situated in spiritual sky (11.5)
Universal Form is not possible to be seen by ordinary men – Krishna must give one the power to see it (11.5)
Wonderful forms with different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all other demigods
No-one has ever seen or heard of this before (11.6)
Even Arjuna, a personal friend and most advanced learned man, did not know all about Krishna (11.6)
Could see the entire universe (All moving and non-moving) sitting at one place (11.7*)
Even most advanced scientist cannot see other parts of universe, which a pure devotee could see so easily (11.7*)
Could see past, present and future, all what Arjuna wanted to see (11.7*)
Thus Arjuna will be shown the future destiny of all the relatives and warriors and thus will be motivated to just become an instrument (11.7*)
Needed divine vision – Cannot be seen with the present eyes (11.8*)
Pure devotees do not like to see Krishna in any form, other than His two-handed form
Therefore Arjuna is told not to change the mind, but change the eyes by Krishna’s grace (11.8*)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.8 Tu, but; na sakyase, you are not able; drastum, to see; mam, Me, who have assumed the Cosmic form; eva, merely; anena, with this natural; sva-caksusa, eye of yours. However, dadami, I grant; te, you; the divyam, supernatural; caksuh, eye, by which supernatural eye you shall be able to see Pasya, behold with that; me, My, God's aisvaram, divine; yogam, Yoga, i.e. the superabundance of the power of Yoga [The power of accomplishing the impossible.-M.S.].
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.8 I shall reveal to you the whole universe in one part of my body. But, with your physical eye, which can see only limited and conditioned things, you cannot behold Me, such as I am, different in kind from everything else and illimitable. So I bestow on you, a divine, namely, supernatural, eye by which you may perceive Me. Behold My Lordly Yoga' (sovereign endowment)! Behold My unie Yoga (special power)! The meaning is, 'Behold My Yoga such as infinite knowledge and such other attributes and endless manifestations of lordly power!'
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.8 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.8 But thou art not able to behold Me with these thine own eyes; I give thee the divine eye; behold My lordly Yoga.
Commentary
11.8 न not? तु but? माम् Me? शक्यसे (thou) canst? द्रष्टुम् to see? अनेन with this? एव even? स्वचक्षुषा with own eyes? दिव्यम् divine? ददामि (I) give? ते (to) thee? चक्षुः the eye? पश्य behold? मे My? योगम् Yoga? ऐश्वरम् lordly.Commentary No fleshly eyes can behold Me in My Cosmic Form. One can see It through the divine eye or the eye of intuition. It should not be confused with seeing through the eye or the mind. It is an inner experience.Lord Krishna says to Arjuna I give thee the divine eye? by which you will be able to behold My sovereign form. By it see My marvellous power of Yoga.Anena With this the fleshly eye or the physical eye? the earthly eye. (Cf.VII.25IX.5X.7)
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.8 But you are not able to see Me merely with this eye of yours. I grant you the supernatural eye; bhold My divine Yoga.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.8 Yet since with mortal eyes thou canst not see Me, lo! I give thee the Divine Sight. See now the glory of My Sovereignty."
But you cannot see Me with your present eyes — therefore I give you divine eyes; behold My mystic opulence.
Practical Applications
Recognize that ordinary eyes don't perceive Kṛṣṇa's full form.
Pray for divine eyes — for the seeing-quality, not just information.
Trust that He gives the means when He chooses.
Reflection Questions
Where am I trying to see with ordinary eyes what only divine eyes perceive?
What does asking for divine eyes look like?
Analogy
A scientist hands the student a special lens before opening the door to the laboratory's brightest chamber. The student's normal eye would be burned; the lens is not magic, it is mercy. Kṛṣṇa hands Arjuna the lens — divya-cakṣus — and only then opens the door.
Stories
Sañjaya's Divine Eyes
Before the battle began, Vyāsa offered Dhṛtarāṣṭra the gift of divine sight to behold the war. The blind king refused — he did not want to witness his sons' deaths — and Vyāsa gave the gift instead to Sañjaya (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva), who narrates the entire Gītā including this very chapter.
Two cakṣus are at work in BG 11: Arjuna's, granted by Kṛṣṇa directly, and Sañjaya's, granted by Vyāsa. Without the second eye, the first vision could not have reached us at all.
By inconceivable potency of the Lord, Arjuna could see the unlimited sitting in one place
More radiant than hundreds and thousands of suns (11.12)
Sanjaya is trying to give a mental picture of indescribable revelation to Dhrtarashtra
Grace of Vyasadeva – Sanjaya, by grace of Vyasa, could see all that happened in Kurukshetra
Seeing everything at one place – All unlimited expansions of the universe including planets of gold, jewels and all other kinds (11.13)
The word ‘tatra’ (There) – indicates Arjuna and Krishna were sitting on the chariot and seeing everything from one place.
Others on the battlefield could not see – Because Krishna gave the vision only to Arjuna
Arjuna is bewildered and astonished – Hair standing on end, Arjuna bows down and begins to pray with folded hands (11.14)
Text 11.14 describes the change of rasa from ‘friendship’ to ‘wonder’
This proves that Krishna is the reservoir of all relationships (12 rasas)
Symptoms of wonder – indicated by a calm, sober and quiet personality being changed to ecstatic, astonished personality with hairs standing on end and offering prayers with folded hands
सञ्जयउवाचएवमुक्त्वाततोराजन्महायोगेश्वरोहरि: ।
दर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम् ॥ ९ ॥
sañjaya uvāca
[sanjaya uvaacha]
evam uktvā tato rājan
[evam uktvaa tato raajan]
mahā-yogeśvaro hariḥ
[mahaa-yogeshvaro harih]
darśayām āsa pārthāya
[darshayaam aasa paarthaaya]
paramaṁ rūpam aiśvaram
[paramam roopam aishvaram]
Word-for-word
sañjayaḥ uvāca—Sañjaya saidevam—thusuktvā—sayingtataḥ—thereafterrājan—O Kingmahā - yoga - īśvaraḥ—the most powerful mystichariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇadarśayām āsa—showedpārthāya—unto Arjunaparamam—the divinerūpam aiśvaram—universal form .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sañjaya uvāca
sañjayaḥ uvāca
Sañjaya said
evam uktvā tato rājan
evam
thus
uktvā
saying
tataḥ
thereafter
rājan
O King
mahā-yogeśvaro hariḥ
mahā - yoga - īśvaraḥ
the most powerful mystic
hariḥ
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa
darśayām āsa pārthāya
darśayām āsa
showed
pārthāya
unto Arjuna
paramaṁ rūpam aiśvaram
paramam
the divine
rūpam aiśvaram
universal form .
Important Words
mahā - yoga - īśvaraḥ—the master of all mystic power
Compound: great + yoga + lord. Sañjaya stacks the title to forestall any reduction. The being now displaying the universal form is not a yogi who has accumulated siddhi; He is the Lord of yoga itself.
hariḥ—the Personality of Godhead
A Bhāgavata-tradition name. Hari is 'he who removes' — sins, attachments, illusions. Sañjaya quietly invokes the name of removal at the moment Arjuna's last illusions are about to be removed by sight.
darśayām āsa—displayed
Causative perfect of dṛś — 'caused to be seen.' Kṛṣṇa is the agent of the seeing; the form does not impose itself, it is shown.
pārthāya—to Arjuna
Dative — for the benefit of Pārtha. The vision is given to a specific person at a specific moment. Kṛṣṇa does not broadcast; He addresses.
paramam—supreme
Adjective qualifying rūpam. Not one form among many — the highest of the aiśvarya-forms, the one Arjuna asked for in verse 3.
Sañjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord of all mystic power, the Personality of Godhead, displayed His universal form to Arjuna.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sañjaya re-enters as narrator, addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He calls Kṛṣṇa Hari — 'the one who takes away' — and mahā-yogeśvara: the act of displaying the cosmic form is itself the supreme yogic feat.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The narration-frame matters: ch. 11 is technically Sañjaya's report, granted divine sight by Vyāsa. His vocative 'rājan' addresses the blind Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who cannot see the form even by report. The name 'Hari' — beyond the friend-name 'Kṛṣṇa' — anticipates the awe-tone of what is about to be shown.
9. Sañjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, Kṛṣṇa, the master of great yoga, showed to Arjuna His supreme, majestic form.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
9. Sañjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, Kṛṣṇa, the master of great yoga, showed to Arjuna the supremely powerful form.
Commentary
Having spoken, the Lord showed the universal form to Arjuna. Seeing that form, Arjuna described it to the Lord. Sañjaya relates what Arjuna said in six verses (9-14).
Then (tataḥ), after giving Arjuna the celestial eyes, O Dhṛtarāṣṭra (rajan), the Lord, the great master of yoga, showed that supreme form of power to Arjuna.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Now, at this point, Sanjaya is describing what Arjuna saw.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Sañjaya, also empowered to see the universal form, next describes Arjuna’s vision.
Bhagavad Gita Notes
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.9 Rajan, O King, Dhrtarastra; uktva, having spoken evam, thus, in the manner stated above; tatah, thereafter; harih, Hari, Narayana; maha-yogeswarah, the great Master of Yoga-who is great (mahan) and also the master (isvara) of Yoga; darasyamasa showed; parthaya, to the son of Prtha; the paramam, supreme; aisvaram, divine; rupam, form, the Cosmic form:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.9 Sanjaya said Having thus spoken, Sri Krsna, who is the great Lord of Yoga, namely, the Lord of supremely wonderful attributes - Sri Krsna who is Narayana, the Supreme Brahman now incarnated as the son of Arjuna's maternal uncle and seated as a charioteer in his chariot - showed Arjuna, the son of Pritha His paternal aunt, that Lordly form uniely His own, which is the ground of the entire universe, which is manifold and wonderful, and which rules over everything.
And that form was like this:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.9 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.9 Sanjaya said Having thus spoken, O king, the great Lord of Yoga, hari (Krishna), showed to Arjuna His supreme form as the Lord.
Commentary
11.9 एवम् thus? उक्त्वा having spoken? ततः then? राजन् O king? महायोगेश्वरः the great Lord of Yoga? हरिः Hari? दर्शयामास showed? पार्थाय to Arjuna? परमम् Supreme? रूपम् form? ऐश्वरम् Sovereign.Commentary King This verse is addressed by Sanjaya to Dhritarashtra.Supreme Form The Cosmic Form.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.9 Sanjaya said O King, having spoken thus, thereafter, Hari [Hari: destroyer of ignorance along with its conseences.] (Krsna) the great Master of Yoga, showed to the son of Prtha the supreme divine form:
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.9 Sanjaya continued: "Having thus spoken, O King, the Lord Shri Krishna, the Almighty Prince of Wisdom, showed to Arjuna the Supreme Form of the Great God.
Sañjaya describes: having said this, the great Lord, the master of all yogic mysteries, displayed His universal form to Arjuna.
Practical Applications
Receive Sañjaya's narration as the lens through which we still see this scene.
Honor the messenger who relays the scene.
Don't skip narrators in your reading.
Reflection Questions
What narrators of the spiritual scene am I ignoring?
What does honoring them open?
Analogy
When the curtain rises, the narrator's voice fills in what no actor can show: who is speaking, in what register, to whom. Sañjaya is that narrator, and his single sentence — evam uktvā, having spoken thus — frames the entire vision that follows.
Stories
Sañjaya's Reporting Voice
Throughout the Bhagavad-gītā, Sañjaya appears only at hinge moments — opening verse, the divya-cakṣus granted at the start, and again here at the unveiling of the universal form (Mahābhārata, Bhīṣma-parva).
His voice in 11.9 — mahā-yogeśvaro hariḥ — is doing theological work. He names Kṛṣṇa as both Hari and the great Lord of yoga, telling Dhṛtarāṣṭra (and us) the identity of the speaker before the form is described. Without this introduction, the wonders that follow could be misread as deva-līlā.
Repeated four times in two verses. Sañjaya's vocabulary breaks down under the pressure of plurality — he can only keep saying aneka, aneka, aneka.
vaktra—mouths
Mouths in particular, because the mouths will become terrible in verses 25–30 — the same vaktras that now hold garlands will later devour kings. The seed of the awful is in the wonderful.
divya—divine, celestial
Used four times — for ornaments, weapons, garments, garments-and-fragrances. Everything Arjuna sees is divya; the material register has been suspended.
udyata—upraised
Past participle of ud-yam, 'to lift.' The weapons are not at rest — they are raised, in active readiness. Even at this descriptive moment, the form is implicitly about to act.
anantam—unlimited
Neuter singular, agreeing with devam. Sañjaya's last word in the description: after every count and catalogue, the only honest adjective is 'limitless.'
viśvataḥ - mukham—facing all directions
Compound: 'with mouth(s) on every side.' The Lord has no front and no back; every approach meets a face. This will become Arjuna's terror in verse 24.
Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes, unlimited wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore many divine upraised weapons. He wore celestial garlands and garments, and many divine scents were smeared over His body. All was wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sañjaya pauses on the first impression: not yet terror, but vertiginous abundance. Every feature is multiplied — mouths, eyes, ornaments, weapons — and every direction is a face. The viśvarūpa announces itself first as overwhelming opulence before it turns to its devouring aspect.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
A dual-verse Upajāti unit dense with prefix 'aneka' (many) and 'divya' (divine) — the form is both quantitatively and qualitatively beyond the human. 'Viśvato-mukham' picks up the Vedic image (Puruṣa-sūkta, RV 10.90) of the cosmic Person whose face is everywhere. The catalog is deliberately impersonal in number to mark its incomparability with any deva-icon.
(Arjuna saw) the Divine One — possessed of many mouths and eyes, of many wondrous sights, of many divine ornaments, of many divine upraised weapons, wearing divine garlands and garments, anointed with divine fragrances, full of every marvel, infinite, with faces turned in every direction.
In these two verses the repeated use of the word many indicates that there was no limit to the number of hands, mouths, legs and other manifestations Arjuna was seeing. These manifestations were distributed throughout the universe, but by the grace of the Lord, Arjuna could see them while sitting in one place. That was due to the inconceivable potency of Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
10. It had many mouths and eyes, many astonishing aspects, many wonderful ornaments, uplifting many wonderful weapons.
11. That form wore astonishing garlands and dress, astonishing perfumes and ointments. It was shining, greatly amazing, infinite, with faces in every direction.
Commentary
Viśvato mukham means “whose faces are everywhere.”
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
10. It had many mouths and eyes, many astonishing aspects, many wonderful ornaments, uplifting many wonderful weapons.
11. That form wore astonishing garlands and dress, astonishing ointments and fragrances. It was shining, greatly amazing, beyond compare, with faces in every direction.
Commentary
That form had thousands (aneka) of mouths and eyes, since later there is a description of the form with thousands of arms: sahasra-bāho bhava viśva-mūrte (BG 11.46) The use of the word aneka here indicates that the arms and eyes were so numerous that they could not be counted (instead of just several, which is the other meaning of aneka.) This is understood from the śruti statement viśvataś cakṣur uta viśvatomukhaḥ: His eyes are everywhere, His faces are everywhere. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.3) In that form he saw many astonishing things (anekādbhuta darśanam).
That form had celestial fragrances and ointments. It was shining (devam), unprecedented (anantam), and had faces in all directions (viśvato mukham).
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
The word divya is used four times in these two verses to describe the extraordinary ornaments,
weapons, garlands and fragrances of the universal form. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the word aneka
(“many”) in the purport, showing that Arjuna saw unlimited manifestations distributed throughout
the universe.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.10 A form aneka-vaktra-nayanam, having many faces and eyes; aneka-adbhuta-darsanam, possessing many wonderful sights; as also aneka-divya-abharanam, adorned with numerous celestial ornaments; and divya-aneka-udyata-ayudham, holding many uplifted heavenly weapons. This whole portion is connected with the verb '(He) showed' in the earlier verse.
Moreover,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.10 - 11.11 'Divyam' means resplendent. 'Anantam' (boundless) means that form is not limited by time and space because of its being the foundation of the entire universe in the past, present and future. 'Visvatomukham' means facing in all directions. This form is adorned with divine raiments, perfumes, garlands, ornaments and weapons appropriate to it.
He explains the same resplendence expressed by the term 'Divyam':
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.10 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.10 With numerous mouths and eyes, with numerous wonderful sights, with numerous divine ornaments, with numerous divine weapons uplifted (such a form He showed).
Commentary
11.10 अनेकवक्त्रनयनम् with numerous mouthsand eyes? अनेकाद्भुतदर्शनम् with numerous wonderful sights? अनेकदिव्याभरणम् with numerous divine ornaments? दिव्यानेकोद्यतायुधम् with numerous divine weapons uplifted.Commentary Countless faces appeared there. Arjuna looked at this Cosmic Form in all its magnificence. He saw the Lord everywhere and in everything. The whole manifestation appeared as one gigantic body of the Lord. He saw the Lord as the allinall.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.10 Having many faces and eyes, possessing many wonderful sights, adorned with numerous celestial ornaments, holding many uplifted heavenly weapons;
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.10 There were countless eyes and mouths, and mystic forms innumerable, with shining ornaments and flaming celestial weapons.
His Holiness Bhakti Vigna Vinasa Narasimha Swami· English
Personal Guidance
Arjuna saw unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes, unlimited wonderful visions, weapons, garlands, anointed with celestial perfumes — all wonderful, brilliant, unlimited.
Practical Applications
Don't reduce the universal form to symbol; the verse says actual unlimited features.
Honor the multisensory richness of the vision.
Cultivate the imagination to receive scriptural description.
Reflection Questions
Where have I reduced spiritual reality to mere symbol?
What imaginative receptivity is being asked?
Analogy
Imagine a king's coronation portrait: every ornament catalogued, every weapon held aloft, every fragrance noted. The catalogue itself is the portrait. So Sañjaya, unable to paint, lists — and the list becomes the form.
Stories
Markaṇḍeya in the Belly of Viṣṇu
When the sage Markaṇḍeya was swept into the cosmic waters of dissolution (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 188–189; Bhāgavatam 12.9), he wandered inside the body of the Supreme Lord and saw the same kinds of marvels Arjuna now sees — unlimited mouths, eyes, ornaments, weapons, garlands, all radiant beyond measure.
The Gītā's description in 11.10–11 echoes Markaṇḍeya's seeing. The viśva-rūpa is not a one-off display for a battlefield; it is the standing truth, occasionally unveiled to a few prepared souls.
दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता ।
यदि भा: सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मन: ॥ १२ ॥
divi sūrya-sahasrasya
[divi soorya-sahasrasya]
bhaved yugapad utthitā
[bhaved yugapad utthitaa]
yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syād
[yadi bhaah sadrishee saa syaad]
bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ
[bhaasas tasya mahaatmanah]
Word-for-word
divi—in the skysūrya—of sunssahasrasya—of many thousandsbhavet—there wereyugapat—simultaneouslyutthitā—presentyadi—ifbhāḥ—lightsadṛśī—like thatsā—thatsyāt—might bebhāsaḥ—effulgencetasya—of Himmahā - ātmanaḥ—the great Lord .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
divi sūrya-sahasrasya
divi
in the sky
sūrya
of suns
sahasrasya
of many thousands
bhaved yugapad utthitā
bhavet
there were
yugapat
simultaneously
utthitā
present
yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syād
yadi
if
bhāḥ
light
sadṛśī
like that
sā
that
syāt
might be
bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ
bhāsaḥ
effulgence
tasya
of Him
mahā - ātmanaḥ
the great Lord .
Important Words
divi—in the sky
Locative. Sañjaya situates the imagined sunrise in the divya realm, not in the earth's atmosphere. The comparison is cosmic, not meteorological.
sūrya—of suns
Genitive in compound with sahasrasya. The sun, the most luminous object known to ordinary experience, is multiplied — and even multiplied a thousandfold, only approximates.
sahasrasya—of a thousand
Genitive singular. Sanskrit often uses sahasra as 'innumerable.' Even 'a thousand' here is a polite under-count.
yugapat—all at once
Adverb — 'at the same instant.' The full force is in the simultaneity. A sun rising over many hours does not match; a thousand suns rising at the same instant might.
sadṛśī—similar
Feminine adjective (qualifying bhāḥ, light). Sañjaya carefully does not say 'equal.' Even the most extreme analogy is only sadṛśī, similar — and only might be.
mahā - ātmanaḥ—of the great Self
Genitive of mahātman. The brightness belongs to the mahātman; the suns are merely the measuring rod. The genitive keeps possession clear.
If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
A famous similitude: a thousand suns simultaneously rising only approach the splendor of the cosmic Person. The optative stack ('bhavet … syāt') is humble — even the analogy is conjectural; nothing in nature directly matches what Arjuna now sees.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Echoed by J. Robert Oppenheimer at Trinity (1945): 'If the radiance of a thousand suns…' The image dramatizes that the viśvarūpa is not just visually large but is sheer light beyond luminance. 'Mahātmā' here means the cosmic Self, not (as in moral usage) a great soul. Compare Muṇḍaka 2.2.10: 'na tatra sūryo bhāti.'
What Arjuna saw was indescribable, yet Sañjaya is trying to give a mental picture of that great revelation to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Neither Sañjaya nor Dhṛtarāṣṭra was present, but Sañjaya, by the grace of Vyāsa, could see whatever happened. Thus he now compares the situation, as far as it can be understood, to an imaginable phenomenon (i.e., thousands of suns).
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
12. If the splendor of a thousand suns rose simultaneously in the sky, that effulgence would be somewhat similar to the effulgence of this great form.
Commentary
If at one time the effulgence (bhāḥ) of a thousand suns arose, then it would be somewhat similar to the effulgence (bhāsaḥ) of the universal form (mahātmanaḥ).
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
12. If the splendor of a thousand suns rose simultaneously in the sky, that effulgence would be similar to one of the splendors in the effulgence of this great form.
Commentary
This verse described the incomparable effulgence of that form. If the effulgence of a thousand suns rose in the sky at once, it would be similar to one of the splendors of this universal form (mahāṭmanaḥ) of the Lord. Optative tense is used to show supposition.
Here a metaphor called utprekṣa or poetic fancy is used, comparing the effulgence of a thousand suns to the astonishing nature of the object of comparison, the universal form. But since the comparison is deficient, what is suggested is that nothing could compare to this form’s effulgence. The verse is a continuation of the thought expressed previously in verse 9: He showed that form.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Because the magninimity or the greatness of the universal form was so wondrous and brilliant, unlimiting, all expanding, it is impossible to conceive of something like that. Here an example is given to give us some idea of the radiance of this form: 'If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky'.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.12 Should the bhah, effulgence; surya-sahasrasya, of a thousand suns; utthita bhavet, blaze forth; yugapat, simultaneously; divi, in the sky, or in heaven which is the third as counted (from this earth);sa, that; yadi syat, might be-or it might not be-; sadrsi, similar; to the bhasah, radiance; tasya, of that; mahat-manah, exalted One, the Cosmic Person Himself. The idea is that the brillinace of the Cosmic Person surely excels even this!
Further,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.12 This is for illustrating that His splendour is infinite. The meaning is that it is of the nature of inexhaustible radiance.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.12 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.12 If the splendour of a thousand suns were to blaze out at once (simultaneously) in the sky, that would be the splendour of that mighty Being (great Soul).
Commentary
11.12 दिवि in the sky? सूर्यसहस्रस्य of a thousand suns? भवेत् were? युगपत् at once (simultaneously)? उत्थिता arisen? यदि if? भाः splendour? सदृशी like? सा that? स्यात् would be? भासः splendour? तस्य of that? महात्मनः of the mighty Being (great soul).Commentary Divi here means in the Antariksha or the sky.Mahatma here refers to the great Soul or the mighty Being? the Cosmic Form.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.12 Should the effulgence of a thousand suns blaze forth simultaneously in the sky, that might be similar to the radiance of that exalted One.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.12 Could a thousand suns blaze forth together it would be but a faint reflection of the radiance of the Lord God.
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Dhairya (Composure / Courage)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God)Bhakti (Devotion)
If hundreds of thousands of suns rose at once, their splendor might approach the splendor of that Supreme Personality.
Practical Applications
Hold the magnitude — many suns' splendor.
Use this image to dwarf personal worries.
Recognize that the Lord's brilliance is beyond ordinary measurement.
Reflection Questions
What worry of mine fits 'a single sun'-sized perspective?
How does the magnitude shift it?
Analogy
If a thousand suns were to rise together — that's the only handhold the mind is given. Even then it is a similitude, not the thing. The verse trains the disciple to compare and then to confess the comparison is inadequate.
Stories
Bhīṣma sees the Light of lights
On the bed of arrows, with Kṛṣṇa standing before him whip in hand, Bhīṣma offered the Bhīṣma-stuti (Bhāgavatam 1.9). He did not address an impersonal radiance; he addressed Pārtha-sārathi — the dark-bodied charioteer whose face was reddened with battle-dust — and called Him the source of all light, the very person on whom yogīs meditate.
This is the light the Gītā names at 13.18 as jyotiṣām api taj jyotiḥ — the Light beyond all lights. Kṛṣṇa now shows Arjuna the upper limit of that effulgence: a thousand suns, and even those only might resemble it (sadṛśī syāt).
तत्रैकस्थंजगत्कृत्स्नंप्रविभक्तमनेकधा ।
अपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा ॥ १३ ॥
tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ
[tatraika-stham jagat kritsnam]
pravibhaktam anekadhā
[pravibhaktam anekadhaa]
apaśyad deva-devasya
[apashyad deva-devasya]
śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā
[shareere paandavas tadaa]
Word-for-word
tatra—thereeka - stham—in one placejagat—the universekṛtsnam—completepravibhaktam—dividedanekadhā—into manyapaśyat—could seedeva - devasya—of the Supreme Personality of Godheadśarīre—in the universal formpāṇḍavaḥ—Arjunatadā—at that time .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ
tatra
there
pravibhaktam anekadhā
eka - stham
in one place
jagat
the universe
kṛtsnam
complete
pravibhaktam
divided
apaśyad deva-devasya
śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā
anekadhā
into many
apaśyat
could see
deva - devasya
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
śarīre
in the universal form
pāṇḍavaḥ
Arjuna
tadā
at that time .
Important Words
eka - stham—in one place
Same compound as 11.7 — the verse rhymes with Kṛṣṇa's earlier promise. What was offered there is now received here.
jagat—the universe
The moving world. Even in its perpetual motion, it is held in one place by the Lord — motion does not contradict locus.
pravibhaktam—divided
Past passive participle of pra-vi-bhaj — 'split apart in many directions.' Multiplicity is real, but it is held within unity, not opposed to it.
anekadhā—in many ways
Adverb. Not just 'many,' but 'many-fold' — distributed across innumerable modes. The Gītā does not erase difference; it situates it.
deva - devasya—of the Lord of lords
Genitive compound. The body in which all this is held is itself the body of the deva-deva — not merely a great being but the source of greatness.
At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The promise of 11.7 ('eka-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnam') is fulfilled in perception. Arjuna sees a paradoxical object: a manifold endlessly diverse and yet co-present in a single body. Multiplicity and unity coincide without contradiction.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse names the central metaphysical demonstration of the chapter — non-dual diversity. 'Pravibhaktam anekadhā' and 'eka-stham' are deliberately yoked. The narrator calls Arjuna 'Pāṇḍava' (lineage-name) just here, perhaps to mark the historic uniqueness of the moment within his lineage's story; cf. 11.47-48.
√दृश् impf. (imperfect) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
he saw
देव-देवस्य
deva-devasya
देव (m.) + देव (m.) gen.sg. (genitive singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound)
of the God of gods
शरीरे
śarīre
शरीर (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular)
in the body
पाण्डवः
pāṇḍavaḥ
पाण्डव (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)
the son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna)
तदा
tadā
ind. (indeclinable), adv. of time
then
Purport
The word tatra (“there”) is very significant. It indicates that both Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa were sitting on the chariot when Arjuna saw the universal form. Others on the battlefield could not see this form, because Kṛṣṇa gave the vision only to Arjuna. Arjuna could see in the body of Kṛṣṇa many thousands of planets. As we learn from Vedic scriptures, there are many universes and many planets. Some of them are made of earth, some are made of gold, some are made of jewels, some are very great, some are not so great, etc. Sitting on his chariot, Arjuna could see all these. But no one could understand what was going on between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
13. On the battlefield, Arjuna saw parts of the universe in various parts of that body in various ways.
Commentary
In that place (tatra), on the battle field, in the body of the Lord (deva-devasya), it was impossible to take into account the whole universe. Therefore Arjuna saw a part situated in one part of the body at different moments (pravibhaktam, eka-stham)—a part situated in the Lord’s pore or a part situated in His belly, and in various ways (anekadhā). That is, he saw that form made of earth, made of gold, made of jewels, or measuring fifty koṭi yojanas, or a hundred koṭi yojanas or a hundred thousand koṭi yojanas.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
13. On the battlefield, in the body of the Lord, Arjuna then saw parts of the whole universe in one place in various ways.
Commentary
Then what happened? There, on the battlefield (tatra), in the body of Kṛṣṇa (devadevasya) with a thousand heads, in that sacred form, Arjuna then saw the whole universe, all its various parts (pravibhaktam) in one place (ekastham), as was explained already in verse 7. The universe was variously composed of earth, gold, and jewels (anekadhā). Or it can mean that the universe appeared in small, medium and large forms.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna saw all the different universes with many sizes and many ingredients all in one place and also in their own separate existence.
[2. Krsna's universal form of opulences: Arjuna, with hair standing on end, bewildered and astonished, prays, "My dear Krsna, I see all demigods, sages, and serpents within Your fiery form. You are the all‑pervading, eternal Personality of Godhead. The sun and the moon are eyes and Your glory is unlimited. You are burning the universe by Your radiance. (14‑19) ]
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.13 Tada, at that time; pandavah, Pandava, Arjuna; apasyat, saw; tatra, there, in that Cosmic form; sarire, in the body; devadevasya, of the God of gods, of Hari; krtsnam, the whole; jagat, Universe; anekadha, deversely; pravibhaktam, differentiated-into groups of gods, manes, human beings, and others; ekastham, united in the one (Consmic form).
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.13 'There', in that unie and divine body of the God of gods - infinite in length and breadth, with innumerable hands, stomachs, faces and eyes, of immeasurable splendour, eipped with innumerable divine weapons, adorned with innumerable divine ornaments appropriate to itself and with divine garlands and raiments, fragrant with celestial perfumes and full of wonders , there Arjuna beheld with the appropriate divine eyes granted by the grace of the Lord, the 'entire universe' consisting of Prakrti (material Nature) and the selves, all remaining in 'one single spot,' namely, at one single point. He beheld 'the whole universe' with all its sub-divisions, differentiated into varied and wonderful classes of experiencing beings like Brahma, gods, animals, men, immovables etc., and the places, objects and means of experiences such as earth, ether, Rasatala, Atala, Vitala, Sutala etc. He beheld thus the entire universe as depicted in such texts as those starting with 'I am the origin of all; from Me proceed everything' (10.8), 'Indeed I shall tell you, O Arjuna, My glorious self-manifestations' (10.9), 'I am the Self, O Arjuna, dwelling in the hearts of all beings' (10.20), and 'Of Adityas, I am Visnu' (10.21), and ending with 'Nothing that moves or does not move exists without Me' (10.39), and 'I remain, with a single fraction of Myself sustaining this whole universe' (10.42).
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.13 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.13 There, in the body of the God of gods, Arjuna then saw the whole universe resting in one, with its many groups.
Commentary
11.13 तत्र there? एकस्थम् resting in one? जगत् the universe? कृत्स्नम् the whole? प्रविभक्तम् divided? अनेकधा in many groups? अपश्यत् saw? देवदेवस्य of the God of gods? शरीरे in the body? पाण्डवः son of Pandu? तदा then.Commentary Tatra There -- in the Cosmic Form.Anekadha Many groups -- gods? manes? men and other species of beings.Arjuna beheld all forms as the forms of the Lord? all heads as His heads? all eyes as His eyes? all hands as His hands? all feet as His feet? every part of every body as the limb of the Lords divine form. Wherever he looked he beheld nothing but the Lord. He got mystic divine knowledge.Sanjaya has given a truly graphic description of the Cosmic Form. Yet? it would be futile to grasp it with the finite mind. It is a transcendental vision? beyond the reach of the mind and senses. It has to be realised in Samadhi.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.13 At that time, Pandava saw there, in the body of the God of gods, the whole diversely differentiated Universe united in the one (Cosmic form).
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.13 In that vision Arjuna saw the universe, with its manifold shapes, all embraced in One, its Supreme Lord.
At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place — divided into many.
Practical Applications
Cultivate the seeing of unity-in-multiplicity.
Don't choose between unity and diversity — both coexist in Him.
Use this paradox in your contemplation.
Reflection Questions
Where do I force-choose between unity and diversity?
What does both-at-once feel like?
Analogy
A traveller climbs to a vantage where, for the first time, every river he has ever crossed appears as a single map. They are still many rivers; they are still flowing; but now he sees them in one glance. So Arjuna sees the universe — divided into many, gathered in one.
Stories
Vyāsa Seeing the Whole
Tradition holds that Vyāsa, before composing the Mahābhārata, beheld the entire course of events past, present, and future in a single act of yogic vision (Mahābhārata, Ādi-parva 1). Only because the totality had been seen in one place could it be narrated as one work.
Arjuna's vision in 11.13 is briefer but of the same nature: eka-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnam pravibhaktam anekadhā — one and divided at once. Such vision is what allows the seer to act inside time without being deceived by it.
तत: स विस्मयाविष्टो हृष्टरोमा धनञ्जय: ।
प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत ॥ १४ ॥
tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo
[tatah sa vismayaavishto]
hṛṣṭa-romā dhanañ-jayaḥ
[hrishta-romaa dhanan-jayah]
praṇamya śirasā devaṁ
[pranamya shirasaa devam]
kṛtāñjalir abhāṣata
[kritaanjalir abhaashata]
Word-for-word
tataḥ—thereaftersaḥ—hevismaya - āviṣṭaḥ—being overwhelmed with wonderhṛṣṭa - romā—with his bodily hairs standing on end due to his great ecstasydhanam - jayaḥ—Arjunapraṇamya—offering obeisancesśirasā—with the headdevam—to the Supreme Personality of Godheadkṛta - añjaliḥ—with folded handsabhāṣata—began to speak .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo
tataḥ
thereafter
saḥ
he
vismaya - āviṣṭaḥ
being overwhelmed with wonder
hṛṣṭa-romā dhanañ-jayaḥ
hṛṣṭa - romā
with his bodily hairs standing on end due to his great ecstasy
dhanam - jayaḥ
Arjuna
praṇamya śirasā devaṁ
praṇamya
offering obeisances
śirasā
with the head
devam
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
kṛtāñjalir abhāṣata
kṛta - añjaliḥ
with folded hands
abhāṣata
began to speak .
Important Words
vismaya - āviṣṭaḥ—overcome with wonder
Compound: vismaya (wonder) + āviṣṭa (entered, possessed). Arjuna is not wondering — wonder has entered him. The grammar of devotional emotion is always passive.
hṛṣṭa - romā—hair standing on end
One of the eight sāttvika-bhāvas in classical rasa-theory: romāñca, the involuntary bristling of body-hair in extreme emotion. The Gītā here records a textbook sāttvika sign.
praṇamya—having bowed
Gerund of pra-nam. Sequential — first the bowing, then the speaking. Praise spoken from a standing posture is not the same praise.
śirasā—with the head
Instrumental. Not a nod — the head itself goes to the ground. Body-language is theology in the Gītā's grammar.
kṛta - añjaliḥ—with folded hands
Compound: kṛta (made) + añjali (the hollow of joined palms). The añjali is the universal Indic gesture of receiving — Arjuna's hands are formed to receive what is about to be spoken and seen.
Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to offer obeisances and with folded hands began to pray to the Supreme Lord.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sañjaya describes Arjuna's bodily response before any word: wonder, gooseflesh, bowed head, joined palms. The body marks the moment of darśana sacramentally before the mouth can compose a stotra.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The physiological signs (vismaya, hṛṣṭa-roma) are technical markers of sāttvika-bhāva in Sanskrit aesthetics — involuntary responses to overwhelming presence. The verse functions as a stage direction setting up the long Arjuna-stotra of 11.15-31. Hands and head, the two main organs of namaskāra, are both engaged.
Once the divine vision is revealed, the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna changes immediately. Before, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna had a relationship based on friendship, but here, after the revelation, Arjuna is offering obeisances with great respect, and with folded hands he is praying to Kṛṣṇa. He is praising the universal form. Thus Arjuna’s relationship becomes one of wonder rather than friendship. Great devotees see Kṛṣṇa as the reservoir of all relationships. In the scriptures there are twelve basic kinds of relationships mentioned, and all of them are present in Kṛṣṇa. It is said that He is the ocean of all the relationships exchanged between two living entities, between the gods, or between the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Here Arjuna was inspired by the relationship of wonder, and in that wonder, although he was by nature very sober, calm and quiet, he became ecstatic, his hair stood up, and he began to offer his obeisances unto the Supreme Lord with folded hands. He was not, of course, afraid. He was affected by the wonders of the Supreme Lord. The immediate context is wonder; his natural loving friendship was overwhelmed by wonder, and thus he reacted in this way.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
14. Then, overcome with wonder, hair standing on end, Arjuna, bowing his head before the Lord and folding his hands in prayer, spoke.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
14. Then, overcome with wonder, hair standing on end, Arjuna, bowing his head before the Lord and folding his hands in prayer, spoke.
Commentary
Arjuna, who knew Kṛṣṇa, then experienced the rasa of adbhuta (astonishment) on seeing at that time the form with a thousand heads which he understood actually existed within Kṛṣṇa. Looking at Kṛṣṇa who had furnished this form, he spoke. Arjuna was the conqueror of all wealth (dhanaṁjayaḥ), and thus very steady, but with hairs standing on end, overcome with astonishment, after offering his respects to Kṛṣṇa by touching his head to the earth, he spoke with folded hands. It is hinted that he did not cover up his eyes out of fear, but displayed openly great astonishment. The Lord is the ālambana (the viṣaya) or object invoking rasa. [Note: This is part of vibhāva. In rasa there are five components: sattvika bhāva, anubhāva, sañcari bhāva, vibhāva, and sthāyi bhāva. Vibhāva (preliminary factors) has two components: alambana (persons involved-viṣaya, object of love and āśraya, the experiencer) and uddīpana (stimulants).] When Arjuna looked at Him again and again, the gazing became the uddīpana, or instigation for rasa. Offering respects and folding hands are anubhāvas. Standing of hairs on end is the sāttvika bhāva. Mind overwhelmed by these elements, joy and steadiness are sañcari bhāvas. By these four components, the fifth component, the sthāyī bhāva called viṣmaya became nourished, and the five together became adbhuta rasa.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Now Arjuna is seeing what previously he had heard about. He was astonished and bewildered but because he is a great ksatryia he didn't run away. But still, he put his head down in great astonishment and bewilderement.
All the primary rasas and all, for except one, of the secondary rasas will be exhibited in this Chapter to Arjuna.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.14
Tatah, then, having seen Him; sah, he, Dhananjaya; became vismaya-avistah, filled with wonder; and hrsta-roma, had his hairs standing on end. Becoming filled with humility, pranamya, bowing down, bowing down fully; [With abundant respect and devotion.] sirasa, with his head; devam, to the Lord, who had assumed the Cosmic form; abhasata, he said; krta-anjalih, with folded hands, with palms joined in salutation:
How? 'I am seeing the Cosmic form that has been revealed by You'-thus expressing his own experience,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.14 Then Arjuna became overcome with amazement on seeing the Lord, at a point of whose being this wonderful universe in its entirely stands supported, who enables all things to act, and who is the possesor of a host of auspicious attributes like omniscience. With his hairs standing erect, he bowed down like a stick, and with folded hands, he spoke thus:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.14 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.14 Then, Arjuna, filled with wonder and with his hair standing on end, bowed down his head to the God and spoke with joined palms.
Commentary
11.14 ततः then? सः he? विस्मयाविष्टः filled with wonder? हृष्टरोमा with hair standing on end? धनञ्जयः Arjuna? प्रणम्य having prostrated? शिरसा with (his) head? देवम् the God? कृताञ्जलिः with joined palms? अभाषत spoke.Commentary Tatah Then? having seen the Cosmic Form.Arjuna joined his palms in order to do prostration to the Cosmic Form. The great hero had attained true humility which the bowed head and joined palms represented? and which is the essential ingredient of devotion.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.14 Then, filled with wonder, with hairs standing on end, he, Dhananjaya, (Arjuna), bowing down with his head to the Lord, said with folded hands:
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.14 Thereupon Arjuna, dumb with awe, his hair on end, his head bowed, his hands clasped in salutation, addressed the Lord thus:
Bewildered with hairs standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head and offered prayers with folded hands.
Practical Applications
Honor the body's response to spiritual reality (tears, hairs standing).
Don't suppress reverent body-response.
Pair body and prayer — bow physically when bowing internally.
Reflection Questions
When did I last let my body fully respond to spiritual encounter?
What body-practice would honor those moments?
Analogy
When the temple doors finally open at the auspicious hour, the pilgrim does not declaim — he falls, hands joined, head down. Arjuna, the master archer, drops his stance and becomes a body of obeisance. The hair-on-end (hṛṣṭa-romā) is the body's own honest signal that the soul has met something larger.
Stories
Akrūra in the Yamunā
When Akrūra was driving Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Mathurā (SB 10.39), he stepped into the Yamunā to bathe and there beheld the four-armed form of Viṣṇu with conch, disc, mace, and lotus, attended by all the great sages. His hair stood on end, tears poured forth, and he could only fold his hands and pray.
Arjuna's response in 11.14 is identical: praṇamya śirasā kṛta-añjaliḥ. Different devotees, different settings — same bodily grammar of darśana.
अर्जुनउवाच
पश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे
सर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान् ।
ब्रह्माणमीशं कमलासनस्थ-
मृषींश्च सर्वानुरगांश्च दिव्यान् ॥ १५ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe
[pashyaami devaams tava deva dehe]
sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān
[sarvaams tathaa bhoota-vishesha-sanghaan]
brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-stham
[brahmaanam eesham kamalaasana-stham]
ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān
[risheemsh cha sarvaan uragaamsh cha divyaan]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna saidpaśyāmi—I seedevān—all the demigodstava—Yourdeva—O Lorddehe—in the bodysarvān—alltathā—alsobhūta—living entitiesviśeṣa - saṅghān—specifically assembledbrahmāṇam—Lord Brahmāīśam—Lord Śivakamala - āsana - stham—sitting on the lotus flowerṛṣīn—great sagesca—alsosarvān—alluragān—serpentsca—alsodivyān—divine .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe
paśyāmi
I see
devān
all the demigods
tava
Your
deva
O Lord
dehe
in the body
sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān
sarvān
all
tathā
also
bhūta
living entities
viśeṣa - saṅghān
specifically assembled
brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-stham
brahmāṇam
Lord Brahmā
īśam
Lord Śiva
kamala - āsana - stham
sitting on the lotus flower
ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān
ṛṣīn
great sages
ca
also
sarvān
all
uragān
serpents
ca
also
divyān
divine .
Important Words
paśyāmi—I see
First-person singular present — the verse's signature verb. Arjuna will repeat it through verses 15–19 like a refrain; the granted divya-cakṣus is now active in real time.
devān—the demigods
Accusative plural. The devas are objects of perception inside Kṛṣṇa — not separate gods to be appeased, but functions of the one Lord.
brahmāṇam—Brahmā
Accusative. Even the highest cosmic functionary, the four-headed creator, appears inside the form — placing Kṛṣṇa above the entire trimūrti hierarchy.
kamala - āsana - stham—seated on the lotus
Compound: lotus + seat + standing. The classical iconography of Brahmā is preserved exactly — Arjuna sees him in his canonical posture, sitting on the navel-lotus from Viṣṇu (cf. SB 3.8).
uragān—the serpents
Lit. 'breast-going,' those that move by the chest. Even the serpentine race — Ananta, Vāsuki — is included. Nothing is left outside the form.
divyān—divine
Adjective. Sañjaya keeps marking 'divine' to insist that what Arjuna sees is not mythic invention but real spiritual category.
Arjuna said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower, as well as Lord Śiva and all the sages and divine serpents.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna's stotra opens with a survey: the gods, every class of being, Brahmā on the lotus, ṛṣis, divine nāgas — all inside the one body. He begins not with terror but with sheer inventory, as if naming each item helps him hold the vision.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The metre shifts to Triṣṭubh (Upajāti) for 11.15-50, signaling a high-style hymnic register. Brahmā 'kamala-āsana-stha' is the demiurge born from Viṣṇu's navel-lotus (Bhāgavata 3.8); seeing Brahmā inside Kṛṣṇa establishes the hierarchy that ch. 10 had asserted ('ahaṁ ādir hi devānāṁ', 10.2). The catalog mirrors but exceeds 11.6 because Arjuna now sees, not just hears.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे देव! तव देहे सर्वान् देवान्, तथा भूत-विशेष-सङ्घान्, कमल-आसन-स्थं ब्रह्माणम् ईशं, सर्वान् ऋषीन् च, दिव्यान् उरगान् च पश्यामि ।
he deva! tava dehe sarvān devān, tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān, kamala-āsana-sthaṃ brahmāṇam īśaṃ, sarvān ṛṣīn ca, divyān uragān ca paśyāmi |
O Divine One, in Your body I see all the gods, and likewise hosts of varied beings, Brahmā the Lord seated on the lotus, all the sages, and the divine serpents.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अर्जुनः उवाच
arjunaḥ uvāca
पश्यामि देवान् तव देव देहे सर्वान् तथा भूत-विशेष-सङ्घान् । ब्रह्माणम् ईशं कमल-आसन-स्थम् ऋषीन् च सर्वान् उरगान् च दिव्यान् ॥
paśyāmi devān tava deva dehe sarvān tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān | brahmāṇam īśaṃ kamala-āsana-stham ṛṣīn ca sarvān uragān ca divyān ||
Grammar(व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
Sanskrit
IAST
Grammar
Meaning
पश्यामि
paśyāmi
√दृश् pres. (present) 1sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
Arjuna sees everything in the universe; therefore he sees Brahmā, who is the first creature in the universe, and the celestial serpent upon which the Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu lies in the lower regions of the universe. This snake bed is called Vāsuki. There are also other snakes known as Vāsuki. Arjuna can see from the Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu up to the topmost part of the universe on the lotus-flower planet where Brahmā, the first creature of the universe, resides. That means that from the beginning to the end, everything could be seen by Arjuna, who was sitting in one place on his chariot. This was possible by the grace of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
15. Arjuna said: In Your body I see all the devatās, as well as the mass of all the beings. I see Lord Brahmā, seated on a lotus, all the ṛṣis, and shining snakes.
Commentary
I see a multitude of viviparous animals (bhūtā-viśeṣa) and Brahmā situated on Mount Meru at the center of the lotus of the earth planet.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
15. Arjuna said: In Your body I see all the devatās, as well as the mass of all the beings. I see Lord Brahma, Viṣṇu, who is situated within Brahmā sitting on his lotus, all the ṛṣis, and shining snakes.
Commentary
What did he say? This is described in seven verses.
I see a collection of creatures born from wombs (bhūta viśeṣa), as well as Brahmā with four heads, and Viṣṇu situated as antaryāmin within the lotus-seated Brahmā (kamalāsana stham), who is Garbhodakaśayi Viṣṇu (iśam). I see snakes such as Vāsuki (uragān).
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna speaks ‘his realisations’ of the Universal Form
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM
All living entities at one place – See’s all demigods and living entities assembled in that form – Lord Brahma sitting on a lotus flower, also Lord Siva and all the sages and divine serpents (11.15)
To see all at one place is possible only by Krishna’s grace
Krishna is unlimited – See’s many many arms, bellies, mouths, eyes without any limit and with no end, middle and beginning (11.16)
Through Him, everything could be seen
Blazing like sun (11.17) –
Analogy: Glaring effulgence on all sides like a blazing fire or immeasurable radiance like the sun
This form is very difficult to see
Arjuna attempts to describe immeasurable – He is trying to say “You are the Supreme Lord” by the following statements: (11.18*)
You are the Supreme primal objective
Ultimate resting place of all the universe
Inexhaustible / oldest
Maintainer of eternal religion
Sun and moon are your eyes (11.19)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.15 Deva, O God; pasyami, I see, perceive; tava dehe, in Your body; sarvan, all; the devan, gods; tatha, as also; bhuta-visesa-sanghan, hosts of (various) classes of beings, groups of moving and non-moving living things having different shapes; and besides, brahmanam, Brahma, with four faces; isam, the Ruler of creatures; kamalasana-stham, sitting on a lotus seat, i.e. sitting on Mount Meru which forms the pericarp of the lotus that is the earth; and sarvan, all; the divyan, heavenly; rsin, sages-Vasistha and others; and (the heavenly) uragan, serpents-Vasuki and others.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.15 Arjuna said O Lord! I behold in Your body all gods and all classes of living beings as also Brahma, the four-faced ruler of the cosmic egg. So too Siva (Isa) who is seated in the lotus-seated Brahma, meaning that Siva abides by the directions of Brahma. So also all the seers of whom the divine seers are the foremost; and lustrous snakes like Vasuki, Taksaka etc.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.15 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.15 Arjuna said I see all the gods, O God, in Thy body, and (also) hosts of various classes of beings, Brahma, the Lord, seated on the lotus, all the sages and the celestial serpents.
Commentary
11.15 पश्यामि (I) see? देवान् the gods? तव Thy? देव O God? देहे in the body? सर्वान् all? तथा also? भूतविशेषसङ्घान् hosts of various classes of beings? ब्रह्माणम् Brahma? ईशम् the Lord? कमलासनस्थम् seated on the lotus? ऋषीन् sages? च and? सर्वान् all? उरगान् serpents? च and? दिव्यान् divine.Commentary Arjuna describes his own experience of the Cosmic Form in this and the following verses? 15 to 31.Bhutaviseshasanghan Hosts of various classes of beings? both animate and inanimate. These numerous entities are in Thy Cosmic Form? like hairs on the human body.Brahma? the fourfaced? the Lord of all creatures? is seated in the centre of the earthlotus on the Meru which forms the thalamus as it were of the earthlotus.Sages? such as Vasishtha. Serpents? such as Vasuki.Moreover --
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.15 Arjuna said O God, I see in Your body all the gods as also hosts of (various) classes of beings; Brahma the ruler, sitting on a lotus seat, and all the heavely sages and serpents.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.15 Arjuna said: O almighty God! I see in Thee the powers of Nature, the various creatures of the world, the Progenitor on his lotus throne, the Sages and the shining angels.
Arjuna says: I see all the demigods within Your body, including Brahmā on the lotus, all the sages, the celestial serpents.
Practical Applications
Recognize the Vedic cosmology as actually present within Kṛṣṇa.
Don't treat 'demigods' as defunct mythology.
Honor the cosmic furniture of devotion.
Reflection Questions
Where have I dismissed Vedic cosmology as outdated?
What does taking it seriously open?
Analogy
A scholar opens what he thought was a chapter and finds it is the whole library — every author, every sage, every god he has ever heard of, gathered between two covers. Arjuna opens the form of Kṛṣṇa and finds the entire pantheon inside.
Stories
Aśvatthāmā Confronted with Nārāyaṇa
After his crimes at the close of the war, Aśvatthāmā released the brahmāstra and Arjuna countered (Mahābhārata, Sauptika-parva 13–16). Vyāsa appeared between the two weapons. Aśvatthāmā then perceived Kṛṣṇa as the source of all the demigods he had invoked — he saw on Kṛṣṇa's chest the whole array of devas and ṛṣis.
Arjuna's vision in 11.15 is the same recognition: every devatā he has ever worshiped is inside the one form. The Gītā is firm — the demigods are real, and they are in Kṛṣṇa.
अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं
पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् ।
नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं
पश्यामिविश्वेश्वरविश्वरूप ॥ १६ ॥
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
[aneka-baahoodara-vaktra-netram]
paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam
[pashyaami tvaam sarvato ’nanta-roopam]
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ
[naantam na madhyam na punas tavaadim]
paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa
[pashyaami vishveshvara vishva-roopa]
Word-for-word
aneka—manybāhu—armsudara—belliesvaktra—mouthsnetram—eyespaśyāmi—I seetvām—Yousarvataḥ—on all sidesananta - rūpam—unlimited formna antam—no endna madhyam—no middlena punaḥ—nor againtava—Yourādim—beginningpaśyāmi—I seeviśva - īśvara—O Lord of the universeviśva - rūpa—in the form of the universe .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
aneka
many
bāhu
arms
udara
bellies
vaktra
mouths
netram
eyes
paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam
paśyāmi
I see
tvām
You
sarvataḥ
on all sides
ananta - rūpam
unlimited form
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ
na antam
no end
na madhyam
no middle
na punaḥ
nor again
tava
Your
ādim
beginning
paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa
paśyāmi
I see
viśva - īśvara
O Lord of the universe
viśva - rūpa
in the form of the universe .
Important Words
aneka—many
Again the chapter's pressure-word. Arjuna repeats it; words that do not exhaust the count must at least register the failure to count.
ananta - rūpam—of unlimited form
Compound: an-anta (without end) + rūpa (form). A form that paradoxically has no boundary — the verse's central contradiction-as-truth.
na antam—no end
Negation + accusative. Antaḥ means end; here it is denied. The Gauḍīya reading is positive: an-anta is a name of the Lord Himself — Ananta-śeṣa, on whom Viṣṇu reclines. Arjuna is not negating predicates; he is seeing unlimitedness as Bhagavān's own personal attribute.
na madhyam—no middle
The middle is the test of finitude — a thing with a middle has two ends. Denying the middle denies the framework that would let one locate beginning and end.
viśva - īśvara—O Lord of the universe
Vocative compound. The same form Arjuna cannot measure is the īśvara of the entire viśva. Limitlessness and lordship are one fact.
viśva - rūpa—O universal form
Vocative compound. The proper name of this chapter's vision. Arjuna at last calls Kṛṣṇa by this title — and the title will stay attached to this manifestation in tradition forever.
O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in You no end, no middle and no beginning.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
From inventory Arjuna moves to limit: he can find none. Anywhere he looks, more form. Beginning, middle, end — the standard frame of any object — fail to fit. The vocative 'viśva-rūpa' enters the Gītā here as a name for what cannot be circumscribed.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Negation triplet 'na antaṁ na madhyaṁ na ādim' parallels the Upaniṣadic 'anādi-madhya-anta' negations (cf. 11.19 below; Śvetāśvatara 6.9). The word 'viśva-rūpa' is doctrinally loaded — it names this whole chapter (Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga) and the form that will be withdrawn in 11.50 to relieve Arjuna's terror.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे विश्व-ईश्वर! हे विश्व-रूप! अनेक-बाहु-उदर-वक्त्र-नेत्रं सर्वतः अनन्त-रूपं त्वां पश्यामि; तव अन्तं न, मध्यं न, पुनः आदिं (अपि) न पश्यामि ।
he viśva-īśvara! he viśva-rūpa! aneka-bāhu-udara-vaktra-netraṃ sarvataḥ ananta-rūpaṃ tvāṃ paśyāmi; tava antaṃ na, madhyaṃ na, punaḥ ādiṃ (api) na paśyāmi |
O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see You with countless arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes, of infinite form on every side; I see no end, no middle, and no beginning of You.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अनेक-बाहु-उदर-वक्त्र-नेत्रं पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतः अनन्त-रूपम् । न अन्तं न मध्यं न पुनः तव आदिं पश्यामि विश्व-ईश्वर विश्व-रूप ॥
aneka-bāhu-udara-vaktra-netraṃ paśyāmi tvāṃ sarvataḥ ananta-rūpam | na antaṃ na madhyaṃ na punaḥ tava ādiṃ paśyāmi viśva-īśvara viśva-rūpa ||
विश्व (n.) + ईश्वर (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound)
O Lord of the universe
विश्व-रूप
viśva-rūpa
विश्व (n.) + रूप (n.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound)
O one whose form is the universe
Purport
Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is unlimited; thus through Him everything could be seen.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
16. I see You everywhere with infinite form, with many arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes. O lord of the universe, origin of all this! O form of the universe! I do not see a beginning, middle or end of this form of Yours.
Commentary
Viśveśvara means the original person, the origin of this form.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
16. I see You everywhere with infinite form, with many arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes. O lord of the universe, origin of all this! O form of the universe! I do not see a beginning, middle or end of this form of Yours.
Commentary
Arjuna then describes the forms of devas and others that he saw in the body of the universal form. O form of the universe! This means the first puruṣa (mahā viṣṇu).
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna speaks ‘his realisations’ of the Universal Form
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM
All living entities at one place – See’s all demigods and living entities assembled in that form – Lord Brahma sitting on a lotus flower, also Lord Siva and all the sages and divine serpents (11.15)
To see all at one place is possible only by Krishna’s grace
Krishna is unlimited – See’s many many arms, bellies, mouths, eyes without any limit and with no end, middle and beginning (11.16)
Through Him, everything could be seen
Blazing like sun (11.17) –
Analogy: Glaring effulgence on all sides like a blazing fire or immeasurable radiance like the sun
This form is very difficult to see
Arjuna attempts to describe immeasurable – He is trying to say “You are the Supreme Lord” by the following statements: (11.18*)
You are the Supreme primal objective
Ultimate resting place of all the universe
Inexhaustible / oldest
Maintainer of eternal religion
Sun and moon are your eyes (11.19)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.16 Pasyami, I see; tvam, You; aneka-bahu-udara-vaktra-netram, as possessed of numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes; ananta-rupam, having infinite forms; sarvatah, all around. Visveswara, O Lord of the Universe; visva-rupa, O Cosmic Person; na pasyami, I see not; ['I do not see-because of Your all-pervasiveness.'] tava, Your; antam, end; na madhyam, nor the middle-what lies between two extremities; na punah, nor again; the adim, beginning-I see not the limit (end) nor the middle, nor again the beginning, of You who are God!
Furthermore,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.16 I behold Your infinite form on all sides with many arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes. O Lord of the universe, namely, the controller of the universe, O Universal Form having the universe as Your body! As You are infinite, therefore, I see no end, no middle and no beginning for You.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.16 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.16 I see Thee of boundless form on every side with many arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes: neither the end nor the middle nor also the beginning do I see, O Lord of the universe, O Cosmic Form.
Commentary
11.16 अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रम् with manifold arms? stomachs? mouths and eyes? पश्यामि (I) see? त्वाम् Thee? सर्वतः on every side? अनन्तरूपम् of boundless form? न not? अनत्म् end? न not? मध्यम् middle? न not? पुनः,again? तव Thy? आदिम् origin? पश्यामि (I) see? विश्वेश्वर O Lord of the universe? विश्वरूप O Cosmic Form.Commentary A thing that is limited by space and time has a begining? a middle and an end? but the Lord is omnipresent and eternal. He exists in the three periods of time -- past? present and future? but is not limited by time and space. Therefore He has neither a beginning nor middle nor end.Arjuna could have this divine vision only with the help of the divine eye bestowed upon him by the Lord. He who has supreme devotion to the Lord and on whom the Lord showers His grace can enjoy this wondrous vision.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.16 I see You as possessed of numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes; as having infinite forms all around. O Lord of the Universe, O Cosmic Person, I see not Your limit nor the middle, nor again the beginning!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.16 I see Thee, infinite in form, with, as it were, faces, eyes and limbs everywhere; no beginning, no middle, no end; O Thou Lord of the Universe, Whose Form is universal!
I see Your unlimited expansions — many arms, bellies, mouths, eyes — without beginning, middle, or end.
Practical Applications
Hold the numerical immensity Kṛṣṇa is showing.
Don't shrink-fit Kṛṣṇa to fit your imagination.
Cultivate awe rather than mastery.
Reflection Questions
Where have I been trying to master what only awes?
What does awe restore?
Analogy
The map of a coastline can be drawn from one side; the map of a sphere cannot. Wherever you start, the sphere has no edge. Arjuna's mind, trained on coastline-things, now meets a sphere — and the words 'no end, no middle, no beginning' are the only honest geometry.
Stories
The Beggar Brāhmaṇa in the Bhāgavatam
In the eleventh canto (SB 11.7–8), Lord Kṛṣṇa narrates the story of the avadhūta brāhmaṇa who had twenty-four gurus drawn from nature. From the sky as guru he learned that the Lord, though pervading all bodies, is without beginning, middle, or end — anantam — and remains untouched by what He pervades.
Arjuna's words in 11.16 are this same teaching seen rather than heard. The sky has no edge; the form he beholds has no edge; the parallel is exact.
किरीटिनंगदिनंचक्रिणंचतेजोराशिंसर्वतोदीप्तिमन्तम् ।
पश्यामित्वांदुर्निरीक्ष्यंसमन्ता-
द्दीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् ॥ १७ ॥
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca
[kireetinam gadinam chakrinam cha]
tejo-rāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam
[tejo-raashim sarvato deeptimantam]
paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād
[pashyaami tvaam durnireekshyam samantaad]
dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam
[deeptaanalaarka-dyutim aprameyam]
Word-for-word
kirīṭinam—with helmetsgadinam—with macescakriṇam—with discsca—andtejaḥ - rāśim—effulgencesarvataḥ—on all sidesdīpti - mantam—glowingpaśyāmi—I seetvām—Youdurnirīkṣyam—difficult to seesamantāt—everywheredīpta - anala—blazing firearka—of the sundyutim—the sunshineaprameyam—immeasurable .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca
kirīṭinam
with helmets
gadinam
with maces
cakriṇam
with discs
ca
and
tejo-rāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam
tejaḥ - rāśim
effulgence
sarvataḥ
on all sides
dīpti - mantam
glowing
paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād
paśyāmi
I see
tvām
You
durnirīkṣyam
difficult to see
samantāt
everywhere
dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam
dīpta - anala
blazing fire
arka
of the sun
dyutim
the sunshine
aprameyam
immeasurable .
Important Words
kirīṭinam—with crowns
Accusative of kirīṭin, 'crown-bearer.' The crown identifies the cosmic king, and 'crowns' in the plural acknowledges that He bears them across all His manifestations.
gadinam—with maces
Accusative of gadin. The gadā Kaumodakī is Viṣṇu's signature weapon. Arjuna sees it on this terrible form, anchoring the universal vision to the familiar four-armed iconography.
cakriṇam—with discs
Accusative of cakrin. The Sudarśana-cakra — the wheel that protects devotees and severs ego. Its presence here promises that the awful vision is still Kṛṣṇa's, still wielding the same protective wheel.
tejaḥ - rāśim—mass of effulgence
Compound: tejas (radiant energy) + rāśi (heap, accumulation). Not light scattered; light heaped. The accumulation is itself the form's substance.
durnirīkṣyam—difficult to see
Compound: duḥ (hard) + nir-īkṣ (to gaze). Even with divya-cakṣus, the gazing is difficult. The eye is enabled, not made omnipotent.
aprameyam—immeasurable
From a-pra-mā, 'not able to be measured.' One of the Lord's standard epithets in the Upaniṣads. Measurement presupposes a measure — there is none here.
Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, spreading on all sides, like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun. Yet I see this glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The Viṣṇu-iconography (crown, mace, discus) appears inside the cosmic blaze, identifying the universal form as Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa Himself. Yet it is 'durnirīkṣya' — too bright to look at — preparing the shift in Arjuna's tone from delight to dread.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse threads two registers: the recognizable Viṣṇu icons (kirīṭa, gadā, cakra) and the unbounded fire-light. This anchors the vision: even at maximum cosmic scale, the Lord remains the same Viṣṇu of Vaikuṇṭha. 'Durnirīkṣya' is the first real hint that this gift is hard to bear; 11.24 develops it into pravyathita.
I see You crowned, mace-bearing, discus-bearing, a mass of radiance shining on every side, hard to gaze upon all around, of the splendor of blazing fire and sun, immeasurable.
17. I see You with crown, club, cakra, a mass of light shining everywhere, difficult to behold, with immeasurable radiance on all sides like the blazing of fire and sun.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
17. I see You with crown, club, cakra, a mass of light shining everywhere, difficult to behold, with immeasurable radiance on all sides like the blazing of fire and sun.
Commentary
Now he describes that form in another way. Thought difficult to behold, I can see You, because by Your mercy I have attained celestial eyes. The form is difficult to behold because on all sides it is as brilliant as blazing fire. Thus it is impossible to measure it (aprameyam).
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
It is immeasurable, but it has some specific elements that we should note what this universal form is: (1) it is immeasurable, (2) it has a great, great radiance, (3) everything is situated in one place (all the universes, the demigods, etc..., everything in one place). These are, at this point, the main qualities of the universal form.
Now in next verse Arjuna is going to try to describe the immeasurable.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna speaks ‘his realisations’ of the Universal Form
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM
All living entities at one place – See’s all demigods and living entities assembled in that form – Lord Brahma sitting on a lotus flower, also Lord Siva and all the sages and divine serpents (11.15)
To see all at one place is possible only by Krishna’s grace
Krishna is unlimited – See’s many many arms, bellies, mouths, eyes without any limit and with no end, middle and beginning (11.16)
Through Him, everything could be seen
Blazing like sun (11.17) –
Analogy: Glaring effulgence on all sides like a blazing fire or immeasurable radiance like the sun
This form is very difficult to see
Arjuna attempts to describe immeasurable – He is trying to say “You are the Supreme Lord” by the following statements: (11.18*)
You are the Supreme primal objective
Ultimate resting place of all the universe
Inexhaustible / oldest
Maintainer of eternal religion
Sun and moon are your eyes (11.19)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.17 Pasyami, I see; tvam, You; as kiritinam, wearing a diadem-kirita is a kind of decoration for the head; one having it is kiriti; gadinam, wielding a mace; and also cakrinam, holding a disc; tejorasim, a mass of brilliance; sarvatah diptimantam, glowing all around; durniriksyam, difficult to look at; samantat, from all sides, at every point; as though dipta-analarka-dyutim, possessed of the radiance (dyuti) of the blazing (dipta) fire (anala) and sun (arka); and aprameyam, immeasurable, i.e. beyond limitation.
'For this reason also, i.e., by seeing Your power of Yoga, I infer' that-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.17 I behold you a mass of light shining everywhere, hard to look at, blazing like a burning fire and the sun. You, who are identifiable with Your divine diadem, mace and discus, are indefinable and immeasurable.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.17 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.17 I see Thee with the diadem, the club and the discus, a mass of radiance shining
everywhere, very hard to look at, blazing all round like burning fire and the sun, and immeasurable.
Commentary
11.17 किरीटिनम् one with diadem? गदिनम् with club? चक्रिणम् with discus? च and? तेजोराशिम् a mass of radiance? सर्वतः everywhere? दीप्तिमन्तम् shining? पश्यामि (I) see? त्वाम् Thee? दुर्निरीक्ष्यम् very hard to look at? समन्तात् all round? दीप्तानलार्कद्युतिम् blazing like burning fire and sun? अप्रमेयम् immeasurable.Commentary Kiritam is a special ornament for the head? the crown.Arjuna had worshipped the Lord as having a crown? club and discus and the Lord showed him the same form now. He is in all forms and He is beyond all forms as the transcendental Reality. Who can comprehend His GloryTejorasim A mass of splendour that cannot be perceived without the inner divine eye of intuition.Aprameyam Immeasurable? whose limits cannot be fixed.I infer from this vision of Thy power of Yoga that Thu art the Imperishable? etc.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.17 I see You as wearing a diadem, wielding a mace, and holding a disc; a mass of brilliance glowing all around, difficult to look at from all sides, possessed of the radiance of the blazing fire and sun, and immeasurable.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.17 I see thee with the crown, the sceptre and the discus; a blaze of splendour. Scarce can I gaze on thee, so radiant thou art, glowing like the blazing fire, brilliant as the sun, immeasurable.
Looking directly at a welder's arc burns the eye even though the arc is small; the radiance is not measured by size. Arjuna is now looking at the welder's arc of the cosmos — durnirīkṣyam, hard to look upon — and the only way he can describe it is by what it resembles, blazing fire and the sun.
Stories
Bhīṣma's Vision on the Bed of Arrows
Lying on his bed of arrows, the dying Bhīṣma beheld Kṛṣṇa with his last sight and offered the Bhīṣma-stuti (SB 1.9.32–42). He saw Kṛṣṇa as 'the supreme effulgence' (paraṁ jyotiḥ) shining like the sun upon all directions — kirīṭinaṁ kuṇḍalinam, crowned and bejewelled, with weapons at the ready.
The iconographic vocabulary of BG 11.17 — crowned, with mace and disc, blazing like fire and the sun — is the same Bhīṣma uses. Two warriors, two darśanas, identical witness.
त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं
त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् ।
त्वमव्यय: शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता
सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ॥ १८ ॥
tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ
[tvam aksharam paramam veditavyam]
tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
[tvam asya vishvasya param nidhaanam]
tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā
[tvam avyayah shaashvata-dharma-goptaa]
sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me
[sanaatanas tvam purusho mato me]
Word-for-word
tvam—Youakṣaram—the infallibleparamam—supremeveditavyam—to be understoodtvam—Youasya—of thisviśvasya—universeparam—supremenidhānam—basistvam—Youavyayaḥ—inexhaustibleśāśvata - dharma - goptā—maintainer of the eternal religionsanātanaḥ—eternaltvam—Youpuruṣaḥ—the Supreme Personalitymataḥ me—this is my opinion .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ
tvam
You
akṣaram
the infallible
paramam
supreme
veditavyam
to be understood
tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
tvam
You
asya
of this
viśvasya
universe
param
supreme
nidhānam
basis
tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā
tvam
You
avyayaḥ
inexhaustible
śāśvata - dharma - goptā
maintainer of the eternal religion
sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me
sanātanaḥ
eternal
tvam
You
puruṣaḥ
the Supreme Personality
mataḥ me
this is my opinion .
Important Words
akṣaram—imperishable
From a-kṣar, 'that which does not flow away.' One of the Gītā's deepest titles for the Lord (cf. 8.3, 8.11, 15.16–18). Arjuna names Kṛṣṇa as akṣara before the chapter's most terrible verses arrive, anchoring himself in the imperishable as the perishable rushes by.
veditavyam—to be known
Future passive participle of vid — 'that which ought to be known.' The form is not just seen but to-be-known; sight is the doorway, knowledge is the room.
nidhānam—resting place
From ni-dhā, 'to lay down.' The Lord is the storehouse, the deposit-place of the universe. When the universe withdraws, it withdraws into Him.
śāśvata - dharma - goptā—maintainer of the eternal religion
Compound: śāśvata (eternal) + dharma (religion) + goptā (protector). Kṛṣṇa is named in His function from BG 4.7–8: He descends to protect dharma. Arjuna recognises this function in the form before him.
sanātanaḥ—eternal
Adjective from sa-nā, 'always existing.' The same root behind sanātana-dharma. Arjuna calls the Lord by the very word that names the eternal way.
puruṣaḥ—the Personality
Person, not impersonal essence. Even at the moment of beholding the all-pervading form, Arjuna's word is puruṣa. The Gītā's personalist commitment is preserved at the chapter's most cosmic moment.
You are the supreme primal objective. You are the ultimate resting place of all this universe. You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest. You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the Personality of Godhead. This is my opinion.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna inserts a doctrinal credo into the stotra: the form before him is the Upaniṣadic akṣara-puruṣa, the world's support, the protector of sanātana-dharma. Vision is fast becoming theology — 'mato me' (in my opinion) signs his personal acceptance.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Four titles in series: parama akṣara (cf. Muṇḍaka 1.1.6), paraṁ nidhāna (resting-place, cf. 9.18), śāśvata-dharma-goptā (guardian of eternal Dharma, recalling 4.7-8's avatāra-vow), sanātana puruṣa (the ancient Person, Puruṣa-sūkta 'puruṣa evedaṁ sarvam'). The verse compresses the Upaniṣadic vocabulary and aligns it with Kṛṣṇa-identity.
tvaṃ paramaṃ akṣaraṃ veditavyam; tvam asya viśvasya paraṃ nidhānam; tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā; tvaṃ sanātanaḥ puruṣaḥ — (iti) me mataḥ |
You are the supreme Imperishable, the one to be known; You are the ultimate resting place of this universe; You are the unchanging guardian of the eternal Dharma; You are the everlasting Person — such is my conviction.
18. You are known as the supreme Brahman. You are the place of destruction of this universe. You are indestructible, the protector of eternal dharma. I know that You are the eternal person.
Commentary
You are known by the strivers for liberation as Brahman (akṣaram). You are the place of destruction of all things (nidhānam).
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
18. You are known as the supreme brahman. You are the shelter of everything. You are indestructible, the protector of eternal dharma. I know that You are the ancient person.
Commentary
Seeing this inconceivable great power, I am convinced about You. That is the purport of this verse.
You are to be known (veditavyam). This is described by statements of the Vedas such as atha parā yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate, yat tad adṛśyam: the higher knowledge is that by which the indestructible Brahman is apprehended, which cannot be seen. (Muṇḍaka Upanisad 1.1.5) Described in the Vedas, You are known as the truth with all opulences (paramam akṣaram). You are the shelter (nidhānam). You are the indestructible (avyayaḥ). You are the protector of dharma spoken in the Vedas (śāśvata dharma goptā). You alone are the ancient person (sanātanaḥ puruṣaḥ), mentioned in the mantra sa kāraṇaṁ kāraṇādhipādhipo na cāsya kaścij janitā na cādhipaḥ: He is the cause, master of the senses; He has no lord or creator. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.9)
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna speaks ‘his realisations’ of the Universal Form
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM
All living entities at one place – See’s all demigods and living entities assembled in that form – Lord Brahma sitting on a lotus flower, also Lord Siva and all the sages and divine serpents (11.15)
To see all at one place is possible only by Krishna’s grace
Krishna is unlimited – See’s many many arms, bellies, mouths, eyes without any limit and with no end, middle and beginning (11.16)
Through Him, everything could be seen
Blazing like sun (11.17) –
Analogy: Glaring effulgence on all sides like a blazing fire or immeasurable radiance like the sun
This form is very difficult to see
Arjuna attempts to describe immeasurable – He is trying to say “You are the Supreme Lord” by the following statements: (11.18*)
You are the Supreme primal objective
Ultimate resting place of all the universe
Inexhaustible / oldest
Maintainer of eternal religion
Sun and moon are your eyes (11.19)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.18 Tvam, You; are the aksaram, Immutable; the paramam, supreme One, Brahman; veditavyam, to be known-by those aspiring for Liberation. You are the param, most perfect; nidhanam, repository-where things are deposited, i.e. the ultimate resort; asya visvasya, of this Universe, of the entire creation. Further. You are the avyayah, Imperishable-there is no decay in You; the sasvata-dharma-gopta, Protector (gopta) of the ever-existing (sasvata) religion (dharma). You are the sanatanah, eternal; transcendental purusah, Person. This is me, my; matah, belief-what is meant by me.
Moreover,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.18 You alone are the Supreme 'Imperishable Person' indicated as that which ought to be realised in such Upanisadic passages as: 'Two sciences are to be known' (Mun. U., 1.1.4). You alone are the 'Supreme Substratum' of the universe, i.e., supreme support of this universe. You are 'immutable', namely, not liable to mutation. Whatever might be your attributes and divine manifestations, You remain unchanged in Your form. You alone are the guardian of 'the eternal law' - You who protect the eternal Dharma of the Veda by incarnations like this. I know you are the everlasting Person. I know You are the eternal Person, described in such passages as, 'I know this great Purusa' (Tai. A., 3.12.7) and 'Person who is higher than the high' (Mun. U., 3.2.8). You, who were till now known to me as the most distinguished of the race of Yadu, have been realised by me now through direct perception as of this nature, i.e., of a nature unknown to me before. Such is the meaning.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.18 Tvam aksaram etc. Guardian of the pious acts of the Satvatas. Satvatas are the same as the Satvatas i.e. those who are established in the Truth that does not take cognizance of any difference between the Action (11.Spanda) and the Consciousness; the Truth which is nothing but Existentiality and is in the form of Awarenes. Their pious act is that act [of meditation] of theirs which - on account of its being continously engaged in the process of undertaking and rejecting [things] - consists of the act of emanation and absorption, and is the most superior of all the paths [leading to salvation]. The Lord protects that pious act. This is the secret in this chapter and it has been made almost clear by me (11.Ag.) in my (11.Ag.'s) Vivrti (11.Commentary) on the Devistotra (11.Goddess-Hymn). That is self-evident to the learned readers, with critical accuman, and initiation. Hence, why to take recourse to the verbiage of explaining again and again what is already known very clearly.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.18 Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, worthy to be known. Thou art the great treasure-house of this universe; Thou art the imperishable protector of the eternal Dhrama; Thou art the Primal Person, I deem.
Commentary
11.18 त्वम् Thou? अक्षरम् imperishable? परमम् the Supreme Being? वेदितव्यम् worthy to be known? त्वम् Thou? अस्य (of) this? विश्वस्य of universe? परम् the great? निधानम् treasurehouse? त्वम् Thou? अव्ययः imperishable? शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता Protector of the Eternal Dharma? सनातनः ancient? त्वम् Thou? पुरुषः Purusha? मतः thought? मे of me.Commentary VisvasyaNidhaanam Treasurehouse of this universe? also means abode or refuge or the substratum of this universe. It is because of this that all the beings in the universe are preserved and protected. He is the inexhaustibel source to Whom the devotee turns at all times. Deluded indeed are they that ignore this divine treasurehouse and runa fter the shadow of the objects of the senses which do not contain even an iota of pleasure.Veditavyam To be known by the aspirants or seekrs of liberation? through Sravana (hearing of the scriptures)? Manana (reflection) and Nididhyasana (meditation).Avyayah means inexhaustible? unchanging? undying.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.18 You are the Immutable, the supreme One to be known; You are the most perfect repository of this Universe. You are the Imperishable, the Protector of the ever-existing religion; You are the eternal Person. This is my belief.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.18 Imperishable art Thou, the Sole One worthy to be known, the priceless Treasure-house of the universe, the immortal Guardian of the Life Eternal, the Spirit Everlasting.
You are the supreme original goal, the ultimate resting place, the eternal protector of religion — the imperishable Supreme.
Practical Applications
Use these epithets in daily prayer.
Don't reduce Kṛṣṇa to one role; hold the breadth.
Read this verse aloud during dark periods.
Reflection Questions
Which epithet most steadies me when I'm shaky?
Why?
Analogy
When a builder shows you the foundation, the walls, and the roof of his house, he is showing you a house — finite and time-bound. When the Lord shows Himself, He must be both the foundation and the architect and the dweller all at once. Arjuna names Him as that complete reality.
Stories
Brahmā's Realisation in the Catuḥ-ślokī
Brahmā, after long austerity, received from the Lord four foundational verses (SB 2.9.32–35): the Lord alone existed before, exists now, and will exist after; the Lord is the imperishable ground of everything. Brahmā then composed the Brahma-saṁhitā around this realisation, opening with īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.
Arjuna's words in 11.18 — tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyam — are this same conclusion. Brahmā arrived by tapas; Arjuna by darśana; the destination is identical.
अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य-
मनन्तबाहुंशशिसूर्यनेत्रम् ।
पश्यामित्वांदीप्तहुताशवक्त्रं
स्वतेजसा विश्वमिदं तपन्तम् ॥ १९ ॥
anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam
[anaadi-madhyaantam ananta-veeryam]
ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram
[ananta-baahum shashi-soorya-netram]
paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ
[pashyaami tvaam deepta-hutaasha-vaktram]
sva-tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapantam
[sva-tejasaa vishvam idam tapantam]
Word-for-word
anādi—without beginningmadhya—middleantam—or endananta—unlimitedvīryam—gloriesananta—unlimitedbāhum—armsśaśi—the moonsūrya—and sunnetram—eyespaśyāmi—I seetvām—Youdīpta—blazinghutāśa - vaktram—fire coming out of Your mouthsva - tejasā—by Your radianceviśvam—universeidam—thistapantam—heating .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam
anādi
without beginning
madhya
middle
antam
or end
ananta
unlimited
vīryam
glories
ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram
ananta
unlimited
bāhum
arms
śaśi
the moon
sūrya
and sun
netram
eyes
paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ
paśyāmi
I see
tvām
You
dīpta
blazing
hutāśa - vaktram
fire coming out of Your mouth
sva-tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapantam
sva - tejasā
by Your radiance
viśvam
universe
idam
this
tapantam
heating .
Important Words
anādi—without beginning
Compound: an (not) + ādi (beginning). One of the Gītā's most loaded words (cf. 13.13, 15.3). Without beginning means uncreated, self-existent — the Lord is not anyone's effect.
ananta—unlimited
Compound: an + anta (end). Used here both for vīryam (power) and bāhum (arms). Arjuna applies the word to two different attributes in one verse; the Lord's limitlessness is multi-dimensional.
vīryam—potency
From vīra, 'hero.' Heroic power, the vital energy of action. The Lord's vīrya is what carries out cosmic functions — creating, sustaining, destroying.
śaśi—moon
Nominative. The moon, named alongside the sun in the same verse — together they form the dual eyes of the cosmic body. The Puruṣa-sūkta is in the background.
sūrya—sun
Nominative. Paired with śaśi as the second of the two cosmic eyes. The luminaries are not symbols; in this vision they are organs of one body.
hutāśa - vaktram—fire-eating mouth
Compound: huta-āśa (eater of oblations, i.e. Agni) + vaktra (mouth). Foreshadows the devouring vision of verses 25–30 — the same mouth that eats oblations will be seen eating warriors.
You are without origin, middle or end. Your glory is unlimited. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are Your eyes. I see You with blazing fire coming forth from Your mouth, burning this entire universe by Your own radiance.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Three 'ananta' epithets pile up — no boundary in time, in power, in limbs. The cosmos is being burned by the very brilliance of the one in whom it stands. The benevolent vibhūti-survey of ch. 10 is now seen with its scorching edge.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Śaśi-sūrya-netram' (moon-and-sun-eyed) is a Vedic trope (cf. Puruṣa-sūkta: 'candramā manaso jātaḥ, cakṣoḥ sūryo ajāyata'). Here the cosmic body has the luminaries as eyes, reversing the cause-effect chain. 'Sva-tejasā viśvam tapantam' prepares the imminent shift into the kāla-rūpa: the same heat that sustains can also consume.
I see You without beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, of infinite arms, with sun and moon for eyes, with blazing-fire mouth, scorching this universe with Your own splendor.
There is no limit to the extent of the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here and in many other places there is repetition, but according to the scriptures, repetition of the glories of Kṛṣṇa is not a literary weakness. It is said that at a time of bewilderment or wonder or of great ecstasy, statements are repeated over and over. That is not a flaw.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
19. I see You are without beginning, middle or end, possessed of infinite strength, infinite arms, with the sun and moon for Your eyes, with a mouth of blazing fire, burning this universe with its heat.
Commentary
With words like anādi, Arjuna seems to repeat himself. Do not find fault however with the repetition in the words of Arjuna, who was submerged in the ocean of the rasa of great astonishment (mahā-viṣmaya-rasa). It is said: prasāde viṣmaye harṣe dvi-trir-uktaṁ na duṣyati: repetition of statements two or three times due to joy, astonishment or kindness is not a fault.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
19. I see You are without beginning, middle or end, possessed of infinite strength, a thousand arms, with the sun and moon for Your eyes, with a mouth of blazing fire, burning this universe with Your heat.
Commentary
I see You without beginning, middle or end. You have infinite vīrya or potency. This infers all the six opulences: vīrya, yaśas, śrī, jñāna, vairāgya and aiśvarya. [Note: Another list of the six is: jṇāna, śakti, vairāgya, aiśvarya, vīrya and tejaḥ.] You have thousands of arms (ananta bāahum), and eyes like the sun and moon. Your eyes are pleasing (like the moon) to the devas who are obedient to You, and harsh (like the sun) to the demons who disobey You. Your mouths are like a blazing fire, similar to the fire of destruction. Repetition of items in Arjuna’s words is not a fault, as he was overcome with astonishment. It is said prasāde vismaye harṣe dvi-trir-uktaṁ na duṣyati: uttering statements two or three times out of joy, dismay or kindness is not a fault.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.19 Pasyami, I see; tvam, You; as anadi-madhya-antam, without beginning, middle and end; ananta-viryam, possessed of infinite valour; and also ananta-bahum, having innumerable arms; sasi-surya-netram, having the sun and the moon as the eyes; dipta-hutasavakram, having a mouth like a blazing fire; tapantam, heating up; idam, this; visvam, Universe; sva-tejasa, by Your own birlliance.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.19 I behold You as without beginning, middle and end. Your might is infinite, of unsurpassed excellence. Here the term 'might' is used for illustration. The meaning is that You are the sole repository of knowledge, strength, sovereignty, valour, power and glory, one whose excellence cannot be surpassed. Your arms are infinite, i.e., they are countless. This is also for illustration, implying that You have an infinite number of arms, stomachs, feet, mouths etc. The sun and moon are Your eyes; all Your eyes are like the moon and the sun, beaming with grace and power. The grace is directed towards the devotees like the gods who offer salutations etc., and power is directed against Asuras, Raksasas etc., who are opposed to these. For it will be said later on: 'The Raksasas flee on all sides in fear, and all the hosts of Siddhas bow down to You' (11.36). Your mouth is emitting fire, namely, the fire appropriate for destroying all things, as the Fire of Time consumes the world at the time of dissolution. With Your own radiance You are warming the universe. By radiance (Tejas) is meant the poweer to vanish others. I behold You warming (or governing) the universe with Your own radiance. The meaning is this: 'I directly realise You' as taught before as the Creator of all, as the supporter of everything, as the sovereign over everything, as the destroyer of everything, as the ocean of knowledge and other infinite attributes, as without beginning, middle and end, and as possessing a divine body of this nature. How, in one divine body, can there be many stomachs etc.? This is possible in the following way: From a hip of infinite extent, stomachs etc., as described, branc off upwards. The divine feet etc., branch off downwards. So there is no contradiction in attributing a pair of eyes for each face.
'On perceiving You to be thus, the gods etc., and myself, have become frightened - says Arjuna in the following words:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.19 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.19 I see Thee without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power, of endless arms, the sun and the moon being Thy eyes, the burning fire Thy mouth, heating the whole universe with Thy radiance.
Commentary
11.19 अनादिमध्यान्तम् without beginning? middle or end? अनन्तवीर्यम् infinite in power? अनन्तबाहुम् of endless arms? शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् Thy eyes as the sun and the moon? पश्यामि (I) see? त्वाम् Thee? दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रम् Thy mouth as the burning fire? स्वतेजसा with Thy radiance? विश्वम् the universe? इदम् this? तपन्तम् heating.Commentary Anantabahu Having endless arms. This denotes that the multiplicity of His limbs are endless.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.19 I see You as without beginning, middle and end, possessed of infinite valour, having innumerable arms, having the sun and the moon as eyes, having a mouth like a blazing fire, and heating up this Universe by Your own brilliance.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.19 Without beginning, without middle and without end, infinite in power, Thine arms all-embracing, the sun and moon Thine eyes, Thy face beaming with the fire of sacrifice, flooding the whole universe with light.
His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami· 2006-04-21· English
Personal Guidance
You are without origin, middle, or end — Your power unlimited, Your arms innumerable; sun and moon are Your eyes.
Practical Applications
Hold cosmic scale in your imagination of Kṛṣṇa.
Use sun and moon as eyes-of-the-Lord meditation.
Don't reduce Kṛṣṇa to local.
Reflection Questions
When did I last connect with sun or moon as His eye?
What does that practice offer?
Analogy
Imagine a single sentence in which every word is the first word and the last word and the middle — that is the shape of what Arjuna is trying to describe. Without origin, middle, or end, the sun and moon must serve as eyes because there is no larger body to host them.
Stories
The Puruṣa-sūkta
The Ṛg-veda's Puruṣa-sūkta (10.90) describes the cosmic Person from whose mouth came the Brāhmaṇas, from whose arms the Kṣatriyas, from whose eyes the sun, from whose mind the moon. The hymn predates the Gītā by centuries and is the canonical Vedic background of this very verse.
When Arjuna says śaśi-sūrya-netram — moon-and-sun-eyed — he is echoing the Puruṣa-sūkta with his own eyes. The vision and the hymn are not two things; the hymn was always a description of what Arjuna is now seeing.
द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि
व्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वा: ।
दृष्ट्वाद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं
लोकत्रयंप्रव्यथितंमहात्मन् ॥ २० ॥
dyāv ā-pṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi
[dyaav aa-prithivyor idam antaram hi]
vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś ca sarvāḥ
[vyaaptam tvayaikena dishash cha sarvaah]
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ
[drishtvaadbhutam roopam ugram tavedam]
loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman
[loka-trayam pravyathitam mahaatman]
Word-for-word
dyau—from outer spaceā - pṛthivyoḥ—to the earthidam—thisantaram—betweenhi—certainlyvyāptam—pervadedtvayā—by Youekena—alonediśaḥ—directionsca—andsarvāḥ—alldṛṣṭvā—by seeingadbhutam—wonderfulrūpam—formugram—terribletava—Youridam—thisloka—the planetary systemstrayam—threepravyathitam—perturbedmahā - ātman—O great one .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dyāv ā-pṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi
dyau
from outer space
ā - pṛthivyoḥ
to the earth
idam
this
antaram
between
hi
certainly
vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś ca sarvāḥ
vyāptam
pervaded
tvayā
by You
ekena
alone
diśaḥ
directions
ca
and
sarvāḥ
all
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ
dṛṣṭvā
by seeing
adbhutam
wonderful
rūpam
form
ugram
terrible
tava
Your
idam
this
loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman
loka
the planetary systems
trayam
three
pravyathitam
perturbed
mahā - ātman
O great one .
Important Words
dyau—heaven
Nominative of div, the upper world. With ā-pṛthivyoḥ, the verse spans the Vedic cosmos top to bottom — heaven and earth as the two poles, the Lord filling between.
vyāptam—pervaded
Past passive participle of vi-āp, 'to fill out completely.' Not occupied, not visited — pervaded, every space already saturated.
ekena—by one
Instrumental singular. The pervasion is accomplished by one being, not by many. Monotheism's grammar in a single word.
ugram—terrible
Adjective. The first time in the chapter Arjuna calls the form ugra — fierce, dreadful. The descriptive register is about to shift toward fear.
loka—the worlds
Plural in compound (loka-trayam). The classical three worlds — bhūr, bhuvar, svar. All three are pravyathita, shaking.
pravyathitam—perturbed
Past participle of pra-vyath, 'to tremble in distress.' The verb will be repeated in 11.23 (lokāḥ pravyathitāḥ) and 11.24 (antar-ātmā pravyathita) — Arjuna marks the trembling at three concentric levels: form, worlds, his own self.
Although You are one, You spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the planetary systems are perturbed.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The vision now widens beyond Arjuna: he reports that the three worlds themselves are quaking. The form is adbhuta (wondrous) and ugra (fierce) in one stroke — beauty and terror in the same object. 'Tvayā ekena' — by You alone — is the monotheistic kernel.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Loka-trayaṁ pravyathitam' anticipates 11.23 where Arjuna himself joins that pravyathita state. The word ugra ('fierce') now openly enters; from this verse to 11.31 the dominant register is bhayānaka-rasa. The pādas echo the Puruṣa-sūkta image of a Person filling space.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे महा-आत्मन्! द्यौ-आ-पृथिव्योः इदम् अन्तरं सर्वाः दिशः च त्वया एकेन हि व्याप्तम्; तव इदम् अद्भुतम् उग्रं रूपं दृष्ट्वा लोक-त्रयं प्रव्यथितम् ।
he mahā-ātman! dyau-ā-pṛthivyoḥ idam antaraṃ sarvāḥ diśaḥ ca tvayā ekena hi vyāptam; tava idam adbhutam ugraṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā loka-trayaṃ pravyathitam |
O great Self, this entire space between heaven and earth, and all the directions, are pervaded by You alone; seeing this wondrous, fierce form of Yours, the three worlds are agitated.
Dyāv ā-pṛthivyoḥ (“the space between heaven and earth”) and loka-trayam (“the three worlds”) are significant words in this verse because it appears that not only did Arjuna see this universal form of the Lord, but others in other planetary systems saw it also. Arjuna’s seeing of the universal form was not a dream. All whom the Lord endowed with divine vision saw that universal form on the battlefield.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
20. The space between heaven and earth and all directions are filled with You alone. Seeing this astonishing and ferocious form of Yours, the three worlds have become terrified, O great soul.
Commentary
Now that Arjuna had the proper qualification, the Lord shows him His form as time. This is described in ten verses.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
20. The space between heaven and earth and all directions are filled with You alone. Seeing this astonishing and ferocious form of Yours, the three worlds have become terrified, O great soul.
Commentary
In ten verses the Lord shows His form as time, after Arjuna had attained fitness in disposition for seeing that form.
The space between heaven and earth and all directions are pervaded by You alone, one form. Seeing this ferocious, astounding and unlimited form of Yours, the three worlds are agitated and fearful (pravyathitam). O shelter of all (mahātman-great soul, covering the three worlds)! It is understood that now, for seeing the war, the devas, asuras, gandharvas, kinnaras and others who were friendly or neutral had gathered. Not only Arjuna was given celestial eyes. They also were given celestial eyes by the Lord to see this form. If only Arjuna could see that form, it would have been like a sleeping person seeing chariots or other objects in a dream, while others could not see them. The Lord did this so that many others could bear witness His powers.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Now Arjuna is going to describe another element ‑ the disturbing element. There was 'everything situated in one place with a great effulgence', now another element is entering in ‑ it is called Krsna's 'kala rupa', or form of time which Krsna has already sais "it is the destructive element".
Krsna, out of His mercy, is giving also the vision of His universal form to the demigods. They all have come to see it, they are witnessing Arjuna's great vision.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.20 Hi, indeed; idam, this; antaram, intermediate space; dyavaprthivyoh, between heaven and earth; ca, as also; sarvah, all; the disah, direction; vyaptam, are pervaded; tvaya, by You; ekena, alone, who have assumed the Cosmic form. Mahatman, O exalted One, who by nature are high-minded; the lokatrayam, three worlds; pravyathitam, are struck with fear, or are perturbed; drstva, by seeing; idam, this; abdhutam, strange, astonishing; ugram, fearful, terrible; rupam, form; tava, of Yours.
Therefore, now, in order to clear that doubt which Arjuna earlier had-as in, 'whether we shall win, or whether they shall coner' (2.6)-, the Lord proceeds with the idea, 'I shall show the inevitable victory of the Pandavas.' Visualizing that, Arjuna said: 'Moreover-'.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.20 The terms, 'heaven and earth,' imply all the upper and lower worlds. The 'Antara', or that between heaven and earth, denotes the space between them in which are located all the worlds. You alone pervade all the space and all the arters. 'Beholding Your marvellous and teriible form,' beholding Your form of infinite length and extent, marvellous and terrible, the three worlds are trembling. Gods headed by Brahma, the Asuras, the manes, the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, the Yaksas, and Raksasas have come with a desire to see the battle. All the 'three worlds' consisting of these friendly, antagonistic and neutral beings are extremely frightened. 'Mahatman' means one, the dimension of whose mind has no limits. It has to be understood that like Arjuna, other beings also were granted by the Lord the divine eye capable of directly perceiving the Form which supports the universe. If it be asked why, the reply is that it was for demonstrating to Arjuna His sovereignty. Hence it is stated here: 'Beholding Your marvellous and terrible form, O Mahatman, the three worlds are greatly overwhelmed with fear.'
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.20 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.20 This space between the earth and the heaven and all the arters are filled by Thee alone; having seen this, Thy wonderful and teriible form, the three worlds are trembling with fear, O great-souled Being.
Commentary
11.20 द्यावापृथिव्योः of heaven and earth? इदम् this? अन्तरम् interspace? हि indeed? व्याप्तम् is filled? त्वया by Thee? एकेन alone? दिशः arters? च and? सर्वाः all? दृष्ट्वा having seen? अद्भुतम् wonderful? रूपम् form? उग्रम् terrible? तव Thy? इदम् this? लोकत्रयम् the three worlds? प्रव्यथितम् are trembling with fear? महात्मन् O greatsouled Being.Commentary Thee In Thy Cosmic Form.The space and the arters This denotes that the Lord has filled the whole universe of animate and inanimate objects.In order to remove the doubt entertained by Arjuna as to his success (Cf.II.6) Lord Krishna makes him feel now that victoyr for the Pandavas is certain.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.20 Indeed, this intermediate space between heaven and earth as also all the directions are pervaded by You alone. O exalted One, the three worlds are struck with fear by seeing this strange, fearful form of Yours.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.20 Alone thou fillest all the quarters of the sky, earth and heaven, and the regions between. O Almighty Lord! Seeing Thy marvellous and awe-inspiring Form, the spheres tremble with fear.
You alone fill space between heaven and earth — seeing Your wondrous, terrible form, the three worlds tremble.
Practical Applications
Acknowledge Kṛṣṇa's full presence — including the terrible aspect.
Don't sanitize the terror of cosmic vision.
Honor the appropriate fear (yathā-bhāva) before majesty.
Reflection Questions
Where have I sanitized away appropriate awe?
What does restoring it teach?
Analogy
Ink dropped into water spreads until no clear water is left — yet the ink is one drop. So the Lord, one, fills the space between sky and earth, and the worlds shake not because He has multiplied but because He is everywhere at once.
Stories
Vāmana's Two Strides
When Vāmanadeva took up the three steps promised by Bali (SB 8.20–21), He covered the whole earth with one stride and the whole heaven with the second — His foot reached the upper shell of the universe and pierced it. The three worlds trembled; Bali's chiefs fled in terror.
Arjuna's verse — dyāv ā-pṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi vyāptaṁ tvayaikena — describes the same fact in a different register. The Lord, one (ekena), fills the entire space between heaven and earth. Vāmana's stride is the visible enactment of what Arjuna now sees standing still.
amī—all thosehi—certainlytvām—Yousura - saṅghāḥ—groups of demigodsviśanti—are enteringkecit—some of thembhītāḥ—out of fearprāñjalayaḥ—with folded handsgṛṇanti—are offering prayerssvasti—all peaceiti—thusuktvā—speakingmahā - ṛṣi—great sagessiddha - saṅghāḥ—perfect beingsstuvanti—are singing hymnstvām—unto Youstutibhiḥ—with prayerspuṣkalābhiḥ—Vedic hymns .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā viśanti
amī
all those
hi
certainly
tvām
You
sura - saṅghāḥ
groups of demigods
viśanti
are entering
kecid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti
kecit
some of them
bhītāḥ
out of fear
prāñjalayaḥ
with folded hands
gṛṇanti
are offering prayers
svastīty uktvā maharṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ
svasti
all peace
iti
thus
uktvā
speaking
mahā - ṛṣi
great sages
siddha - saṅghāḥ
perfect beings
stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ
stuvanti
are singing hymns
tvām
unto You
stutibhiḥ
with prayers
puṣkalābhiḥ
Vedic hymns .
Important Words
sura - saṅghāḥ—hosts of demigods
Compound: sura (demigod) + saṅgha (host). The devas are in groups, not isolated. Even the gods have communities — and the communities surrender together.
viśanti—they enter
Third-person plural present. The verb is the chapter's terrible echo — viśanti will reappear in 11.27–29 for the warriors entering the mouths. Here, surrender is entering; there, destruction is entering.
prāñjalayaḥ—with folded hands
Nominative plural of prāñjali (pra + añjali). The same gesture Arjuna made in 11.14 — Arjuna sees that his bodily response is being mirrored by the devas inside the form.
mahā - ṛṣi—great sages
Compound: mahā + ṛṣi. The Saptarṣis and other great seers — the highest tier of human spiritual attainment — are also chanting praises, not analysing.
stutibhiḥ—with prayers
Instrumental plural of stuti — 'praise-hymn.' The technical Vedic word for formal Sanskrit stotras. The mahā-ṛṣis are not improvising; they are reciting in the established register.
puṣkalābhiḥ—abundant, full
Instrumental plural of puṣkala — 'full, complete.' The praise is fully-stocked, not a token gesture. Paired with stutibhiḥ, the phrase names the formal stotra-tradition given in its plenitude.
All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying “All peace!” are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna reports a cosmic spectacle: even the devas are being swallowed into the form; the frightened among them pray, while sages and siddhas extol with copious stotras. Heaven itself is both terrified and reverent — a striking reversal of ordinary devotion.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Three responses are catalogued: viśanti (helpless absorption), gṛṇanti (frightened murmured praise), stuvanti (formal stotra-recitation). 'Svasti' is the canonical Vedic peace-blessing. The verse positions the unseen heavens reacting in parallel to Arjuna's own reactions — he is the human echo of a cosmic event.
These hosts of gods are entering into You; some, frightened, with folded hands recite (Your praise); hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying 'May it be well!', extol You with abundant hymns.
√स्तु pres. (present) 2cl. 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
they praise
स्तुतिभिः
stutibhiḥ
स्तुति (f.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)
with hymns
पुष्कलाभिः
puṣkalābhiḥ
पुष्कल (adj.) ins.pl. (instrumental plural)f.
abundant, full
Purport
The demigods in all the planetary systems feared the terrific manifestation of the universal form and its glaring effulgence and so prayed for protection.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
21. This host of devatās enters into You. Some in fear praise You with folded hands. Shouting “Svasti!” the host of great sages and Siddhas praise You with excellent verses.
Commentary
Tvā stands for tvām.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
21. This host of devatās take shelter of You. Some in fear praise You with folded hands. Shouting “svasti!” the host of great sages and siddhas praise You with excellent verses.
Commentary
This host of devatās resort to You, take shelter of You (tvā viśanti). Among the devatās, some, being afraid, are standing at a distance with folded hands, praying “Please protect us, master!” The host of great sages and siddhas, seeing the great danger, (in order to pacify You), praise You, saying, “Let there be auspiciousness for the universe!”
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.21 Ami hi, those very; sura-sanghah, groups of gods, the soldiers engaged in battle-groups of gods such as the Vasus who have descended here in the form of human beings for eliminating the burden of the earth; visanti, enter-are seen to be entering; tvam, You. Bhitah, struck with fear, and unable to flee; kecit, some among them; grnanti, extol You; pranjalayah, with their palms joined. Maharsi-siddha [Siddha: A semi-divine being supposed to be of great purity and holiness, and said to be particularly characterized by eight supernatural faculties called siddhis.-V.S.A.]-sanghah, groups of great sages and perfected beings; seeing protents foroding evil, etc. as the battle became imminent; stuvanti, praise; tvam, You; puskalabhih, with elaborate, full; stutibhih, hymns; uktva, saying; 'svasti iti, May it be well!'
And further,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.21 These hosts of superior Devas beholding You as the foundation of the universe, rejoice and move towards You. Among them, some in fear, on seeing Your extremely terrible and wonderful form, 'extol,' namely pronounce sentences in the form of praise, according to their knowledge. Others, the bands of seers and Siddhas, knowers of the truth, higher and lower, saying 'Hail,' glorify You in hymns of abounding praise which are suitable to the Lord.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.21 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.21 Verily, into Thee enter these hosts of gods; some extol Thee in fear with joined palms; saying 'may it be well', bands of great sages and perfected ones praise Thee with hymns complete.
Commentary
11.21 अमी these? हि verily? त्वाम् Thee? सुरसङ्घाः hosts of gods? विशन्ति enter? केचित् some? भीताः in fear? प्राञ्जलयः with joined palms? गृणन्ति extol? स्वस्ति may it be well? इति thus? उक्त्वा having said? महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घाः bands of great Rishis and Siddhas? स्तुवन्ति paise? त्वाम् Thee? स्तुतिभिः with hymns? पुष्कलाभिः complete.Commentary Pushkalabhih means complete or wellworded praises or praises full of deep meanings.Great sages like Narada and perfected ones like Kapila praise Thee with inspiring hymns.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.21 Those very groups of gods enter into You; struck with fear, some extol (You) with joined palms. Groups of great sages and perfected beings praise You with elaborate hymns,saying 'May it be well!'
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.21 The troops of celestial beings enter into Thee, some invoking Thee in fear, with folded palms; the Great Seers and Adepts sing hymns to Thy Glory, saying All Hail.'
All the demigods are surrendering to You; some, fearful, fold hands and offer prayers — the great sages chant Your glory.
Practical Applications
Recognize that even demigods surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Trust the testimony of the highest beings.
Don't think your skepticism is more sophisticated than their surrender.
Reflection Questions
Where is my sophistication actually delusion?
What does demigod-level surrender teach?
Analogy
When the king himself enters the throne room, even his ministers and generals fold their hands. Some are afraid, some recite the formal greeting, but no one stands as a peer. The devas, full of their own power, become petitioners when the Lord's full form is exposed.
Stories
The Demigods at the Churning of the Ocean
When the halāhala poison rose from the ocean during the churning (SB 8.6–7), the demigods, terrified, fled to Lord Śiva — and to Lord Viṣṇu through Brahmā — folding their hands and chanting prayers (stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ). The Bhāgavatam records the great sages and siddhas joining the chorus.
This is the exact tableau Arjuna sees in 11.21: sura-saṅghāḥ entering, kecit bhītāḥ prāñjalayaḥ, mahā-ṛṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ chanting svasti. The viśva-rūpa scene contains, in one frame, every such moment in cosmic history.
rudra—manifestations of Lord Śivaādityāḥ—the Ādityasvasavaḥ—the Vasusye—all thoseca—andsādhyāḥ—the Sādhyasviśve—the Viśvedevasaśvinau—the Aśvinī-kumārasmarutaḥ—the Marutsca—anduṣma - pāḥ—the forefathersca—andgandharva—of the Gandharvasyakṣa—the Yakṣasasura—the demonssiddha—and the perfected demigodssaṅghāḥ—the assembliesvīkṣante—are beholdingtvām—Youvismitāḥ—in wonderca—alsoeva—certainlysarve—all .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā
rudra
manifestations of Lord Śiva
ādityāḥ
the Ādityas
vasavaḥ
the Vasus
ye
all those
ca
and
sādhyāḥ
the Sādhyas
viśve ’śvinau marutaś coṣmapāś ca
viśve
the Viśvedevas
aśvinau
the Aśvinī-kumāras
marutaḥ
the Maruts
ca
and
uṣma - pāḥ
the forefathers
gandharva-yakṣāsura-siddha-saṅghā
vīkṣante tvāṁ vismitāś caiva sarve
ca
and
gandharva
of the Gandharvas
yakṣa
the Yakṣas
asura
the demons
siddha
and the perfected demigods
saṅghāḥ
the assemblies
vīkṣante
are beholding
tvām
You
vismitāḥ
in wonder
ca
also
eva
certainly
sarve
all .
Important Words
rudra—the Rudras
Eleven forms of Śiva. Their inclusion at the head of the list signals that the form Arjuna sees outranks even the destroyer-aspect of the cosmos.
sādhyāḥ—the Sādhyas
A class of celestial beings associated with sacrificial perfection. Their presence indicates that even the deities of yajña are subordinate to the form.
gandharva—the Gandharvas
Celestial musicians. Even music — the divine register most likely to imagine itself adequate to praise — has paused to behold.
asura—the demons
Notably included. The Lord's display does not respect the asura/sura partition — both behold. Surrender will divide them later (11.36); here, wonder unites them.
vīkṣante—they behold
Third-person plural present of vi-īkṣ, 'to look intently.' Not casual seeing — intent, fixed gaze. Every being on the list is locked onto the form.
vismitāḥ—astonished
Past participle of vi-smi — overcome with wonder. The same emotional register Arjuna entered in 11.14; now he sees that emotion shared across the cosmos.
All the various manifestations of Lord Śiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvīs, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
A second roll-call of celestial classes, now in nominative — they too watch. Even the gods are in the audience; the cosmic form is what the cosmos itself attends. Astonishment, not just terror, is the universal mood.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The list expands 11.6's catalog and adds even Asuras and Gandharvas — every metaphysical class is included. 'Uṣma-pāḥ' are pitṛs who 'drink the steam' of food-offerings (Manusmṛti 3.197). The viewing community is exhaustive, so Arjuna's unique gift (11.47) is sharpened against this universal witness-list.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
रुद्र-आदित्याः वसवः, ये च साध्याः विश्वे अश्विनौ मरुतः च ऊष्म-पाः च, गन्धर्व-यक्ष-असुर-सिद्ध-सङ्घाः — सर्वे विस्मिताः एव त्वां वीक्षन्ते ।
rudra-ādityāḥ vasavaḥ, ye ca sādhyāḥ viśve aśvinau marutaḥ ca ūṣma-pāḥ ca, gandharva-yakṣa-asura-siddha-saṅghāḥ — sarve vismitāḥ eva tvāṃ vīkṣante |
The Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvins, the Maruts, the steam-drinking ancestors, and hosts of Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Asuras and Siddhas — all astonished, gaze at You.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
रुद्र-आदित्याः वसवः ये च साध्याः विश्वे अश्विनौ मरुतः च ऊष्म-पाः च । गन्धर्व-यक्ष-असुर-सिद्ध-सङ्घाः वीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताः च एव सर्वे ॥
rudra-ādityāḥ vasavaḥ ye ca sādhyāḥ viśve aśvinau marutaḥ ca ūṣma-pāḥ ca | gandharva-yakṣa-asura-siddha-saṅghāḥ vīkṣante tvāṃ vismitāḥ ca eva sarve ||
22. The Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Viśvas, Aśvins, Maruts, Pitṛs, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Asuras, and Siddhas all look at You in astonishment.
Commentary
Uṣma-pā refers to those who drink hot vapor of food. That refers to the Pitṛs.
The śruti says ūṣmabhāgā hi pitaraḥ: the Pitṛs eat the steam. (Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, Yajur Veda, 1.3.10.6)
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
22. The Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Viśvas, the Aśvins, Maruts, Pitṛs, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Asuras, and Siddhas all look at You in astonishment.
Commentary
This verse is clear in meaning. Uṣmapāḥ refers to the pitṛs who drink steam (uṣma). Śruti says uṣmabhāgā hi pitaraḥ: the pitṛs take the steam. (Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa, Yajur Veda, 1.3.10.6)
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.22 Ye, those who are; the rudra-adityah, Rudras and Adityas; vasavah, the Vasus; and sadhyah, the Sadhyas-the groups of Rudras and other gods; the gods visve, Visve-devas; and asvinau, the two Asvins; marutah, the Maruts; and usmapah, the Usmapas, (a class of) manes; and gandharva-yaksa-asura-siddha-sanghah, hosts of Gandharvas-viz Haha, Huhu and others-, Yaksas-viz Kubera and others-, demons-Virocana and others-, and Siddhas-Kapila and others; sarve eva, all of those very ones; viksante, gaze; tva, (i.e.) tvam, at You; vismitah eva, being indeed struck with wonder.
For,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.22 Usmapa means manes, because the Sruti declares: 'Verily the manes receive the hot portions of the offerings' (Tai. Br., 1.3.10). All these, struck with amazement, behold You.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.22 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.22 The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Visvedevas, the two Asvins, Maruts, the manes and the hosts of celestial singers, Yakshas, demons and the perfected ones, are all looking at Thee, in great amazement.
Commentary
11.22 रुद्रादित्याः Rudras and Adityas? वसवः Vasus? ये these? च and? साध्याः Sadhyas? विश्वे Visvedevas? अश्िवनौ the two Asvins? मरुतः Maruts? च and? उष्मपाः Pitris? च and? गन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घाः hosts of Gandharvas? Yakshas? Asuras and Siddhas? वीक्षन्ते are looking at? त्वाम् Thee? विस्मिताः astonished? च and? एव even? सर्वे all.Commentary Sadhyas are a class of gods of whom Brahma is the chief.Visvedevas are ten gods who in Vedic times were considered as protectors of human beings. They were called guardians of the world. They were givers of plenty to the human beings. Their names are Krata? Daksha? Vasu? Satya? Kama? Kala? Dhvani? Rochaka? Adrava and Pururava.The two Asvins? born of Prabha (light)? daughter of Tushta and the Sun? are the physicians of the gods.Rudras? Adityas? Vasus and Maruts -- see tenth chapter? verses 21 and 23.Ushmapa A class of manes. They accept the food offered in the Sraaddha (anniversary) ceremony or the obseies? while it is hot. Hence they are called Ushmapas. There are seven groups of manes.Gandharvas are celestial singers such as Haha and Huhu.Yakshas such as Kubera (the god of wealth) Asuras such as Virochana perfected ones such as Kapila.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.22 Those who are the Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus and the Sadhyas [sadhyas: A particular class of celestial beings.-V.S.A.], the Visve (-devas), the two Asvins, the Maruts and the Usmapas, and hosts of Gandharvas, Yaksas, demons and Siddhas-all of those very ones gaze at You, being indeed struck with wonder.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.22 The Vital Forces, the Major stars, Fire, Earth, Air, Sky, Sun, Heaven, Moon and Planets; the Angels, the Guardians of the Universe, the divine Healers, the Winds, the Fathers, the Heavenly Singers; and hosts of Mammon-worshippers, demons as well as saints, are amazed.
Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, Maruts, ancestors — all are awestruck, beholding You.
Practical Applications
Recognize the universal awe; you are not alone in being humbled.
Use this verse during personal humbling moments.
Don't perform false composure when awe is appropriate.
Reflection Questions
Where have I performed composure instead of feeling awe?
What honest awe is being asked?
Analogy
Imagine an opera in which the entire orchestra, every chorus, every soloist has gone silent and is staring at the stage. That is the moment of 11.22 — every category of celestial being, even the asuras, has stopped its function to behold one form.
Stories
The Reverence of Even the Asuras
When Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared from the pillar (SB 7.8), even the demons who served Hiraṇyakaśipu fell silent, struck with wonder. Their hostility did not dissolve — Hiraṇyakaśipu still rushed at the Lord — but the spectacle itself momentarily suspended the categories.
Arjuna's catalogue in 11.22 includes asura-siddha-saṅghāḥ alongside the devas and sages. Even the demons are vīkṣante vismitāḥ — beholding in wonder. The viśva-rūpa silences hostility long enough to be seen.
Compound element repeated through the verse. The mouths are now stressed because they are about to become devouring (verses 25–30). Vocabulary thickens around the form's terrible aspect.
mahā - bāho—O mighty-armed
Vocative — an epithet Arjuna himself usually receives. Here Arjuna applies it to Kṛṣṇa, surrendering even his own warrior-title to the form before him.
bahu - daṁṣṭrā—many-toothed
Compound: many + tooth/fang. Daṁṣṭrā is specifically the fang — predatory, not vegetarian. The lexicon is now openly that of a devouring being.
karālam—terrible
Adjective from kṛ — 'doing fearful things.' Karāla becomes a standard epithet of Kālī and other fierce forms; Arjuna invokes it here for the cosmic form.
pravyathitāḥ—perturbed
Same root as 11.20 — the trembling intensifies. The worlds were perturbed; now Arjuna joins them. The grammar is precise: tathā aham — 'so am I.'
O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your great form, with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs and bellies and Your many terrible teeth; and as they are disturbed, so am I.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The fang-detail enters: 'bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālam.' What was wondrous in 11.10-11 turns frightful. Arjuna lets slip his own state — 'tathā 'ham' — admitting that he is no longer just a witness; he is among the disturbed.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Pivot verse from awe to terror. The compound 'daṁṣṭrā-karāla' becomes the keyword of the next several verses (11.25, 11.27). 'Tathā 'ham' is the personal disclosure: in 11.20 only loka-traya was pravyathita; now Arjuna is too. The vocative 'mahā-bāho' (mighty-armed) — usually flattery — now sounds ominous when the arms in question are countless and gripping weapons.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे महा-बाहो! बहु-वक्त्र-नेत्रं बहु-बाहु-ऊरु-पादं बहु-उदरं बहु-दंष्ट्रा-करालं ते महत् रूपं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथिताः, तथा अहम् (अपि) ।
he mahā-bāho! bahu-vaktra-netraṃ bahu-bāhu-ūru-pādaṃ bahu-udaraṃ bahu-daṃṣṭrā-karālaṃ te mahat rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitāḥ, tathā aham (api) |
O mighty-armed one, seeing Your great form with many mouths and eyes, many arms, thighs, and feet, many bellies, and dreadful with many fangs — the worlds are agitated, and so am I.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
रूपं महत् ते बहु-वक्त्र-नेत्रं महा-बाहो बहु-बाहु-ऊरु-पादम् । बहु-उदरं बहु-दंष्ट्रा-करालं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथिताः तथा अहम् ॥
23. O mighty-armed one, seeing this great form with many mouths and eyes, many arms, many thighs and feet, many stomachs, fearful with many teeth, the world and I as well are filled with terror.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
23. O mighty-armed one, seeing this great form with many mouths and eyes, many arms, thighs and feet, many stomachs, fearful with many teeth, the world is filled with terror.
Commentary
This verse concludes the description of the three worlds being agitated on seeing the form. This form was ferocious (karālam) with many teeth. The rest of the verse is clear. The last phrase tathāham (I also) is connected to the next verse as the subject.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Now Arjuna starts to see the fear even of the demigods, he also becomes affraid. His rasa changes from wonder (adbhuta) to fear (bhaya).
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.23 Mahabaho, O mighty-armed One; drstva, seeing; te, Your; mahat, immence, very vast; upam, form of this kind; bahu-vaktra-netram, with many mouths and eyes; bahu-bahu-uru-padam, having many arms, thighs and feet; and further, bahu-udaram, with many bellies; and bahu-damstra-karalam, fearful with many teeth; lokah, the creatures in the world; are pravya-thitah, struck with terror; tatha, and so also; am even aham, I.
The reason of that is this:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.23 Beholding Your mighty form, as described earlier, which is an exceedingly terrifying figure because of the large teeth - all the worlds, described earlier and containing three kinds of beings, friendly, antagonistic and neutral, and I myself too have become panic-stricken.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.23 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.23 Having seen Thy immeasurable form with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed, with many arms, thighs and feet, with many stomachs and fearful with many teeth the worlds are terrified and so am I.
Commentary
11.23 रूपम् form? महत् immeasurable? ते Thy? बहुवक्त्रनेत्रम् with many mouths and eyes? महाबाहो O,mightyarmed? बहुबाहूरुपादम् with many arms? thighs and feet? बहूदरम् with many stomachs. बहुदंष्ट्राकरालम् fearful with many teeth? दृष्ट्वा having seen? लोकाः the worlds? प्रव्यथिताः are terrified? तथा also? अहम् I.Commentary Lokah The worlds -- all living beings in the world. Here is the cause of my fear. Arjuna describes below the nature of the Cosmic Form which has caused terror in his heart.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.23 O mighty-armed One, seeing Your immense form with many mouths and eyes, having numerous arms, thighs and feet, with many bellies, and fearful with many teeth, the creatures are struck with terror, and so am I.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.23 Seeing Thy stupendous Form, O Most Mighty, with its myriad faces, its innumerable eyes and limbs and terrible jaws, I myself and all the worlds are overwhelmed with awe.
Seeing Your great form with many mouths and eyes, many arms and thighs — all the worlds are perturbed, as I am.
Practical Applications
Recognize that even Arjuna is perturbed by this vision.
Don't expect spiritual vision to always be soothing.
Honor the disturbance as a stage.
Reflection Questions
When has spiritual encounter disturbed me?
Did I treat it as failure or stage?
Analogy
A peasant who has never left his valley meets the army of his emperor — every regiment, every general, every weapon — and he trembles as the worlds tremble. Arjuna sees the cosmos trembling, and his own self, made of the cosmos, trembles in unison.
नभ:स्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं
व्यात्ताननंदीप्तविशालनेत्रम् ।
दृष्ट्वाहित्वांप्रव्यथितान्तरात्माधृतिंनविन्दामिशमंचविष्णो ॥ २४ ॥
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
[nabhah-sprisham deeptam aneka-varnam]
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
[vyaattaananam deepta-vishaala-netram]
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
[drishtvaa hi tvaam pravyathitaantar-aatmaa]
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
[dhritim na vindaami shamam cha vishno]
Word-for-word
nabhaḥ - spṛśam—touching the skydīptam—glowinganeka—manyvarṇam—colorsvyātta—openānanam—mouthsdīpta—glowingviśāla—very greatnetram—eyesdṛṣṭvā—seeinghi—certainlytvām—Youpravyathita—perturbedantaḥ—withinātmā—souldhṛtim—steadinessna—notvindāmi—I haveśamam—mental tranquillityca—alsoviṣṇo—O Lord Viṣṇu .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
nabhaḥ - spṛśam
touching the sky
dīptam
glowing
aneka
many
varṇam
colors
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
vyātta
open
ānanam
mouths
dīpta
glowing
viśāla
very great
netram
eyes
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
hi
certainly
tvām
You
pravyathita
perturbed
antaḥ
within
ātmā
soul
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
dhṛtim
steadiness
na
not
vindāmi
I have
śamam
mental tranquillity
ca
also
viṣṇo
O Lord Viṣṇu .
Important Words
nabhaḥ - spṛśam—touching the sky
Compound: nabhas (sky) + spṛś (touch). Used in the Mahābhārata for Hanumān's mountain-leap; here for the cosmic body's reach. The form's height is at the limit of the firmament itself.
vyātta—wide-opened
Past participle of vi-ā-tan, 'stretched apart.' The mouths are wide-opened — the prelude to the devouring in verses 27–30. The participle marks the apertures' state.
pravyathita—perturbed
Past participle of pra-vyath — 'thoroughly distressed.' Modifies antaḥ-ātmā. The disturbance reaches the deepest stratum Arjuna can name.
dhṛtim—steadiness
From dhṛ — 'to hold.' Dhṛti is the steady-holding faculty by which the mind keeps its shape. It is one of the qualities Kṛṣṇa will later praise in chapter 18; here Arjuna confesses its temporary loss.
śamam—peace
From śam — 'to be calm.' Śama is one of the six treasures (ṣaṭ-sampatti) of the sādhaka; Arjuna admits he has lost it. Honest report, not theological failure.
viṣṇo—O Viṣṇu
Vocative. Arjuna shifts his address from Kṛṣṇa to Viṣṇu at the moment of greatest fear — the cosmic-pervading aspect is foregrounded over the personal-friend aspect.
O all-pervading Viṣṇu, seeing You with Your many radiant colors touching the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of mind.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna confesses what the previous verses circled: he has lost both dhṛti (composure) and śama (inner peace). The vocative 'Viṣṇu' — the all-pervader — reminds Kṛṣṇa that the all-pervadingness Arjuna asked to see is now unbearable.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
First explicit collapse of Arjuna's equilibrium under the vision. Compare 1.29-30, where his earlier collapse was caused by kinship-attachment; this one is caused by an excess of theological vision. The Gītā thus stages two breakdowns — the second now reframed by all that has been taught between. The lost dhṛti will be addressed by Kṛṣṇa's command 'mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ' in 11.34.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे विष्णो! नभः-स्पृशं दीप्तम् अनेक-वर्णं व्यात्त-आननं दीप्त-विशाल-नेत्रं त्वां दृष्ट्वा हि, प्रव्यथित-अन्तर्-आत्मा (सन्) धृतिं शमं च न विन्दामि ।
he viṣṇo! nabhaḥ-spṛśaṃ dīptam aneka-varṇaṃ vyātta-ānanaṃ dīpta-viśāla-netraṃ tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā hi, pravyathita-antar-ātmā (san) dhṛtiṃ śamaṃ ca na vindāmi |
O Viṣṇu, seeing You — sky-touching, blazing, multicolored, with gaping mouths and blazing wide eyes — with my inner self trembling, I find no steadiness and no peace.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
नभः-स्पृशं दीप्तम् अनेक-वर्णं व्यात्त-आननं दीप्त-विशाल-नेत्रम् । दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथित-अन्तर्-आत्मा धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो ॥
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṃ dīptam aneka-varṇaṃ vyātta-ānanaṃ dīpta-viśāla-netram | dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṃ pravyathita-antar-ātmā dhṛtiṃ na vindāmi śamaṃ ca viṣṇo ||
√विद् pres. (present) 6cl. 1sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
I find
शमम्
śamam
शम (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)
peace, calm
विष्णो
viṣṇo
विष्णु (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular)
O Viṣṇu
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
24. O Viṣṇu, seeing You touch the heavens, shining in many colors, with gaping mouth, and wide, blazing eyes, I have become distressed in mind, and do not find any satisfaction or relief.
Commentary
Śama means relief or tranquility.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
24. O Viṣṇu, seeing You touch the heavens, shining in many colors, with gaping mouth, and wide, blazing eyes, I as well have become fearful in mind, and do not find any satisfaction or relief.
Commentary
Arjuna expresses his pitiful state in two verses so that the Lord will withdraw this form. Seeing You, I have become mentally agitated with fear, and do not attain satisfaction (dhṛtim) or peace (śamam), O Viṣṇu! What is this form? It touches the sky, spreads into the antarikṣa (nabhaḥ spṛśam), and has gaping mouth (vyāttānanam). The meaning of the rest of the words is clear. Here Arjuna expresses his rasa of fear, caused by seeing the Lord’s form as time.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
The form was touching the sky. As far as Arjuna looked he could only see the sky. In that sense that form was touching the sky.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.24 O Visnu, hi, verily; drstva, seeing; tvam, You; nabhah-sprsam, touching heaven; diptam, blazing; aneka-varnam, with many colours, (i.e.) possessed of many frightening forms; vyatta-ananam, open-mouthed; dipta-visala-netram, with firey large eyes; I, pravyathita-antara-atma, becoming terrified in my mind; na vindami, do not find; dhrtim, steadiness; ca, and; samam, peace, calmness of mind.
Why?
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.24 The term 'Nabhas' denotes the Supreme Heaven (Parama-Vyoman), which is beyond the Prakrti composed of the three Gunas as established by the Sruti passages such as: 'That is in the Imperishable Supreme Heaven' (Ma. Na. U., 1.2), 'Him, sun-coloured and beyond Tamas' (Sve., 3.8) 'The dweller beyond the Rajas' (Rg. S., 2.6.25.5) and 'He who is the president in the Supreme Heaven' (Rg. S., 8.9.17.7). This can be understood as implied in the statement that 'the form touches the Supreme Heaven.' It expresses the idea that it is the foundation of all - of the principle of the Prakrti with its conditions, and of the individual selves in all states. It has also been initially declared: 'For by You alone are pervaded the interspace of heaven and earth ৷৷.' (11.20). 'Beholding Your form shining, multicoloured, and with yawning mouths and large and resplendent eyes, my inner being trembles in fear. I am unable to find support, namely, I am unable to find support for the body. I am unable to get peace of mind and of the senses. O Visnu, namely, O Pervader, beholding You pervading everything, incomparable in magnitude, extremely wonderful and terrible, I find my limbs ivering and my senses agitated.' Such is the meaning.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.24 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.24 On seeing Thee (the Cosmic Form) touching the sky, shining in many colours, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart and find neither courage nor peace, O Vishnu.
Commentary
11.24 नभःस्पृशम् touching the sky? दीप्तम् shining? अनेकवर्णम् in many colours? व्यात्ताननम् with mouths wide open? दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् with larve fiery eyes? दृष्ट्वा having seen? हि verily? त्वाम् Thee? प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा terrified at heart? धृतिम् courage? न not? विन्दामि (I) find? शमम् peace? च and? विष्णो O Vishnu.Commentary Dhriti also means patience and strength. Sama also means control.The vision of the Cosmic Form has frightened Arjuna considerably.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.24 O Visnu, verily, seeing Your form touching heaven, blazing, with many colours, open-mouthed, with fiery large eyes, I , becoming terrified in my mind, do not find steadiness and peace.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.24 When I see Thee, touching the Heavens, glowing with colour, with open mouth and wide open fiery eyes, I am terrified. O My Lord! My courage and peace of mind desert me.
Seeing You touching the sky, blazing with many colors, with widely opened mouths — my heart is shaken; I cannot find composure.
Practical Applications
Honor the moments when spiritual encounter shakes you.
Don't rush to composure; receive the shaking.
Trust that composure returns after the encounter integrates.
Reflection Questions
When was I last shaken by spiritual reality?
What did the integration teach?
Analogy
A small boat in a great storm is not capsized by malice but simply by scale. Arjuna's mind is the small boat; the form is the storm; his loss of dhṛti is not failure of discipline but proper recognition of disproportion.
दंष्ट्राकरालानिचतेमुखानिदृष्ट्वैवकालानलसन्निभानि ।
दिशोनजानेनलभेचशर्मप्रसीददेवेशजगन्निवास ॥ २५ ॥
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni ca te mukhāni
[damshtraa-karaalaani cha te mukhaani]
dṛṣṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni
[drishtvaiva kaalaanala-sannibhaani]
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma
[disho na jaane na labhe cha sharma]
prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa
[praseeda devesha jagan-nivaasa]
Word-for-word
daṁṣṭrā—teethkarālāni—terribleca—alsote—Yourmukhāni—facesdṛṣṭvā—seeingeva—thuskāla - anala—the fire of deathsannibhāni—as ifdiśaḥ—the directionsna—notjāne—I knowna—notlabhe—I obtainca—andśarma—graceprasīda—be pleaseddeva - īśa—O Lord of all lordsjagat - nivāsa—O refuge of the worlds .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni ca te mukhāni
daṁṣṭrā
teeth
karālāni
terrible
ca
also
te
Your
mukhāni
faces
dṛṣṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma
prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa
eva
thus
kāla - anala
the fire of death
sannibhāni
as if
diśaḥ
the directions
na
not
jāne
I know
na
not
labhe
I obtain
ca
and
śarma
grace
prasīda
be pleased
deva - īśa
O Lord of all lords
jagat - nivāsa
O refuge of the worlds .
Important Words
daṁṣṭrā—teeth
Nominative. The fangs again, now in close-up — Arjuna is looking directly at them rather than describing the body from a distance.
karālāni—terrible
Same root as 11.23; here in the neuter plural agreeing with mukhāni. The terribleness has shifted from form to face.
kāla - anala—fire of cosmic time
Compound: kāla (time) + anala (fire). The Mahābhārata's technical name for the dissolution-fire. Arjuna labels what he sees by its proper apocalyptic title.
sannibhāni—resembling
Neuter plural of sannibha — 'with the appearance of.' Like 11.12's sadṛśī, the verse marks resemblance rather than identity. Even at peak terror, Arjuna's diction stays precise.
prasīda—be gracious
Imperative of pra-sad. The single-word petition that will be repeated in 11.31, 11.45, and 11.46. The chapter's most-used verb of supplication.
jagat - nivāsa—refuge of the worlds
Vocative compound: jagat (world) + nivāsa (dwelling, resting-place). Arjuna names the Lord by His function of giving shelter at the moment he most desperately needs it.
O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
First explicit 'prasīda' of the chapter. The simile 'kāla-anala-sannibha' (resembling the fire of Time) plants the keyword kāla which Kṛṣṇa will pick up in 11.32. Arjuna has lost orientation itself — directions vanish.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Kāla-anala' is the saṁvartaka-agni, the fire of cosmic dissolution. By comparing Kṛṣṇa's mouths to it, Arjuna unwittingly anticipates Kṛṣṇa's self-identification as Time-the-destroyer (11.32). 'Diśo na jāne' is bodily disorientation — pre-rational panic; he prays for grace before continuing description. 'Jagan-nivāsa' reminds: my refuge is also You.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे देव-ईश! हे जगत्-निवास! दंष्ट्रा-करालानि काल-अनल-सन्निभानि ते मुखानि दृष्ट्वा एव दिशः न जाने, शर्म च न लभे; प्रसीद ।
he deva-īśa! he jagat-nivāsa! daṃṣṭrā-karālāni kāla-anala-sannibhāni te mukhāni dṛṣṭvā eva diśaḥ na jāne, śarma ca na labhe; prasīda |
O Lord of gods, O abode of the universe! Just at seeing Your fang-dreadful mouths, like the fires of cosmic dissolution, I know not the directions and I find no comfort. Be gracious!
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
दंष्ट्रा-करालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्ट्वा एव काल-अनल-सन्निभानि । दिशः न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देव-ईश जगत्-निवास ॥
daṃṣṭrā-karālāni ca te mukhāni dṛṣṭvā eva kāla-anala-sannibhāni | diśaḥ na jāne na labhe ca śarma prasīda deva-īśa jagat-nivāsa ||
25. Seeing Your mouth with sharp teeth, like the fire of cosmic destruction, I cannot recognize the directions and I feel no comfort. O master of the devas, abode of the universe, be merciful to me.
26-27. All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra along with the host of rulers of the earth, Bhīṣma, Droṇa and Karṇa, together with our prominent warriors, enter swiftly into Your fearful mouth with sharp teeth. Some, with their heads ground up, are sticking between Your teeth.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
25. Seeing Your mouths with sharp teeth, like the fire of cosmic destruction, I cannot recognize the directions and I feel no comfort. O master of the devas, abode of the universe, be merciful to me.
26-27. All the sons of Dhṛtarāsṭṛa along with the host of rulers of the earth, Bhiṣma, Droṇa and Karṇa, together with our prominent warriors, enter swiftly into Your fearful mouth with sharp teeth. Some, with their heads ground up, are sticking between Your teeth.
Commentary
Seeing Your ferocious teeth and mouths, which are similar (saṁnibhāni) to the fire of destruction at the end of the universe (kalānala), [Note: This was described as one of Kṛṣṇa’s vibhūtis in the last chapter, verse 33.] (I do not recognize the directions), and I find no comfort (śarma).
Bg 11.26, Bg 11.27, Bg 11.26-27
AMaq c Tva& Da*Taraí\SYa Pau}aa" SaveR SahEvaviNaPaal/SaºE" )
>aqZMaae d]ae<a" SaUTaPau}aSTaQaaSaaE SahaSMadqYaEriPa YaaeDaMau:YaE" )) 26 ))
v£-ai<a Tae TvrMaa<aa ivXaiNTa d&í\ak-ral/aiNa >aYaaNak-aiNa )
ke-iciŪl/Gana dXaNaaNTarezu SaNd*XYaNTae cUi<aRTaEṛtaMaa(r)E" )) 27 ))
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ
amī—these; ca—also; tvām—You; dhṛtarāṣṭrasya—of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; putrāḥ—the sons; sarve—all; saha—with; eva—indeed; avani-pāla—of warrior kings; saṅghaiḥ—the groups; bhīṣmaḥ—Bhīṣmadeva; droṇaḥ—Droṇācārya; sūta-putraḥ—Karṇa; tathā—also; asau—that; saha—with; asmadīyaiḥ—our; api—also; yodha-mukhyaiḥ—chiefs among the warriors; vaktrāṇi—mouths; te—Your; tvaramāṇāḥ—rushing; viśanti—are entering; daṁṣṭrā—teeth; karālāni—terrible; bhayānakāni—very fearful; kecit—some of them; vilagnāḥ—becoming attached; daśana-antareṣu—between the teeth; sandṛśyante—are seen; cūrṇitaiḥ—with smashed; uttama-aṅgaiḥ—heads.
The Lord previously said “See whatever else you desire to see.” The Lord meant, “See in My body the future victory and defeat in this war.” Now he shows this in five verses.
All these sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Duryodhana and others, along with the gathering of kings (avani pāla) such as Śalya and Jayadratha, and that son of a charioteer, Karṇa (asau sūta putraḥ) are swiftly entering Your mouths. And even those who are famous as undefeatable, like Bhīṣma, are entering Your mouths. Asau used with sūta putraḥ indicates “Karṇa has held continuous hatred of me (Arjuna).” Not only those, but they enter Your mouths even with our chief warriors such as Dhṛṣṭadhyumna. The ornament sahokti is used. [Note: In the case of being sahokti, the sentence would suggest that the chief warriors are causing the enemy to enter the mouths.]
Among them, some are seen to be stuck between the teeth of that universal form, with their heads (uttamaḥ aṅgaiḥ) crushed. This is what I see.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna's rasa is turning to bewiderement.
Earlier in this chapter Krsna said: "See all this in just one part of My body." But as soon as Arjuna was actually seeing the universal form, he forgot he couldn't see Krsna's body anymore, he could only see the universal form.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.25 Drstva eva, having merely seen; te, Your; mukhani, mouths; damstra-karalani, made terrible with (their) teeth; and kala-anala-sannibhani, resembling the fire of Dissolution is kalanala; similar to that; na jane, I have lost; the sense of disah, direction-I do not know the directions as to which is East or which is West; and hence, na labhe, find no; sarma, comfort. Therefore, prasida, be gracious; devesa, O Lord of gods; jagannivasa, O Abode of the Universe!
'The apprehension which was there of my getting defeated by those offers, that too has cleared away, since-'
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.25 Looking at Your mouths, extremely terrifying and like cosmic fire at the end of the universe, and operating for the destruction of everything, I have lost the sense of recognising the arters of the sky, nor do I feel happy and peaceful. O Abode of all the worlds, O Lord of all the Devas, namely, O Overlord of even gods like Brahma! Be gracious unto me. The meaning is: 'Do act in such a way that I may attain my natural condition.
Arjuna's charioteer (Parthasarathi), thus showing that all the worlds depend upon Him for their existence and activities, showed to the son of Prtha (Arjuna) that what He wanted to do, making Arjuna a mere instrument of His, was to lighten the burden of the earth through the destruction of all those who were of Asuric manifestations and who, in the guise of kings, were presenting themselves as the sons of Dhrtarastra and their followers. Many such embodiments of Asuras were present also in the ranks of Yudhisthira's followers. And Arjuna, after having realised with the divine eyes, received through His grace, the complete manifestation of the Lord as the Creator etc., witnessed also the slaughter of the followers of the sons of Dhrtarastra etc., in that Lord Himself, who is the Self of all, even though it (the slaughter) had not happened actually according to human calculations. Arjuna continues:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.25 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.25 Having seen Thy mouths fearful with teeth (blazing) like the fires of cosmic dissolution, I know not the four arters, nor do I find peace. Have mercy, O Lord of the gods, O abode of the universe.
Commentary
11.25 दंष्ट्राकरालानि fearful with teeth? च and? ते Thy? मुखानि mouths? दृष्ट्वा having seen? एव even? कालानलसन्निभानि blazing like Pralayafires? दिशः the four arters? न not? जाने know? न not? लभे do (I) obtain? च and? शर्म peace? प्रसीद have mercy? देवेश O Lord of the gods? जगन्निवास O abode of the universe.Commentary Jagannivasa The substratum of the universe.Kalanala The fires which consume the worlds during the final dissolution of the worlds (Pralaya). Time (Kala) is the consumer of all that is manifest.Diso no jane I do not know the four arters. I cannot distinguish the east from the west? nor the north from the south.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.25 Having merely seen Your mouths made terrible with (their) teeth and resembling the fire of Dissolution, I have lost the sense of direction and find no comfort. Be gracious, O Lord of gods, O Abode of the Universe.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.25 When I see Thy mouths with their fearful jaws like glowing fires at the dissolution of creation, I lose all sense of place; I find no rest. Be merciful, O Lord in whom this universe abides!
Seeing Your terrible mouths with frightful teeth — like the fire of cosmic dissolution — I lose my bearings; have mercy, Lord of lords.
Practical Applications
Cry out for mercy when cosmic vision overwhelms.
Don't pretend you can absorb everything Kṛṣṇa shows.
Acknowledge limit and ask for protection.
Reflection Questions
Where do I pretend I can handle what overwhelms me?
What does asking for mercy open?
Analogy
When you look up at a wildfire racing across a hillside, you do not first calculate hectares — you turn your face. Arjuna, looking at faces that resemble the fire of cosmic dissolution, does the same; he hides his bearings and begs for mercy.
Stories
Mārkaṇḍeya at Pralaya
The sage Mārkaṇḍeya, granted long life, witnessed the cosmic dissolution — kāla-anala, the fire of time — sweep across all the worlds (Mahābhārata, Vana-parva 188; SB 12.9). He drifted alone on the waters of pralaya, calling out to the Lord, until Lord Nārāyaṇa appeared as a child on a banyan leaf and took him into His body.
Arjuna's word in 11.25 — kāla-anala-sannibhāni, like the fire of cosmic time — is precisely Mārkaṇḍeya's vision. Arjuna does not invent the simile; he is recognising a category the tradition already knows.
अमीचत्वांधृतराष्ट्रस्यपुत्रा:सर्वेसहैवावनिपालसङ्घै: ।
भीष्मो द्रोण: सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ
सहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यै: ॥ २६ ॥
वक्त्राणितेत्वरमाणाविशन्तिदंष्ट्राकरालानिभयानकानि ।
केचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु
सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गै: ॥ २७ ॥
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
[amee cha tvaam dhritaraashtrasya putraah]
sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ
[sarve sahaivaavani-paala-sanghaih]
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
[bheeshmo dronah soota-putras tathaasau]
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ
[sahaasmadeeyair api yodha-mukhyaih]
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
[vaktraani te tvaramaanaa vishanti]
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
[damshtraa-karaalaani bhayaanakaani]
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
[kechid vilagnaa dashanaantareshu]
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ
[sandrishyante choornitair uttamaangaih]
Word-for-word
amī—theseca—alsotvām—Youdhṛtarāṣṭrasya—of Dhṛtarāṣṭraputrāḥ—the sonssarve—allsaha—witheva—indeedavani - pāla—of warrior kingssaṅghaiḥ—the groupsbhīṣmaḥ—Bhīṣmadevadroṇaḥ—Droṇācāryasūta - putraḥ—Karṇatathā—alsoasau—thatsaha—withasmadīyaiḥ—ourapi—alsoyodha - mukhyaiḥ—chiefs among the warriorsvaktrāṇi—mouthste—Yourtvaramāṇāḥ—rushingviśanti—are enteringdaṁṣṭrā—teethkarālāni—terriblebhayānakāni—very fearfulkecit—some of themvilagnāḥ—becoming attacheddaśana - antareṣu—between the teethsandṛśyante—are seencūrṇitaiḥ—with smasheduttama - aṅgaiḥ—heads .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
amī
these
ca
also
tvām
You
dhṛtarāṣṭrasya
of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
putrāḥ
the sons
sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ
sarve
all
saha
with
eva
indeed
avani - pāla
of warrior kings
saṅghaiḥ
the groups
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
bhīṣmaḥ
Bhīṣmadeva
droṇaḥ
Droṇācārya
sūta - putraḥ
Karṇa
tathā
also
asau
that
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ
saha
with
asmadīyaiḥ
our
api
also
yodha - mukhyaiḥ
chiefs among the warriors
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
vaktrāṇi
mouths
te
Your
tvaramāṇāḥ
rushing
viśanti
are entering
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
daṁṣṭrā
teeth
karālāni
terrible
bhayānakāni
very fearful
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
kecit
some of them
vilagnāḥ
becoming attached
daśana - antareṣu
between the teeth
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ
sandṛśyante
are seen
cūrṇitaiḥ
with smashed
uttama - aṅgaiḥ
heads .
Important Words
bhīṣmaḥ—Bhīṣma
Nominative — named. The grandsire is not a general category but a specific person Arjuna loves, and Arjuna sees him by name entering the mouths. The vision is unsparing in its particularity.
droṇaḥ—Droṇa
Nominative — named. Arjuna's own teacher of archery. The verse will not let Arjuna shelter behind abstractions; the persons most dear to him are named first.
sūta - putraḥ—the son of a charioteer (Karṇa)
Compound: charioteer + son. The Mahābhārata's standard epithet for Karṇa, recalling his caste-charged identity. Even Karṇa, Arjuna's secret elder brother, is named within.
tvaramāṇāḥ—rushing
Present participle of tvar, 'to hurry.' The warriors are not pulled — they hurry. Even at the moment of being devoured, the agency of the doomed is preserved, which is theologically important.
viśanti—they enter
Same verb as 11.21, now applied to warriors instead of devas. Both surrender and destruction are 'entering' the Lord — only the angle differs.
cūrṇitaiḥ—with smashed (heads)
Instrumental plural of cūrṇita, past participle of cūrṇ, 'to grind to powder.' The vocabulary is unsoftened; the Gītā does not aestheticise war.
All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with their allied kings, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa – and our chief soldiers also – are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Now Arjuna sees his own war: Duryodhana's sons, allied kings, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, even his own side's chiefs — all are rushing into Kṛṣṇa's mouths. The cosmic dissolution becomes specific. The war's outcome is shown already enacted in the vision.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Dual-verse Upajāti tableau — the war that has not yet happened on Kurukṣetra is shown completed inside the form. The particularity (named warriors, including beloved Bhīṣma and Droṇa) shocks Arjuna into recognizing that the form's destruction is not abstract eschatology but his immediate situation. This is the dramatic ground for Kṛṣṇa's 'mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva' (11.33).
amī sarve dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ avani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ saha eva, bhīṣmaḥ droṇaḥ tathā asau sūta-putraḥ asmadīyaiḥ yodha-mukhyaiḥ api saha, te daṃṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni vaktrāṇi tvaramāṇāḥ viśanti; kecit daśana-antareṣu vilagnāḥ cūrṇitaiḥ uttama-aṅgaiḥ sandṛśyante |
All these sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with the hosts of kings, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and that son of a charioteer (Karṇa), together also with the chief warriors on our side — are rushing into Your fearsome, fang-dreadful mouths; and some are seen stuck between Your teeth, their heads crushed.
In a previous verse the Lord promised to show Arjuna things he would be very interested in seeing. Now Arjuna sees that the leaders of the opposite party (Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa and all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and their soldiers and Arjuna’s own soldiers are all being annihilated. This is an indication that after the death of nearly all the persons assembled at Kurukṣetra, Arjuna will emerge victorious. It is also mentioned here that Bhīṣma, who is supposed to be unconquerable, will also be smashed. So also Karṇa. Not only will the great warriors of the other party like Bhīṣma be smashed, but some of the great warriors of Arjuna’s side also.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Krsna had said to Arjuna that he would be able to see the future too. All the great fighters and soldiers in the opposing side, that Arjuna feared, are going to be killed.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.26 Ca, and; tvam, into You-this is to be connected with 'rapidly enter' in the next verse; sarve, all; ami, those; putrah, sons-Duryodhana and others; dhrtarastrasya, of Dhrtarastra; saha, along with; avanipala-sanghaih, multitudes of the rulers (pala) of the earth (avani); also Bhisma, Drona, tatha, and; asau, that; suta-putrah, son of a Suta, Karna; saha, together with; api, even; asmadiyaih, our; yodha-mukhyaih, prominent warriors, the ?nders-Dhrstadyumna and others.
Moreover,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.26 11.27 All these sons of Dhrtarastra like Duryodhana and others like Bhisma, Drona, and Suta's son Karna together with the hosts of monarchs on their side and also the leading warriors on our side, are hastening to their destruction; they enter Your fearful mouths with terrible fangs; some, caught between the teeth are seen with their heads crushed to powder.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.26 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.26 All the sons of Dhritarashtra, with the hosts of kings of the earth, Bhishma, Drona and Karna, with the chief among our warriors.
Commentary
11.26 अमी these? च and? त्वाम् Thee? धृतराष्ट्रस्य of Dhritarashtra? पुत्राः sons? सर्वे all? सह with? एव even? अवनिपालसङ्घैः hosts of kings? भीष्मः Bhishma? द्रोणः Drona? सूतपुत्रः Karana? तथा also? असौ this? सह with? अस्मदीयैः with (those) of ours? अपि also? योधमुख्यैः (with) warrior chiefs.Commentary Karna? though he was the son of Kunti? the mother of the Pandavas? was brought up by a charioteer and hence came to be regarded as his son.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.26 And into You (enter) all those sons of Dhrtarastra along with multitudes of the rulers of the earth; (also) Bhisma, Drona and that son of a Suta (Karna), together with even our prominent warriors.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.26 All these sons of Dhritarashtra, with the hosts of princes, Bheeshma, Drona and Karna, as well as the other warrior chiefs belonging to our side;
All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the kings of the earth, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, our chief warriors — entering Your fearful mouths, ground between Your teeth.
Practical Applications
Recognize that Kṛṣṇa is already accomplishing what we fear we must accomplish.
Trust that the cosmic plan unfolds.
Stop carrying the weight you don't actually carry.
Reflection Questions
What weight am I carrying that's not actually mine?
What does Kṛṣṇa's accomplishment release?
Analogy
Watching a great waterfall from the cliff, you do not see individual drops — you see the river going over. Arjuna sees Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, the chief warriors of both sides going over the edge into the mouths — a continuous river of human life pouring into the Lord's fangs.
Stories
The Foretold Death of Bhīṣma
Long before Kurukṣetra, Bhīṣma had received the boon of dying only at his chosen time (icchā-mṛtyu) from his father Śantanu (Mahābhārata, Ādi-parva 100). At Kurukṣetra he chose to fall when Śikhaṇḍī faced him (Bhīṣma-parva 119). What looked like Arjuna's arrows ending Bhīṣma was already, beforehand, Bhīṣma's own choice — and behind that choice, the Lord's arrangement.
Arjuna's vision in 11.26–27 of Bhīṣma already entering Kṛṣṇa's mouths shows him the truth: the deaths he is about to deal have already been dealt by Time.
yathā—asnadīnām—of the riversbahavaḥ—the manyambu - vegāḥ—waves of the waterssamudram—the oceaneva—certainlyabhimukhāḥ—towardsdravanti—glidetathā—similarlytava—Youramī—all thesenara - loka - vīrāḥ—kings of human societyviśanti—are enteringvaktrāṇi—the mouthsabhivijvalanti—and are blazing .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ
yathā
as
nadīnām
of the rivers
bahavaḥ
the many
samudram evābhimukhā dravanti
ambu - vegāḥ
waves of the waters
tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrā
viśanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti
samudram
the ocean
eva
certainly
abhimukhāḥ
towards
dravanti
glide
tathā
similarly
tava
Your
amī
all these
nara - loka - vīrāḥ
kings of human society
viśanti
are entering
vaktrāṇi
the mouths
abhivijvalanti
and are blazing .
Important Words
nadīnām—of rivers
Genitive plural. Multiple rivers, one ocean — the image's force lies in the many-to-one collapse.
ambu - vegāḥ—currents of water
Compound: ambu (water) + vega (force, speed). Not still water — running water with its own velocity. The warriors have momentum; the image preserves it.
samudram—the ocean
Accusative — direction of motion. Samudra is 'great-gathering,' the place where all waters are received. The Lord's mouths play the ocean's part.
abhimukhāḥ—facing toward
Compound: abhi (toward) + mukha (face). The rivers face the ocean before they enter — their orientation is set before their arrival. So the warriors face death before reaching it.
dravanti—they flow
Third-person plural of dru, 'to run.' Active verb — the rivers run, not drift. The motion is rapid, not contemplative.
abhivijvalanti—blaze brightly
From abhi-vi-jval, 'to blaze in every direction.' The mouths blaze even as they receive. Reception and destruction are simultaneous, not sequential.
As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
First of two parallel similes for the same image. Rivers do not choose the ocean — they simply flow there; so warriors are swept toward Kṛṣṇa's mouths by an inevitability that is not their own choice. Fate is depicted as fluid dynamics.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The river-to-ocean image was the Upaniṣadic emblem of jīva-merging-into-brahman (Praśna 6.5, Chāndogya 6.10). Here it is redeployed for kāla-driven destruction: the same metaphysical movement is now dread. The simile drains the warriors of agency, preparing the doctrinal point of 11.33 that they are 'already killed.'
28. As many swift currents of rivers flow towards the sea, so these heroes of the world enter Your flaming mouths.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
28. As many swift currents of rivers flow towards the sea, so these heroes of the world enter Your flaming mouths.
Commentary
Two examples are given to describe their entering the mouths in two verses. In the first example they enter unintentionally, without understanding it. In the second example, they enter knowingly.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Two different analogies are used here: (1) as the waves of the rivers flow into the ocean and (2) 'the warriors enter into Your mouths ‑ like moths enter into the fire'. There is actually a difference between the two. 'The rivers enter into the ocean' in an inconscious way, they just flow right in. That is compared to Bhisma and Drona. They lose all their material qualities and entered Krsna's abode even though they entered in His mouth. But on the other hand 'moths' consciously enter into the fire and they are like Duryodhana who is consciously entering into his destruction.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.28 Yatha, as; the bahavah, numerous; ambu-vegah, currents of the waters, particularly the swift ones; nadinam, of flowing rivers; dravanti abhimukhah, rush towards, enter into; the samudram, sea; eva, alone; tatha, so also; do ami, those; nara-loka-virah, heroes of the human world-Bhisma and others; visanti, enter into; tava, Your; abhi-vijvalanti, blazing, glowing; vaktrani, mouths.
Why do they enter, and how? In answer Arjuna says:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.28 - 11.29 These innumerable kings rush to their destruction in Your flaming mouths, even as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean and moths rush into a blazing fire.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.28 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.28 Verily, just as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, even so these heroes in the world of men enter Thy flaming mouths.
Commentary
11.28 यथा as? नदीनाम् of rivers? बहवः many? अम्बुवेगाः watercurrents? समुद्रम् to the ocean? एव verily? अभिमुखाः towards? द्रवन्ति flow? तथा so? तव Thy? अमी these? नरलोकवीराः heroes in the world of men? विशन्ति enter? वक्त्राणि mouths? अभिविज्वलन्ति flaming.Commentary Ami These warriors such as Bhishma. Arjuna is now seeing all these warriors,whom he did not wish to kill? rushing to death. His delusion has vanished. He thinks now This battle cannot be avoided. It has the sanction of the Supreme Lord. Why should I worry about the inevitable The Lord has already destroyed these warriors. I am only an instrument in His hands. No sin can touch me even if I kill them. This is a just cause also.Why and how do they enter Arjuna says --
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.28 As the numerous currents of the waters of rivers rush towards the sea alone so also do those heroes of the human world enter into Your blazing mouths.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.28 As rivers in flood surge furiously to the ocean, so these heroes, the greatest among men, fling themselves into Thy flaming mouths.
As rivers flow into the ocean — so the heroes of this world enter Your blazing mouths.
Practical Applications
Hold the river-into-ocean image during worry about world events.
Recognize the natural flow.
Don't dam what is already flowing.
Reflection Questions
What flow am I trying to dam?
What does letting it flow teach?
Analogy
Rivers do not choose the sea; the sea simply is downhill. So the warriors do not choose the Lord's mouths — the slope of time runs that way, and they pour in by gravity, by the geometry of the cosmos, not by their own will alone.
Stories
Rivers Returning to the Sea — Bhāgavatam's Image
The Bhāgavatam repeatedly uses the river-to-ocean image for the soul's return to the Lord (e.g., SB 1.10.6, 4.21.32) — as rivers naturally seek the sea, so all beings naturally tend toward the Supreme.
Kṛṣṇa here uses the same image with reversed valence: the warriors flow into His mouths not as souls into liberation but as bodies into death. The Bhāgavatam's image is therefore comprehensive — every river reaches the sea, whether by mokṣa or by kāla. The destination is one; the mode differs.
Past participle of pra-dīp, 'to flame forth.' Pra intensifies — not merely lit, but blazing high. The flame is at maximum draw.
jvalanam—fire
Neuter noun from jval, 'to burn.' The general word for fire; here it is the consuming aspect of the universal form.
pataṅgāḥ—moths
Nominative plural. The classical Indic example of self-destructive attraction — pataṅga appears in this sense throughout Sanskrit literature (Mahābhārata, Bhāgavatam, Bhartṛhari).
nāśāya—for destruction
Dative — 'for the sake of destruction.' Repeated twice in the verse. The grammar marks purpose: the moths' goal is destruction, and so is the warriors'.
samṛddha—with full
Past participle of sam-ṛdh, 'to grow completely.' Sam-ṛddha-vega is fully-grown speed — the warriors are at their peak strength precisely when they enter the mouths.
vegāḥ—speed
Nominative plural. Repeated with samṛddha. The vocabulary of energy is preserved — these are not sluggish creatures, they are at full pace.
I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The second simile: moths to flame. Unlike rivers (purposive flow), moths blindly mistake their own destruction for attraction. The image accuses the warriors not of choosing wrongly but of charging blindly into what will end them.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Where 11.28's simile was neutral (rivers), this one is darker — pataṅgāḥ are emblems of self-destroying desire. Together the two similes (28 and 29) span the spectrum: ineluctable fate and blind eagerness, both arriving at the same end. The doctrinal payoff is that Arjuna's war is not the cause but the witness of a destruction already underway.
yathā pataṅgāḥ samṛddha-vegāḥ nāśāya pradīptaṃ jvalanaṃ viśanti, tathā eva lokāḥ samṛddha-vegāḥ nāśāya tava vaktrāṇi api viśanti |
As moths, with swelling speed, enter a blazing flame for their destruction, so do the worlds also, with swelling speed, enter Your mouths for destruction.
29. As moths with increasing speed enter a blazing fire to meet their destruction, so men enter Your mouths with increasing speed to meet their destruction.
Commentary
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
29. As moths with increasing speed enter a blazing fire to meet their destruction, so men enter Your mouths with increasing speed to meet their destruction.
Commentary
Jvalanam means fire.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.29 Yatha, as; patangah, moths, flying insects; visanti, enter; samrddha-vegah, with increased haste; into a pradiptam, glowing; jvalanam, fire; nasaya, for destruction; tatha eva, in that very way; do the lokah, creatures; visanti, enter into; tava, Your; vaktrani, mouths; api, too; samrddha-vegah, with increased hurry; nasaya, for destruction.
You, again-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.28 - 11.29 These innumerable kings rush to their destruction in Your flaming mouths, even as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean and moths rush into a blazing fire.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.29 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.29 As moths hurriedly rush into a blazing fire for (their own) destruction, so also these creatures hurriedly rush into Thy mouths for (their own) destruction.
Commentary
11.29 यथा as? प्रदीप्तम् blazing? ज्वलनम् fire? पतङ्गाः moths? विशन्ति enter? नाशाय to destruction? समृद्धवेगाः with ickened speed? तथा so? एव only? नाशाय to destruction? विशन्ति enter? लोकाः creatures? तव Thy? अपि also? वक्त्राणि mouths? समृद्धवेगाः with ickened speed.No Commentary.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.29 As moths enter with increased haste into a glowing fire for destruction, in that very way do the creatures enter into Your mouths too, with increased hurry for destruction.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.29 As moths fly impetuously to the flame only to be killed, so these men rush into Thy mouths to court their own destruction.
As moths rush into the flames of fire to be destroyed — so all the worlds rush into Your mouths to be destroyed.
Practical Applications
See the moth-to-flame quality of material life.
Pause your own rushing toward what destroys.
Use this image to break automatic patterns.
Reflection Questions
What flame am I rushing toward as a moth?
What stops me midway?
Analogy
A moth flying into a flame does not see the flame as enemy; it sees only the light. So men rushing into the Lord's mouths do not see Death; they see what looks like glory. The image is not a slander on the warriors — it is a diagnosis of all material striving.
Stories
Hiraṇyakaśipu's Rush at Nṛsiṁha
When Hiraṇyakaśipu, in the height of his power, rushed at Lord Nṛsiṁha (SB 7.8) to destroy Him, he was not running away from death — he was running toward what he could not see was his end. The Bhāgavatam describes him as samṛddha-vega, full of momentum, rushing with sword raised.
Kṛṣṇa's image in 11.29 of moths racing into flames — pataṅgāḥ samṛddha-vegāḥ — captures the same pattern: full force, wrong direction, eager destruction. Material energy at peak is precisely what hurls itself into the Lord's mouths.
lelihyase—You are lickinggrasamānaḥ—devouringsamantāt—from all directionslokān—peoplesamagrān—allvadanaiḥ—by the mouthsjvaladbhiḥ—blazingtejobhiḥ—by effulgenceāpūrya—coveringjagat—the universesamagram—allbhāsaḥ—raystava—Yourugrāḥ—terriblepratapanti—are scorchingviṣṇo—O all-pervading Lord .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl
lelihyase
You are licking
grasamānaḥ
devouring
samantāt
from all directions
lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ
lokān
people
samagrān
all
vadanaiḥ
by the mouths
jvaladbhiḥ
blazing
tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṁ
tejobhiḥ
by effulgence
āpūrya
covering
jagat
the universe
samagram
all
bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo
bhāsaḥ
rays
tava
Your
ugrāḥ
terrible
pratapanti
are scorching
viṣṇo
O all-pervading Lord .
Important Words
lelihyase—You are licking
Third-person frequentative of lih — 'to lick repeatedly.' The intensive (yaṅluganta) form marks continuous, repeated action. The Lord is not licking once; He is in the perpetual mode of licking.
grasamānaḥ—devouring
Present participle of gras, 'to swallow.' Continuous aspect — devouring while licking, not afterwards. Two simultaneous actions of the cosmic mouth.
samantāt—from all sides
Adverb — 'all around.' The devouring is omni-directional; there is no safe approach.
vadanaiḥ—by mouths
Instrumental plural of vadana. The mouths are now the instruments of the cosmic operation. In verses 10–11 they were ornaments of the body; here they are tools of consumption.
jvaladbhiḥ—blazing
Instrumental plural participle of jval. Mouths that blaze even as they devour — fire and consumption are one act, not two.
pratapanti—they scorch
Third-person plural of pra-tap, 'to burn with heat.' Verbal cousin of tejas (radiance). The cosmic radiance and the cosmic scorching are the same energy seen from two angles.
O Viṣṇu, I see You devouring all people from all sides with Your flaming mouths. Covering all the universe with Your effulgence, You are manifest with terrible, scorching rays.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The yaṅ-form 'lelihyase' — 'You lick again and again' — gives a visceral image of cosmic mastication. The same radiance that filled the heavens with light (11.12) now scorches the worlds with heat. Splendor and consumption are revealed as one act.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The frequentative verb is the chapter's most visceral verb-choice — Sanskrit's grammar itself enacts the repeating-action of devouring. The vocative 'Viṣṇu' (the preserver) used at the climax of destruction-imagery presses the paradox: preservation by the same fire that destroys. This forces Arjuna's question in 11.31.
O Viṣṇu, devouring all the worlds on every side with Your blazing mouths, You lick them up; filling the whole universe with Your splendor, Your fierce rays scorch.
प्र + √तप् pres. (present) 3pl.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
they scorch
विष्णो
viṣṇo
विष्णु (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular)
O Viṣṇu
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
30. Swallowing all these men all around with Your fiery mouths, You are licking Your lips repeatedly. O Viṣṇu, Your fierce rays, filling the whole universe with their splendor, are burning it up.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
30. Swallowing all these men all around with Your fiery mouths, You are licking Your lips repeatedly. O Viṣṇu, Your fierce rays, filling the whole universe with their heat, are burning it up.
Commentary
Having described how the warriors enter the mouths of the universal form, Arjuna describes the effulgence coming from the form and how it spreads out.
You swallow with Your fiery mouths all of them who entered swiftly, and lick your lips stained with their blood repeatedly in fury (samantāt). Your intense rays fill up and completely burn the universe with their intolerable heat. O Viṣṇu, You are spread through the universe! It is impossible to flee from You.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.30 O Visnu, Your fierce rays are acorching. [M.S., S., and S.S. construe 'completely৷৷.heat' to alify 'fierce rays' in the second sentence. However, the use of kim ca (moreover) in the Comm. suggests the translation as above.-Tr.]
Lelihyase, You lick Your lips, You taste; grasamanah, while devouring, while taking in; samagran, all; lokan, the creatures; samantat, from all sides; jvaladbhih, with flaming; vadanaih, mouths; which are apurya, completely filling; samagram, the whole- together (saha) with the foremost (agrena); jagat, world; tejobhih, with heat. Moreover, O Visnu, the all-pervading One, tava, Your; ugrah, fierce; bhasah, rays; are pratapanti, scorching.
Since You are of such a terrible nature, therefore-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.30 Devouring all these kings with Your flaming mouths, You lick them up, namely, lick up again and again in great anger. Your lips etc., are wet with their blood. Your fiery rays scorch the universe by the brilliant flow of radiance filling the whole universe.
You have manifested Yourself in this terrible form for revealing Your limitless sovereignty as reested by me thus: 'Reveal Yourself to me completely'(11.4), so that I may realise Your limitless sovereignty.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.30 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.30 Thou lickest up, devouring all the worlds on every side with Thy flaming mouths. Thy fierce rays, filling the whole world with radiance, are burning, O Vishnu!
Commentary
11.30 लेलिह्यसे (Thou) lickest? ग्रसमानः devouring? समन्तात् on every side? लोकान् the worlds? समग्रान् all? वदनैः with mouths? ज्वलद्भिः flaming? तेजोभिः with radiance? आपूर्य filling? जगत् the world? समग्रम् the whole? भासः rays? तव Thy? उग्राः fierce? प्रतपन्ति are burning? विष्णो O VishnuCommentary Vishnu means allpervading? Vyapanasila.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.30 You lick Your lips while devouring all the creatures from every side with flaming mouths which are completely filling the entire world with heat.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.30 Thou seemest to swallow up the worlds, to lap them in flame. Thy glory fills the universe. Thy fierce rays beat down upon it irresistibly.
You lick Your lips, devouring all the worlds with Your blazing mouths — Your terrible rays burn the whole universe.
Practical Applications
Receive the devouring aspect of time/cosmos as Kṛṣṇa's truth.
Don't sanitize destruction out of theology.
Honor the cosmic accountability.
Reflection Questions
Where have I sanitized cosmic accountability?
What does honoring it require?
Analogy
A lion licking its lips after the kill is satisfied; a fire licking the next branch is preparing the next consumption. The Lord's lelihyase is the second image, not the first — He does not rest after eating; the eating itself is continuous, an ongoing function of cosmic time.
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद ।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं
नहिप्रजानामितवप्रवृत्तिम् ॥ ३१ ॥
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo
[aakhyaahi me ko bhavaan ugra-roopo]
namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda
[namo ’stu te deva-vara praseeda]
vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ
[vijnaatum ichchaami bhavantam aadyam]
na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim
[na hi prajaanaami tava pravrittim]
Word-for-word
ākhyāhi—please explainme—unto mekaḥ—whobhavān—Youugra - rūpaḥ—fierce formnamaḥ astu—obeisanceste—unto Youdeva - vara—O great one amongst the demigodsprasīda—be graciousvijñātum—to knowicchāmi—I wishbhavantam—Youādyam—the originalna—nothi—certainlyprajānāmi—do I knowtava—Yourpravṛttim—mission .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo
ākhyāhi
please explain
me
unto me
kaḥ
who
bhavān
You
ugra - rūpaḥ
fierce form
namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda
namaḥ astu
obeisances
te
unto You
deva - vara
O great one amongst the demigods
prasīda
be gracious
vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ
vijñātum
to know
icchāmi
I wish
bhavantam
You
ādyam
the original
na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim
na
not
hi
certainly
prajānāmi
do I know
tava
Your
pravṛttim
mission .
Important Words
ākhyāhi—tell
Imperative of ā-khyā, 'to declare.' Arjuna is not asking for explanation; he is asking for declaration. Identity, stated plainly.
ugra - rūpaḥ—of fierce form
Compound: ugra (fierce) + rūpa (form). Arjuna now names the form by its terrible aspect rather than by its splendor — a shift from verse 17's tejaḥ-rāśim.
deva - vara—O greatest of the gods
Vocative compound. Even in fear, Arjuna keeps the polite form of address. Terror does not erase courtesy in the Gītā's etiquette.
prasīda—be gracious
Same imperative as 11.25. Repeated petitions across the chapter — the verb of begging-for-grace returns and returns.
ādyam—the primal
Accusative of ādya, 'first.' Arjuna recognises the form as primal — before which there is no prior, and therefore no other source of meaning. To know the primal is to know the rest derivatively.
pravṛttim—mission, activity
Accusative of pravṛtti — 'engagement, undertaking.' Arjuna asks not just who but what-for. The Lord's pravṛtti is what the next verse will answer: kālo 'smi.
O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. You are the primal Lord. I want to know about You, for I do not know what Your mission is.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The pivotal question of the chapter: 'Who are You, in this fierce form? What is Your mission?' Arjuna asked to see; now he asks to understand what he is seeing. The reply will be the kāla-asmi verse — the chapter's metaphysical center.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The question 'kaḥ bhavān' is striking — Arjuna has been with Kṛṣṇa his whole life, has just heard ch. 10 declaring identity, yet the ugra-rūpa renders him unfamiliar. 'Pravṛtti' is precisely 'undertaking, what You are setting out to do' — Arjuna is asking after Kṛṣṇa's purpose, not just His identity. The setup is exact: Kṛṣṇa will answer with both.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे देव-वर! उग्र-रूपः भवान् कः — मे आख्याहि; ते नमः अस्तु, प्रसीद; आद्यं भवन्तं विज्ञातुम् इच्छामि; तव प्रवृत्तिं हि न प्रजानामि ।
he deva-vara! ugra-rūpaḥ bhavān kaḥ — me ākhyāhi; te namaḥ astu, prasīda; ādyaṃ bhavantaṃ vijñātum icchāmi; tava pravṛttiṃ hi na prajānāmi |
O best of gods, tell me: who are You of this fierce form? Salutations to You — be gracious! I wish to know You, the primal one; for I do not understand Your activity.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
आख्याहि मे कः भवान् उग्र-रूपः नमः अस्तु ते देव-वर प्रसीद । विज्ञातुम् इच्छामि भवन्तम् आद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ॥
ākhyāhi me kaḥ bhavān ugra-rūpaḥ namaḥ astu te deva-vara prasīda | vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṃ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim ||
Grammar(व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
Sanskrit
IAST
Grammar
Meaning
आख्याहि
ākhyāhi
आ + √ख्या impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
31. Tell me who You are, with this terrifying form. I offer respects to You. O best of the devas, be merciful to me. I desire to know You, the first being. I do not understand Your purpose.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
31. Tell me who You are, with this terrifying form. I offer respects to You. O bestower of boons, be merciful to me. I desire to know You, the first being. I do not understand Your action.
Commentary
After describing the Lord in His universal form equipped with His time energy, Arjuna, knowing the truth of this form, asks about this form, in order to strengthen His knowledge of the matter. Arjuna had requested the Lord to see that form of power endowed with a thousand heads (verse 3). The Lord showed that form, and then He shows that same form as the most ferocious destroyer.
Tell me who You are in that ferocious form. O best deity (devavara)! I offer respects to You. Be merciful, and give up that terrible form. I desire to know You, the first being, particularly (vijñātum). I do not understand Your action—why have you done this? Tell me the purpose.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna is asking two questions: (1) who are You? and (2) what is Your mission?
And Krsna answers:
[C. "KALO'SMI LOKA‑KSAYA‑KRT" ‑ BECOME MY INSTRUMENT (11. 32‑34)
Krsna answers: 'Time I am, destroyer of the world. The great warriors no both sides are already slain by my plan. You can be but an instrument. Arise and fight!"]
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Now Arjuna describes Kala-rupa
COMMON THEME: Text 11.19 marks the beginning of description of ‘Kala-rupa’ (The form as Time) which
continues up till Text 11.31
PLEASE NOTE: All points of the purports are included as the sub-points; as such there are no individual ‘Focus of
Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM AS ‘KALA-RUPA’.
Blazing fire coming forth from your mouth, burning this entire universe (11.19)
Numberless arms and sun and moon are the eyes
Without origin, middle and end
Repetition of glories is not a flaw – It is a sign of bewilderment, wonder or great ecstasy
Spread throughout – Spread throughout the sky and planets and all space in between; and all the planetary systems are perturbed seeing you (11.20)
‘Dyav-a-prthivyoh’ (Space between heaven and earth) and ‘Loka-trayam’ (Three worlds) –indicate that not only Arjuna saw, but other planetary systems, whoever endowed with divine vision, also saw this form and got perturbed
This proves that Arjuna’s seeing was not a dream
Petitioned by demigods – Kala-rupa is petitioned by demigods and sages – All are fearful (11.21 – 11.22)
Demigods are surrendering and praying with folded hands
Great sages are praying with Vedic hymns
Siva, Adityas, Vasus etc beholding You in wonder
Rasa changes to fear – Arjuna experiences a terrible fearsome sight (11.23)
Arjuna loses steadiness and equilibrium of mind, because mind is perturbed by fear (11.24)
Arjuna sees blazing death-like faces and awful teeth (11.25)
Link between texts 11.25 & 11.26: Text 11.26 through 11.30 describe future occurrences that Arjuna sees within the kala-rupa. In Text 11.7, Krishna said that Arjuna could see “whatever *he+ may want to see in the future.” In these texts, Arjuna sees that Bhisma, Drona and Karna – the three most feared members of the opposing army – will be destroyed.
Two Analogies: Devouring all soldiers of both armies on both sides, including Bhisma, Drona & Karna, rushing into Your mouth (11.26 – 11.27)
Analogy: As many waves of river flow into the ocean (11.28)
Analogy: As moths dash to destruction in blazing fire (11.29*)
Indicates that Arjuna could see his awaited victory
All-devouring – You are devouring all people from all sides, your effulgence is covering all the universe with terrible scorching rays(11.30)
ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
Arjuna in great fear asks two questions (11.31)
Who are You?
What is Your mission?
Why Arjuna asks these questions – Because although Arjuna knew Krishna as his friend and Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he was puzzled by various forms exhibited by Krishna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.31 Akhyahi, tell; me; kah, who; bhavan, You are; ugrarupah, fierce in form. Namah, salutation; astu, be; te, to You; deva-vara, O supreme God, foremost among the gods. Prasida, be gracious. Icchami, I desire; vijnatum, to fully know; bhavantam, You; adyam, who are the Primal One, who exist in the beginning. Hi, for; na prajanami, I do not understand; tava, Your; pravrttim, actions!
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.31 Who are You of this terrible form, what do You intend to do? I wish to know. For I do not know Your intended actions. Tell me this. Salutations to You, O Supreme God! Salutations to You, Lord of everything! Say with what object and for what purpose You have assumed this form of the destroyer. Assume a pleasing form.
The Lord, the charioteer of Arjuna, being estioned, 'What is Your intention in assuming a terrible form when revealing Your cosmic sovereignty out of overflowing love for Your proteges?' - He spoke to the following effect: The manifestation of a terrible form by Me is to point out that I Myself am operative for the annihilation of the entire world of kings headed by the sons of Dhrtarastra, without any effort on your (Arjuna's) part. Reminding Arjuna of this, is to goad him to fight:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.31 Akhyahi etc. I do not clearly comprehend Your behaviour : I.e. with what intention this terrific nature of this sort [has been assumed by You].
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.31 Tell me, who Thou art, so fierce of form. Salutations to Thee, O God Supreme: have mercy. I desire to know Thee, the original Being. I know not indeed Thy working.
Commentary
11.31 आख्याहि tell? मे me? कः who (art)? भवान् Thou? उग्ररूपः fierce in form? नमः salutation? अस्तु be? ते to Thee? देववर O God Supreme? प्रसीद have mercy? विज्ञातुम् to know? इच्छामि (I) wish? भवन्तम् Thee? आद्यम् the original Being? न not? हि indeed? प्रजानामि (I) know? तव Thy? प्रवृत्तिम् doing.No Commentary.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.31 Tell me who You are, fierce in form. Salutation be to you, O supreme God; be gracious. I desire to fully know You who are the Prima One. For I do not understand Your actions!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.31 Tell me then who Thou art, that wearest this dreadful Form? I bow before Thee, O Mighty One! Have mercy, I pray, and let me see Thee as Thou wert at first. I do not know what Thou intendest.
His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami· 2012-03-18· English
Personal Guidance
Tell me who You are, with so terrible a form? I do not understand Your purpose — please be merciful.
Practical Applications
Voice the question rather than freeze in confusion.
Ask for the Lord's purpose to be revealed.
Honor the right to ask.
Reflection Questions
What confusion have I been freezing in?
What asking would unfreeze?
Analogy
A petitioner who has been struck dumb by the king's full regalia finally finds his voice and asks the one honest question: 'Sir, who are you, and what do you intend?' Arjuna's question is the question every soul must one day put to the Lord — directly, naming the fear, not pretending to be unafraid.
Stories
Prahlāda Asking Nṛsiṁha to Be Pacified
After Hiraṇyakaśipu's death (SB 7.9), the demigods were too afraid to approach the still-raging Nṛsiṁha. Even Lakṣmī hung back. Only the boy Prahlāda was sent forward, and he prostrated himself and prayed — asking the Lord to please be pacified (prasīda).
Arjuna's prasīda in 11.31 stands in this lineage. The Lord's fierce form requires not flattery but the honest petition of a devotee who has nowhere else to go.
Krishna replies, “Time I am, the destroyer of the world. The great warriors on both sides are already slain by My plan. You can be but an instrument. Arise and fight!”
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TEXT 11.32 – 11.34
As the Supersoul, Lord Krishna controls all cosmic events according to His will
As Time, He is pushing all things towards destruction
śrī - bhagavān uvāca—the Personality of Godhead saidkālaḥ—timeasmi—I amloka—of the worldskṣaya - kṛt—the destroyerpravṛddhaḥ—greatlokān—all peoplesamāhartum—in destroyingiha—in this worldpravṛttaḥ—engagedṛte—without, except forapi—eventvām—youna—neverbhaviṣyanti—will besarve—allye—whoavasthitāḥ—situatedprati - anīkeṣu—on the opposite sidesyodhāḥ—the soldiers .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Personality of Godhead said
kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho
kālaḥ
time
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ
ṛte ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitāḥ praty-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ
asmi
I am
loka
of the worlds
kṣaya - kṛt
the destroyer
pravṛddhaḥ
great
lokān
all people
samāhartum
in destroying
iha
in this world
pravṛttaḥ
engaged
ṛte
without, except for
api
even
tvām
you
na
never
bhaviṣyanti
will be
sarve
all
ye
who
avasthitāḥ
situated
prati - anīkeṣu
on the opposite sides
yodhāḥ
the soldiers .
Important Words
kālaḥ—Time
Nominative — and one of the most consequential single words Kṛṣṇa speaks in the Gītā. He identifies Himself not as a god above time but as Time itself. The Bhāgavatam will later devote entire books to expanding this declaration.
asmi—I am
First-person singular of as. Two-word self-identification: kālo 'smi. The form of the great I-am statements that punctuate chapters 7, 9, 10, and 15.
kṣaya - kṛt—the destroyer
Compound: kṣaya (decay) + kṛt (doer). The agent-noun for the active wasting-away of things. Time is not passive decay; it is active doing.
pravṛddhaḥ—grown fully
Past participle of pra-vṛdh, 'to grow completely.' Time has come to its full strength at this moment of the war. The verb implies that destruction is in its appointed season.
samāhartum—to engage in destruction
Infinitive of sam-ā-hṛ, 'to draw together and take.' Even destruction is a gathering — the Lord is collecting what is His.
ṛte—except for
Indeclinable — 'apart from.' Even without Arjuna's action, the result will occur. Arjuna is offered a part, not the only part.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pāṇḍavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa answers: 'I am Time, swollen, destroyer of worlds.' The fierce form is not a side-aspect — it is His identity as cosmic time-process. Whether or not Arjuna fights, the warriors before him are already on their way out. His action neither causes nor prevents.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The most famous verse of the chapter — quoted by J. Robert Oppenheimer at Trinity. 'Kālaḥ asmi' identifies Kṛṣṇa with kāla, the principle that ripens and reaps every being. The argument is liberating, not crushing: Arjuna's anguish in ch. 1 over killing kinsmen presupposed that his fighting decided their deaths. The cosmic vision shows him that death is already underway by another agent.
loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddhaḥ kālaḥ asmi; iha lokān samāhartuṃ pravṛttaḥ (asmi); prati-anīkeṣu avasthitāḥ ye sarve yodhāḥ, tvām ṛte api (te) na bhaviṣyanti |
I am Time, grown mighty, destroyer of the worlds; here I am set out to gather in the worlds. Even without you, all the warriors arrayed in the opposing battle-ranks shall cease to be.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्री-भगवान् उवाच
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
कालः अस्मि लोक-क्षय-कृत् प्रवृद्धः लोकान् समाहर्तुम् इह प्रवृत्तः । ऋते अपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे ये अवस्थिताः प्रति-अनीकेषु योधाः ॥
kālaḥ asmi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddhaḥ lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ | ṛte api tvāṃ na bhaviṣyanti sarve ye avasthitāḥ prati-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ ||
Grammar(व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
Sanskrit
IAST
Grammar
Meaning
कालः
kālaḥ
काल (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)
Time
अस्मि
asmi
√अस् pres. (present) 1sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
Although Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa was his friend and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating force. It is written in the Vedas that the Supreme Truth destroys everything, even the brāhmaṇas. As stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.25), yasya brahma ca kṣatraṁ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ Eventually all the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all-devouring giant, and here Kṛṣṇa presents Himself in that form of all-devouring time. Except for a few Pāṇḍavas, everyone who was present on that battlefield would be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in favor of the fight, and he thought it was better not to fight; then there would be no frustration. In reply, the Lord is saying that even if he did not fight, every one of them would be destroyed, for that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fighting, they would die in another way. Death could not be checked, even if he did not fight. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
32. The Lord said: I am time, the destroyer of the worlds. Increasing in power, I am here engaged in destroying these men. Even without You, all these warriors arrayed in confronting armies will cease to be.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
32. The Lord said: I am time, the destroyer of the worlds. Spread everywhere, I am here engaged in destroying these men. Other than you, all these warriors arrayed in confronting armies will not exist in the future.
Commentary
Being implored, the Lord answers. I am time, the destroyer of the worlds. I am spread everywhere (pravṛddhaḥ).
yasya brahma ca kṣatraṁ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ
mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ
Who knows the Lord, for whom the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are His food and death is the sauce? Kaṭha Upaniṣad .2.25
I am glorified in this verse as time. Understand that action—at the proper time (iha), I will be engaged in swallowing, in destroying Duryodhana and others. And know the result of that action—except for you, Yudiṣṭhira and a few others, all will not live.
Another meaning is derived by taking this verse as a response to the Arjuna supposedly asking, “If I give up the fight, how will they be destroyed?” Even without you fighting, they will be killed. In the form of time, I will take away their lifespan. Who are all those who will be killed? All those troops situated on both sides beginning with Bhīṣma will be killed. But you, if you give up the battle, will have deviated from your dharma.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Srila Prabhupada explains is his Purport: "Eventually all the brahmanas, ksatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all‑ devouring giant, and here Krsna presents Himself in that form of all‑devouring time. Except for a few Pandavas, everyone who was present on that battlefield would be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in favor of the fight, and he thought it was better not to fight; then there would be no frustration. In reply, the Lord is saying that even if he did not fight, every one of them would be destroyed, for that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fighting, they would die in another way. Death could not be checked, even if he did not fight. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature."
Whether Arjuna would fight or not, all would be killed. But if Arjuna would not fight he would be the looser ‑ he would loose his religious principles.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
StudyKey verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Krishna in the form of Universal Time replies to Arjuna’s two questions
“Time I am” (Kala-rupa)
Mission – To destroy everything – “All the people in all the worlds, except Pandavas”
Indicates – Even if Arjuna did not want to fight, they will die anyway
Ref. Katha Upanisad – All brahmanas, ksatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme as the All-devouring giant
LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 11.32 & 11.33: Theme of Texts 11.33 & 11.34 mentions Krishna’s instructions to
Arjuna
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.32 Asmi, I am; the loka-ksaya-krt, world-destroying; kalah, Time; pravrddhah, grown in stature. Hear the purpose for which I have grown in stature: I am iha, now; pravrttah, engaged; samahartum, in annihilating; lokan, the creatures. Api, even; rte tva, without you; sarve, all-from whom your apprehension had arisen; the yodhah, warriors-Bhisma, Drona, Karna and others; ye, who are; avasthitah, arrayed; pratyanikesu, in the connfronting armies-in every unit of the army confronting the other; na bhavisyanti, will cease to exist.
Since this is so-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.32 The Lord said Kala (Time) is the calculator which calculates (Kalayati). Calculating the end of the lives of all those under the leadership of Dhrtarastra's sons, I am causing their destruction. Fully manifesting Myself with this fierce form, I have begun to destroy the hosts of kings. Therefore, by My will, even without you, namely, even without your effort, all these hostile warriors under the leadership of Dhrtarastra's sons, shall cease to be, i.e., will be destroyed.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.32 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.32 The Blessed Lord said I am the full-grown world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without thee, none of the warriors arrayed in the hostile armies shall live.
Commentary
11.32 कालः time? अस्मि (I) am? लोकक्षयकृत् worlddestroying? प्रवृद्धः fullgrown? लोकान् the worlds? समाहर्तुम् to destroy? इह here? प्रवृत्तः engaged? ऋते without? अपि also? त्वाम् thee? न not? भविष्यन्ति shall live? सर्वे all? ये these? अवस्थिताः arrayed? प्रत्यनीकेषु in hostile armies? योधाः warriors.Commentary Even without thee Even if thou? O Arjuna? wouldst not fight? these warriors are doomed to die under My dispensation. I am the alldestroying Time. I have already slain them. You have seen them dying. Therefore thy instrumentality is not of much importance.Such being the case? therefore? stand up and obtain fame.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.32 The Blessed Lord said I am the world-destroying Time, [Time: The supreme God with His limiting adjunct of the power of action.] grown in stature [Pravrddhah, mighty-according to S.-Tr.] and now engaged in annihilating the creatures. Even without you, all the warriors who are arrayed in the confronting armies will cease to exist!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.32 Lord Shri Krishna replied: I have shown myself to thee as the Destroyer who lays waste the world and whose purpose is destruction. In spite of thy efforts, all these warriors gathered for battle shall not escape death.
I am terrible time, the destroyer of worlds, here engaged in destroying all — even without you, all these warriors will die.
Practical Applications
Recognize time as Kṛṣṇa's specific manifestation.
Don't fight time; align with it.
Use mortality as motivation, not despair.
Reflection Questions
Where am I fighting time?
What alignment would free me?
Analogy
The clock on the wall is the most unhurried thing in the room and the most relentless. It does not run after anyone. It simply is the passing — and what is passing eventually ends. Kṛṣṇa names Himself as that clock at the heart of the universe.
Stories
The Vow of the Pāṇḍavas Already Underway
Long before this moment on the battlefield, in the assembly hall after the dice-game (Mahābhārata, Sabhā-parva 71–72), Bhīma had vowed to break Duryodhana's thigh, and Draupadī had vowed to remain uncombed until her dishonor was avenged. The deaths of the Kaurava chiefs were already pledged into the cosmic ledger years before any arrow flew.
Kṛṣṇa's words in 11.32 — ṛte 'pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti — only ratify what was already so. The vows of saintly persons, the curse of Gāndhārī, the arithmetic of adharma had all converged. Time was simply executing what had been written.
Imperative of ud-sthā. The same verb Kṛṣṇa used in 2.3 (kṣudraṁ hṛdaya-daurbalyaṁ tyaktvottiṣṭha) — the Gītā returns to this command at its decisive moments. Standing is not metaphor; it is the body's signal of resolve.
yaśaḥ—fame
Accusative of yaśas — glory of right action. Kṛṣṇa offers Arjuna fame not as flattery but as a side-effect of dharma performed in time.
nihatāḥ—slain
Past participle of ni-han, 'to strike down.' Past tense, not future. The killing has occurred at the cosmic level; only the visible enactment remains.
pūrvam eva—already, beforehand
Adverbial phrase — 'precisely before.' Eva intensifies pūrvam. The intensifier closes any escape from the temporal verdict.
nimitta - mātram—merely an instrument
Compound: nimitta (efficient cause) + mātra (mere). One of the Gītā's signature phrases for kartṛtva — Arjuna is the efficient cause, but only as instrument; the real doer is elsewhere.
savya - sācin—ambidextrous archer
Vocative — Arjuna's epithet for being able to shoot equally well with both hands. Kṛṣṇa names him by his unique martial qualification at the moment of asking him to act — addressing the warrior in his strength-name.
Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasācī, can be but an instrument in the fight.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The doctrinal corollary of 11.32: act, but as instrument (nimitta-mātra), not as cause. Glory, victory, kingdom — these still belong to Arjuna in the war; but the metaphysics has been transformed. Killing has been redefined as cooperating with kāla.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Nimitta-mātra' becomes one of the Gītā's most consequential phrases for karmayoga. The instrument-ontology dissolves the killer-victim binary that paralyzed Arjuna in ch. 1. The vocative 'Savya-sācin' (one who shoots with either hand) compliments his uniqueness as a warrior — the work is too important to refuse, but his self-conception must change.
he savya-sācin! tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha; yaśaḥ labhasva; śatrūn jitvā samṛddhaṃ rājyaṃ bhuṅkṣva; ete mayā eva pūrvam eva nihatāḥ — (tvaṃ) nimitta-mātraṃ bhava |
Therefore stand up, win glory; conquering the enemies, enjoy a flourishing kingdom. These have already been struck down by Me — be a mere instrument, O left-handed archer.
Savya-sācin refers to one who can shoot arrows very expertly in the field; thus Arjuna is addressed as an expert warrior capable of delivering arrows to kill his enemies. “Just become an instrument”: nimitta-mātram. This word is also very significant. The whole world is moving according to the plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Foolish persons who do not have sufficient knowledge think that nature is moving without a plan and all manifestations are but accidental formations. There are many so-called scientists who suggest that perhaps it was like this, or maybe like that, but there is no question of “perhaps” and “maybe.” There is a specific plan being carried out in this material world. What is this plan? This cosmic manifestation is a chance for the conditioned souls to go back to Godhead, back to home. As long as they have the domineering mentality which makes them try to lord it over material nature, they are conditioned. But anyone who can understand the plan of the Supreme Lord and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness is most intelligent. The creation and destruction of the cosmic manifestation are under the superior guidance of God. Thus the Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought according to the plan of God. Arjuna was refusing to fight, but he was told that he should fight in accordance with the desire of the Supreme Lord. Then he would be happy. If one is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness and his life is devoted to the Lord’s transcendental service, he is perfect.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
33. Therefore rise and gain fame. Conquering the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. These have all been killed by Me already. Just be an instrument, O Arjuna!
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
33. Therefore rise and gain fame. Conquering the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. These have all been killed by Me already. Just be an instrument, O Arjuna!
Commentary
Because of this, rise, and fight according to your dharma. Gain fame. Attain rare glory. Warriors such as Bhīṣma who cannot be conquered by the devas, have been defeated by Arjuna with ease! Such will be your fame. They have already been killed by Me, at the time of their offending Draupadī. They are proceeding like puppets to give you fame. Therefore, just become the instrument. O Arjuna, skilful with the left hand! You are skilful at shooting arrows with your left hand. Therefore at time of battle, you can shoot showers of arrows with both hands!
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
'Savyasaci', 'one who can fight with either hand.' Krsna is telling Arjuna to use all his skills now, stand up and fight!
That is what Krsna has been telling Arjuna all the time: "Do your duties, stand up and fight!"
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Savyasācī also means “one who can fight ambidexterously, with either hand, left or right.” Kṛṣṇa
therefore encourages Arjuna to now use all his skills to fight, without pride, because pūrvam eva,
“by previous arrangement,” not because of Arjuna’s skills, the warriors are as good as dead.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.33 Tasmat, therefore; tvam, you; uttistha, rise up; (and) labhasva, gain; the yasah, fame, that Arjuna has conered the Atirathas [Atiratha-see note under 1.4.6.-Tr.], Bhisma, Drona and others, who are unconerable even by the gods. Such fame can be acired only by virtuous actions. Jitva, by defeating; satrun, the enemies, Duryodhana and others; bhunksva, enjoy; a rajyam, kingdom; that is samrddham, propersous, free from enemies and obstacles. Ete, these; nihatah, have been definitely killed, made lifeless; eva maya, verily by Me; eva purvam, even earlier. Bhava, be you; nimitta-matram, merely an instrument, O Savyasachin. Arjuna was called so because he could shoot arrows even with his left hand.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.33 Therefore, arise for fighting against them. Conering your enemies, win glory and enjoy a prosperous and righteous kingdom. All those who have sinned have been already annihilated by Me. Be you merely an instrument (Nimitta) of Mine in destroying them - just like a weapon in my hand, O Savyasacin! The root 'Sac' means 'fastening'. A 'savyasacin' is one who is capable of fixing or fastening the arrow even with his left hand. The meaning is that he is so dexterous that he can fight with a bow in each hand.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.33 See comment under 11.34.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.33 Therefore, stand up and obtain fame. Coner the enemies and enjoy the unrivalled kingdom. Verily by Me have they been already slain; be thou a mere instrument, O Arjuna.
Commentary
11.33 तस्मात् therefore? त्वम् thou? उत्तिष्ठ stand up? यशः fame? लभस्व obtain? जित्वा having conered? शत्रून् enemies? भुङ्क्ष्व enjoy? राज्यम् the kingdom? समृद्धम् the unrivalled? मया by Me? एव even? एते these? निहताः have been slain? पूर्वम् before? एव even? निमित्तमात्रम् a mere instrument? भव be? सव्यसाचिन् O ambidexterous one.Commentary Be thou merely an apparent or nominal cause. I have already killed them in advance. I have destroyed them long ago.Fame People will think that Bhishma? Drona and the other great warriors whom even the gods cannot kill have been defeated by you and so you will obtain great fame. Such fame is due to virtuous Karma only.Satrun Enemies such as Duryodhana.Savyasachi Arjuna who could shoot arrows even with the left hand.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.33 Therefore you rise up, (and) gain fame; and defeating the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. These have been killed verily by Me even earlier; be you merely an instrument, O Savyasacin (Arjuna).
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.33 Then gird up thy loins and conquer. Subdue thy foes and enjoy the kingdom in prosperity. I have already doomed them. Be thou my instrument, Arjuna!
Related values & verses
Related values
Prema (Divine Love)Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Therefore arise; achieve fame; conquer your enemies; enjoy a flourishing kingdom — they are already destined; you are merely an instrument.
Practical Applications
Take up your part as instrument, not author.
Recognize that outcomes are already destined; play your role.
Use 'instrument' consciousness as a daily anchor.
Reflection Questions
Where am I refusing my role as instrument?
What does instrument-consciousness change?
Analogy
A surgeon does not invent the cancer; he uses his instruments to remove what is already condemned. Arjuna is asked to be the surgeon, not the disease — to lift the bow as instrument, knowing the verdict was passed before he entered the room.
Stories
The Death-Already-Decreed of the Kauravas
Throughout the Mahābhārata (especially in Udyoga-parva), Vidura and Sanjaya warned Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kauravas were already destined for destruction because of Duryodhana's adharma. Gāndhārī's grief in Strī-parva later confirms that the curse and its outworking had been clear long before the war's first day.
Kṛṣṇa's words in 11.33 — mayā evaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva — formalise what the wise had been saying: the Kauravas were already slain by the Lord. Arjuna is told to be a nimitta-mātra, merely the visible cause of an invisible verdict.
Accusative + conjunction. Arjuna's beloved teacher is named first, deliberately — Kṛṣṇa does not soften the list.
bhīṣmam ca—and Bhīṣma
Accusative + conjunction. The grandsire, the patriarch. Each ca is a small hammer-stroke on a relationship Arjuna cherishes.
jayadratham ca—and Jayadratha
Accusative + conjunction. The killer of Abhimanyu, the king of Sindhu. His name is here because his death is the most fixed of all — vowed by Arjuna himself on pain of self-immolation.
hatān—already killed
Past participle plural of han, 'to strike.' Past tense. The verb's tense is the verse's whole theology.
yudhyasva—fight
Imperative middle of yudh. Echoes 2.18 (tasmād yudhyasva bhārata). The Gītā returns at climax to its earliest imperative — fight, because the structure already calls for it.
jetā asi—you will be the conqueror
Periphrastic future of ji. Grammatically the deed is treated as already-to-be — almost a guarantee. Kṛṣṇa speaks as if the future were a past not yet reached.
Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa names the very teachers and elders whom Arjuna shrank from killing in ch. 1-2: Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Jayadratha. They are 'already slain by Me' — Arjuna's hesitation now lacks even its premise. The injunction 'mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ' answers his 'pravyathita' from 11.24.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse closes the doctrinal arc opened in 2.11-30. The same persons whose deaths Arjuna mourned prospectively are shown to be already dead in the higher reality. 'Mayā hatān tvaṁ jahi' is the paradox of nimitta-mātra-bhāva — the action is done twice, once metaphysically, once historically. Cf. 18.59-60 for the same point recapitulated.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथा अन्यान् अपि योध-वीरान् — मया हतान् त्वं जहि; मा व्यथिष्ठाः; युध्यस्व; रणे सपत्नान् जेता असि ।
droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca karṇaṃ tathā anyān api yodha-vīrān — mayā hatān tvaṃ jahi; mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ; yudhyasva; raṇe sapatnān jetā asi |
Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa, and the other warrior-heroes too — already slain by Me, do you slay. Do not be agitated; fight; in battle you shall vanquish your rivals.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथा अन्यान् अपि योध-वीरान् । मया हतान् त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठाः युध्यस्व जेता असि रणे सपत्नान् ॥
droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca karṇaṃ tathā anyān api yodha-vīrān | mayā hatān tvaṃ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhāḥ yudhyasva jetā asi raṇe sapatnān ||
√जि periph. fut. (future) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
you will conquer
असि
asi
√अस् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
you are
रणे
raṇe
रण (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular)
in battle
सपत्नान्
sapatnān
सपत्न (m.) acc.pl. (accusative plural)
rivals, enemies
Purport
Every plan is made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He is so kind and merciful to His devotees that He wants to give the credit to His devotees who carry out His plan according to His desire. Life should therefore move in such a way that everyone acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the medium of a spiritual master. The plans of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are understood by His mercy, and the plans of the devotees are as good as His plans. One should follow such plans and be victorious in the struggle for existence.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
34. Slay Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and other brave warriors, who have already been killed by Me. Do not grieve. Fight and you will be victorious over the enemies in the war.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
34. Slay Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and other brave warriors, who have already been killed by Me. Do not fear. Fight and you will be victorious over the enemies in the war.
Commentary
In reference to Arjuna’s doubt about victory raised in the second chapter when he said yad vā jayema yadi vā no jayeyuḥ (I do not know if we will conquer them orthey will conquer us), Kṛṣṇa speaks.
Kill Droṇa and others whose lifespan has already been finished by Me. Do not fear, thinking “How can I alone kill these persons armed with celestial weapons?” What effort is involved in killing those who have already been killed? Giving up fear, fight! You will conquer the enemies (sapatnān) in the battle.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Krsna here is adding another name: Jayadratha. He is not as heavy warrior as Bhisma, Drona and Karna, but he had a benediction from Lord Siva that he would be able to stop the Pandavas. So Arjuna was also affraid of him.
[D. ARJUNA'S PRAYERS (11. 35‑46)
1. Arjuna tremblingly prays, "All become attached to You upon hearing Your name, but the demons flee. They too should offer homage because You are the cause of all causes." (35‑40) ]
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
StudyKey verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Arjuna is “told to fight and be victorious and enjoy the kingdom”. Why? Because:
Krishna desires the battle, Indicated by the words ‘Know My plan’ – “I have already killed them”
Perform your duty – “Do not be disturbed”
‘Jeta asi’ – indicates “You will be victorious”
Get the credit of being “My instrument”
Focus of Learning
(a) How to know the plan of the Lord
Only possible by the Lord’s mercy
The plan of His devotees are as good as His plans
Thus act in Krishna consciousness to know His plan through medium of the spiritual master
(b) Kindness and the mercy of the Lord
Every plan is made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
But the Lord is very kind and merciful and wants to give credit to His devotees, if one carries out the plan according to His desire
(a) ‘’Savya-saci’’ – Means one who fights ambidextrously (i.e with the left or right hand)
Or one who can shoot arrows very expertly
(b) ‘’Nimitta-matram’’ – Become an instrument
(c) Sign of intelligence – To recognise that the whole world is moving under the plan of the Lord
Fools mentality – No plan behind the creation ; All are accidental formations
Scientists say – “Perhaps” or “Maybe” –but all are foolish ideas
(d) Lord’s plan – Very specific in material world
Purpose of comic manifestation – chance to go back to Godhead
Till we have the mentality to lord over, we are conditioned
Creation and destruction are under Lord’s law
Sign of most intelligence – Cultivate Krishna consciousness and know the plan of the Lord
(e) Thus Arjuna is motivated to:
Fight in accordance with the desire of the Lord
This is the “Path of real happiness and real perfection”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.34 By saying, 'who have been killed by Me,' the Lord names Drona and those very warriors with regard to whom Arjuna had (his) doubts.
Now then, uncertainty with regard to Drona and Bhisma is well-founded. Drona was the teacher of the science of archery, and was eipped with heavenly weapons; and particularly, he was his (Arjuna's) own teacher and most respected. Bhisma was destined to die at will, and possessed heavenly weapons. He fought a duel with Parasurama and remained unvanished. So also Jayadratha-whose father was performing an austerity with the idea that anyone who made his son's head fall on the ground would have even his own head fall. Since Karna also was eipped with an unerring spear given by Indra, and was a son of the Sun, born of a maiden (Kunti), therefore he is referred to by his own name itself.
As a mere instrument, tvam, you; jahi, destory them; who have been hatan, killed; maya, by Me. Ma, do not; vyathisthah, be afraid of them. Yuddhyasva, fight. Jetasi, you shall coner; the sapatnan, enemies-Duryodhana and others; rane, in battle.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.34 Say Drona, Bhisma, Karna, etc., who have ben chosen for destruction by me alone, as they have transgressed the law of righteousness. Be not distressed, considering, 'How can I slay these teachers, relations and others who are attached to enjoyments?' Do not be thus distressed by thinking about the right and wrong of it, or out of love and compassion for them. These persons are guilty of unrighteousness by siding with the evil-minded Duryodhana. They have been chosen by Me alone for destruction. Therefore fight without doubt. You shall conqer your enemies in battle. In slaying them, there is not the slighest trace of cruelty. The purport is that victory is the sure result.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.33-34 Tasmat etc. Drona etc. The world is of the nature of perfect and imperfect knowledge and it is swallowed (11.completely controlled) by the power of the perfect, imperfect and mixed Consciousness. Hence, here an answer is given accordingly by the Bhagavat. This secret is a almost indicated in this chapter. Yet for the benefit of those persons who are capable of understanding only what has been clearly marked, let us (11.Ag.) assume the misfortune of taking the trouble of writing a few lines.
What is declared by the Bhagavat - viz., 'As the foes have been slain [by Me], be a token cause and win glory', this is by way of answering to what Arjuna has said earlier viz., 'We do not know who, amongst both of us, is more powerful than the other etc. (11.II, 6)'.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.34 Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and other brave warriors these are already slain by Me: do thou kill; be not distressed with fear; fight and thou shalt coner thy enemies in battle.
Commentary
11.34 द्रोणम् Drona? च and? भीष्मम् Bhishma? च and? जयद्रथम् Jayadratha? च and? कर्णम् Karna? तथा also? अन्यान् others? अपि also? योधवीरान् brave warriors? मया by Me? हतान् slain? त्वम् thou? जहि do kill? मा not? व्यथिष्ठाः be distressed with fear? युध्यस्व fight? जेतासि shall coner? रणे in the battle? सपत्नान् the enemies.Commentary Already slain by Me Therefore? O Arjuna? you need not be afraid of incurring sin by killing them.Drona had celestial weapons. He was Arjunas teacher in the science of archery. He was Arjunas beloved and greatest Guru. Bhishma also possessed celetial weapons. He could die only if and when he wanted to die. He once faught singlehanded with Lord Parasurama and was not defeated. So powerful was he.The father of Jayadratha performed penance with a resolve the head of the man who may cause the head of my son to fall on the ground? shall also fall. During the war? however? Arjunas arrow cuts the head and drops it on the lap of the father who? inadvertently? makes it fall on the ground he too dies at once. Karna? the son of the Sungod? had obtained an unerring missile from Indra.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.34 You destroy Drona and Bhisma, and Jayadratha and Karna as also the other heroic warriors who have been killed by Me. Do not be afraid. Fight! You shall coner the enemies in battle.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.34 Drona and Bheeshma, Jayadratha and Karna, and other brave warriors - I have condemned them all. Destroy them; fight and fear not. Thy foes shall be crushed."
Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa — and other warriors — are already destroyed by Me; do not be disturbed; fight, you will conquer your enemies.
Practical Applications
Trust that the war is already won by Kṛṣṇa.
Engage your role without anxiety about outcome.
Use this verse for any battle being asked of you.
Reflection Questions
What battle am I anxious about?
Has Kṛṣṇa already won it?
Analogy
When a vase has already fallen from the table and the eye has only not yet seen the floor, the smashing is not future — it is in process. Kṛṣṇa names four men by name to make clear: the smashing is already in process; Arjuna is invited only to be the floor.
Stories
Jayadratha and the Setting Sun
Arjuna had vowed to kill Jayadratha by sunset on the fourteenth day of the war (Mahābhārata, Droṇa-parva 121, 145) in revenge for Abhimanyu's death. As the sun seemed to set and the vow was about to fail, Kṛṣṇa is said to have used His mystic potency to obscure the sun temporarily; Jayadratha emerged from hiding, and Arjuna killed him in the brief twilight.
In 11.34 Kṛṣṇa names Jayadratha among the already-slain — pointing forward to that very afternoon. The vow, the obscured sun, the arrow — all are arranged.
Compound. The gesture from 11.14 returns — Arjuna's body, having been told to fight, first folds hands. The two gestures are not contradictory; the warrior bows before he rises.
vepamānaḥ—trembling
Present middle participle of vep, 'to tremble.' A sāttvika-bhāva again — the body's involuntary response to overwhelming presence.
kirīṭī—the crowned one (Arjuna)
Nominative — one of Arjuna's epithets, given when Indra crowned him with a divine kirīṭa in the Mahābhārata (Vana-parva 44). Sañjaya uses the title precisely when Arjuna is trembling: even the crowned one trembles before this form.
sa - gadgadam—with faltering voice
Compound: sa (with) + gadgada (stammering). The voice itself has broken — a sāttvika-bhāva called svara-bheda. Classical rasa-theory is being recorded as Mahābhārata reportage.
bhīta - bhītaḥ—fearfully
Doubled compound — bhīta repeated for intensity. 'Fearful-fearful' — fear redoubled, layered upon itself.
Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: O King, after hearing these words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the trembling Arjuna offered obeisances with folded hands again and again. He fearfully spoke to Lord Kṛṣṇa in a faltering voice, as follows.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sañjaya re-enters with stage directions. The intervening kāla-asmi disclosure has not calmed Arjuna; if anything, it has deepened the trembling. The reduplicated 'bhīta-bhītaḥ' (very, very frightened) and 'sa-gadgada' (faltering) bracket the long second hymn now to begin.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Each major shift in the chapter is framed by a Sañjaya verse (cf. 11.9, 11.50). This one re-narrates Arjuna's posture so the next stotra (11.36-46) can read as performed and felt, not abstract. 'Kirīṭī' (crowned, with the diadem Indra gave him) is a name of glory — yet now he trembles. The contrast keeps the dramatic asymmetry sharp.
Having heard this speech of Keśava, the crowned one (Arjuna), with folded hands, trembling, bowing in salutation, very frightened, again spoke to Kṛṣṇa in a faltering voice.
As we have already explained, because of the situation created by the universal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna became bewildered in wonder; thus he began to offer his respectful obeisances to Kṛṣṇa again and again, and with faltering voice he began to pray, not as a friend, but as a devotee in wonder.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
35. Sañjaya said: Hearing the words of Keśava, Arjuna, with folded hands, trembling, offered his respects; and again overcome by great fear, offering respects, spoke to Kṛṣṇa in faltering voice.
Commentary
Namaskṛtvā is poetic license. The normal form is namaskṛtya.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
35. Sañjaya said: Hearing the words of Keśava, Arjuna, with folded hands, trembling, offered his respects; and again overcome by great fear, offering respects, spoke to Kṛṣṇa in faltering voice.
Commentary
Sañjaya then relates what happened next. Hearing the words of Keśava in three verses, Arjuna (kirīṭī), trembling out of respect on seeing that astonishing and ferocious form, offered his respects to Kṛṣṇa, and again offered respects, being overcome with great fear (bhīta bhītaḥ). With trembling voice (sa gadgadam), he then spoke. The form namaskṛtvā is poetic license. The correct form is namaskṛtya.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna is quite a great personality because even in the midst of all these situations he could speak.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.35 Srutva, hearing; etat, this, aforesaid; vacanam, utterance; kesavasya, of Kesava; Kiriti, krtanjalih, with joined palms; and vepamanah, trembling; nama-skrtva, prostrating himself; aha, said; bhuyah eva, again; krsnam, to Krsna; sa-gadgadam, with a faltering voice-.
A person's throat becomes choked with phlegm and his eyes full of tears when, on being struck with fear, he is overcome by sorrow, and when, on being overwhelmed with affection, he is filled with joy. The indistinctness and feleness of sound in speech that follows as a result is what is called faltering (gadgada). A speech that is accompanied with (saha) this is sa-gadgadam. It is used adverbially to the act of utterance.
Pranamya, bowing down with humility; bhita-bhitah, overcome by fits of fear, with his mind struck again and again with fear-this is to be connected with the remote word aha (said).
At this juncture the words of Sanjaya have a purpose in view. How? It is thus: Thinking that the helpless Duryodhana will be as good as dead when the four unconerable ones, viz Drona and others, are killed, Dhrtarastra, losing hope of victory, would conclude a treaty. From that will follow peace on either side. Under the influence of fate, Dhrtarastra did not even listen to that!
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.35 Sanjaya said Having heard the speech of Krsna, ocean of affection for the seekers of refuge in Him, Arjuna did obeisance to Him. Trembling with fear, he bowed again and again before Him. With folded palms, and trembling, Arjuna spoke in a choked voice with emotion.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.35 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.35 Sanjaya said Having heard that speech of Lord Krishna, Arjuna, with joined palms, trembling, prostrating himself, again addressed Krishna, in a choked voice, bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.
Commentary
11.35 एतत् that? श्रुत्वा having heard? वचनम् speech? केशवस्य of Kesava? कृताञ्जलिः with joined palms? वेपमानः trembling? किरीटि Arjuna? नमस्कृत्वा prostrating (himself)? भूयः again? एव even? आह addressed? कृष्णम् to Krishna? सगद्गदम् in a choked voice? भीतभीतः overwhelmed with fear? प्रणम्य having prostrated.Commentary When anyone is in a state of extreme terror or joy he sheds tears on account of pain or exhilaration of spirits. Then his throat is choked and he stammers or speaks indistinctly or in a dull? choked voice. Arjuna was extremely frightened when he saw the Cosmic Form and so he spoke in a stammering tone.There is great significane in Sanjayas words. He thought that Dhritarashtra might come to terms or make peace with the Pandavas when he knew that his sons would certainly be killed for want of proper support when Drona and Karna would be killed by Arjuna. He hoped that conseently there would be peace and happiness to both the parties. But Dhritarashtra was obstinate he did not listen to this suggestion on account of the force of destiny.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.35 Sanjaya said Hearing this utterance of Kesava, Kiriti (Arjuna), with joined palms and trembling, protrating himself, said again to Krsna with a faltering voice, bowing down overcome by fits of fear:
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.35 Sanjaya continued: "Having heard these words from the Lord Shri Krishna, the Prince Arjuna, with folded hands trembling, prostrated himself and with choking voice, bowing down again and again, and overwhelmed with awe, once more addressed the Lord.
Hearing this, Arjuna, trembling, repeatedly bowed and addressed Kṛṣṇa with stammering voice and great fear.
Practical Applications
Honor the appropriate body-response in encounter with the Lord.
Don't perform composure that isn't truthful.
Trust trembling as data.
Reflection Questions
Where have I been performing instead of trembling?
What truthful response is being asked?
Analogy
After hearing the king's sentence, the courtier does not stride out — he sinks to his knees, his hands tremble, his voice fails. Arjuna, told the cosmic verdict, becomes precisely such a courtier. His next words will come, but the body must first acknowledge what it has heard.
अर्जुनउवाचस्थानेहृषीकेशतवप्रकीर्त्या
जगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च ।
रक्षांसिभीतानिदिशोद्रवन्तिसर्वेनमस्यन्तिचसिद्धसङ्घा: ॥ ३६ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā
[sthaane hrisheekesha tava prakeertyaa]
jagat prahṛṣyaty anurajyate ca
[jagat prahrishyaty anurajyate cha]
rakṣāṁsi bhītāni diśo dravanti
[rakshaamsi bheetaani disho dravanti]
sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saṅghāḥ
[sarve namasyanti cha siddha-sanghaah]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna saidsthāne—rightlyhṛṣīka - īśa—O master of all sensestava—Yourprakīrtyā—by the gloriesjagat—the entire worldprahṛṣyati—is rejoicinganurajyate—is becoming attachedca—andrakṣāṁsi—the demonsbhītāni—out of feardiśaḥ—in all directionsdravanti—are fleeingsarve—allnamasyanti—are offering respectsca—alsosiddha - saṅghāḥ—the perfect human beings .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā
sthāne
rightly
hṛṣīka - īśa
O master of all senses
tava
Your
prakīrtyā
by the glories
jagat prahṛṣyaty anurajyate ca
jagat
the entire world
prahṛṣyati
is rejoicing
anurajyate
is becoming attached
ca
and
rakṣāṁsi bhītāni diśo dravanti
rakṣāṁsi
the demons
bhītāni
out of fear
diśaḥ
in all directions
dravanti
are fleeing
sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saṅghāḥ
sarve
all
namasyanti
are offering respects
ca
also
siddha - saṅghāḥ
the perfect human beings .
Important Words
sthāne—rightly, fittingly
Locative of sthāna — 'in the proper place.' Used adverbially. Arjuna is making a moral, not merely descriptive, claim: the world's response is appropriate to what is being beheld.
hṛṣīka - īśa—O master of the senses
Vocative compound: hṛṣīka (senses) + īśa (lord). Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa by the title that names His authority over the very organs by which Arjuna is now seeing — a tactful acknowledgment of who governs the seeing.
prakīrtyā—by glorification
Instrumental of prakīrti — 'announcing of glory.' Joy comes specifically from glorification — saṅkīrtana is built into the world's response. The Caitanya-tradition will later make this verse a foundational text.
prahṛṣyati—rejoices
Third-person singular present of pra-hṛṣ — 'to rejoice intensely.' Pra intensifies; the world's joy is not casual.
anurajyate—becomes attached
Third-person middle of anu-rañj — 'to be coloured by attachment.' Devotion as a colouring of the heart — the verb behind anurāga.
rakṣāṁsi—the demons
Neuter plural — the rākṣasas. Their flight is paired with the saints' rejoicing — both responses are sthāne, appropriate to their respective natures.
Arjuna said: O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna's second stotra opens with theological agreement: it is right (sthāne) that the world rejoices, demons flee, and siddhas salute. The terror is not protest — it is recognition. The vocative Hṛṣīkeśa (master of the senses) implicitly asks Him to master Arjuna's senses too.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse separates the responses of three classes — devotees (prahṛṣyati, anurajyate), demons (bhītāḥ), siddhas (namasyanti) — matching their natures. The word 'sthāne' (it is fitting) is a doctrinal nod: Arjuna confirms that the cosmic order responds correctly to its Lord, even when the response is terror. He is finding his footing within the vision.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे हृषीक-ईश! तव प्रकीर्त्या जगत् प्रहृष्यति, अनुरज्यते च; भीतानि रक्षांसि दिशः द्रवन्ति; सर्वे सिद्ध-सङ्घाः च नमस्यन्ति — (एतत्) स्थाने ।
he hṛṣīka-īśa! tava prakīrtyā jagat prahṛṣyati, anurajyate ca; bhītāni rakṣāṃsi diśaḥ dravanti; sarve siddha-saṅghāḥ ca namasyanti — (etat) sthāne |
O Lord of the senses, at Your great fame the world rejoices and becomes attached, the rākṣasas, terrified, flee in all directions, and all the hosts of perfected ones offer salutation — and this is fitting.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अर्जुनः उवाच
arjunaḥ uvāca
स्थाने हृषीक-ईश तव प्रकीर्त्या जगत् प्रहृष्यति अनुरज्यते च । रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशः द्रवन्ति सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्ध-सङ्घाः ॥
sthāne hṛṣīka-īśa tava prakīrtyā jagat prahṛṣyati anurajyate ca | rakṣāṃsi bhītāni diśaḥ dravanti sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saṅghāḥ ||
Arjuna, after hearing from Kṛṣṇa about the outcome of the Battle of Kurukṣetra, became enlightened, and as a great devotee and friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead he said that everything done by Kṛṣṇa is quite fit. Arjuna confirmed that Kṛṣṇa is the maintainer and the object of worship for the devotees and the destroyer of the undesirables. His actions are equally good for all. Arjuna understood herein that when the Battle of Kurukṣetra was being concluded, in outer space there were present many demigods, siddhas, and the intelligentsia of the higher planets, and they were observing the fight because Kṛṣṇa was present there. When Arjuna saw the universal form of the Lord, the demigods took pleasure in it, but others, who were demons and atheists, could not stand it when the Lord was praised. Out of their natural fear of the devastating form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they fled. Kṛṣṇa’s treatment of the devotees and the atheists is praised by Arjuna. In all cases a devotee glorifies the Lord because he knows that whatever He does is good for all.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
36. Arjuna said: O controller of the senses, rightly the world rejoices and becomes attracted to You by Your glorification. Rightly also, the frightened Rākṣasas flee in all directions, and the host of devotees bow down to You.
Commentary
Suddenly realizing that the pleasing form and ferocious form of the Lord were objects of attraction and repulsion, he explains this fact and praises the Lord. Sthāne, an indeclinable, here means “suitable.”
O Hṛṣīkeśa, You inspire the senses of Your devotees to turn towards You, and You inspire the senses of the non-devotees to turn away from You! The universe becomes joyful (prahṛṣyati) by the saṅkīrtana glorifying You (prakīrtya), and becomes attracted to You (anurajyate). This is reasonable (sthane) since the universe is favorable to You. The Rākṣasas , asuras, Dānavas, Piśācas and others (rakṣāṁsi) however, becoming fearful, flee to the directions (diśaḥ dravanti). This is also reasonable since they are unfavorably inclined to You. And the whole group of those who are perfected by devotion to You (siddha-saṅghāḥ) offer their respects to You. This also is reasonable, since they are Your devotees. This verse is famous in mantra-śāstra for its ability to give protection from Rākṣasas .
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
36. Arjuna said: O controller of the senses! Rightly, the world rejoices and becomes attracted to You by this celebrated form. Rightly also, the frightened rakṣasas flee in all directions, and rightly also, the host of perfect devotees bows down to You.
Commentary
Seeing simultaneously in that place the very attractive and very fierce forms of the Supreme Lord, who was his friend Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna understood that those two forms were objects of vision corresponding to people favorable to and against the Lord. Arjuna praises the Lord accordingly in eleven verses.
Rightly (sthāne), O Hṛṣīkeśa, you are the one who inspires the senses (hṛṣīka) toward or against You. The nature of these senses is either to be attracted to or repulsed by an object. Rightly, the universe, headed by the devas, gandharvas, siddhas and vidyādharas, inclined favorably to You, are pleased with and attracted to this glorious form (prakīrtyā) which destroys the wicked. It is also fitting that those of wicked nature, those opposed to You, such as rakṣasas, asuras and dānavas, are afraid of this form praised by the devas, and flee in all directions. This takes place because You show an appropriate form corresponding to the nature of the living entity.
Seeing You give mercy to the obedient and disobedient in this way, all your devotees—the perfect souls such as Sanaka (siddha saṅghāḥ), offer their respects, by shouting “All glories to bhagavān!” (namasyanti) This is proper, because You attract the minds of the devotees.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna has got his composure back by this time. He is able to offer prayers and he is recognizing Krsna again.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.36 Sthane, it is proper; -what is that?-that the jagat, world; prahrsyati, becomes delighted; tava prakirtya, by Your praise, by reciting Your greatness and hearing it. This is befitting. This is the idea. Or, the word sthane may be taken as alifying the word 'subject' (understood) : It is proper that the Lord is the subject of joy etc. since the Lord is the Self of all beings and the Friend of all.
So also it (the world) anurajyate, becomes attracted, becomes drawn (by that praise). That also is with regard to a proper subject. This is how it is to be explained.
Further, that the raksamsi, Raksasas; bhitani, stricken with fear; dravanti, run; disah, in all directions-that also is with regard to a proper subject. And that sarve, all; the siddha-sanghah, groups of the Siddhas-Kapila and others; namasyanti, bow down-that also is befitting.
He points out the reason for the Lord's being the object of delight etc.:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.36 Arjuna said: 'Sthane' means rightly or it is but proper. It is but proper that the whole world of gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, Yaksas, Kinnaras, Kimpurusas, etc., who have foregathered with a desire to see the battle, should be delighted with You and love You after beholding You by Your grace.
You are the Lord of all. Rightly after beholding You, the Raksasas flee in fear on all sides, and rightly all the host of Siddhas, namely, the host of Siddhas who are favourable to You, pay their homage to You. The connection with what was said earlier is that all this is as it ought to be.
He further proceeds to explain how all this is right:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.36 Sthane etc. By high glory : by highly singing the glory.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.36 Arjuna said It is meet, O Krishna, that the world delights and rejoices in Thy praise; demons fly in fear to all arters and the hosts of the perfected ones bow to Thee.
Commentary
11.36 स्थाने it is meet? हृषीकेश O Krishna? तव Thy? प्रकीर्त्या by praise? जगत् the world? प्रहृष्यति is delighted? अनुरज्यते rejoices? च and? रक्षांसि the demons? भीतानि in fear? दिशः to all arters? द्रवन्ति fly? सर्वे all? नमस्यन्ति bow (to Thee)? च and? सिद्धसङ्घाः the hosts of the perfected ones.Commentary Praise description of the glory of the Lord. The Lord is the object worthy of adortion? love and delight? because He is the Self and friend of all beings.The Lord is the object of adoration? love and delight for the following reason also. He is the primal cause even of Brahma? the Creator of the universe.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.36 Arjuna said It is proper, O Hrsikesa, that the world becomes delighted and attracted by Your praise; that the Raksasas, stricken with fear, run in all directions; and that all the groups of the Siddhas bow down (toYou).
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.36 Arjuna said: My Lord! It is natural that the world revels and rejoices when it sings the praises of Thy glory; the demons fly in fear and the saints offer Thee their salutations.
It is right that the world rejoices in glorifying You and is bound to You by attachment — the demoniac flee, while the perfected souls bow.
Practical Applications
Notice your own response: do you bow or flee?
Cultivate the bowing quality.
Refuse the demoniac flight.
Reflection Questions
When did I last truly bow vs. flee?
What habits incline me toward flight?
Analogy
When the rightful king returns from exile, the joy of the people is not a mood — it is justice. They celebrate not because they have been bribed but because the universe has aligned. Arjuna, looking at the cosmic form, sees that the world's joy and the demons' flight are not arbitrary; they are sthāne, fitting.
Stories
Rāma's Return to Ayodhyā
When Lord Rāma returned to Ayodhyā after fourteen years of exile and the slaying of Rāvaṇa (Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha-kāṇḍa 128–131), the city erupted in joy that was not a courtly gesture but a cosmic restoration. Birds sang, gardens bloomed unseasonably, the citizens wept and danced.
Arjuna's word sthāne in 11.36 — 'this is fitting' — names that quality of rejoicing. The world is not merely happy at Kṛṣṇa's glory; it is properly happy, the way the morning is properly bright.
कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन्
गरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे ।
अनन्तदेवेशजगन्निवास
त्वमक्षरं सदसत्तत्परं यत् ॥ ३७ ॥
kasmāc ca te na nameran mahātman
[kasmaach cha te na nameran mahaatman]
garīyase brahmaṇo ’py ādi-kartre
[gareeyase brahmano ’py aadi-kartre]
ananta deveśa jagan-nivāsa
[ananta devesha jagan-nivaasa]
tvam akṣaraṁ sad-asat tat paraṁ yat
[tvam aksharam sad-asat tat param yat]
Word-for-word
kasmāt—whyca—alsote—unto Youna—notnameran—they should offer proper obeisancesmahā - ātman—O great onegarīyase—who are betterbrahmaṇaḥ—than Brahmāapi—althoughādi - kartre—to the supreme creatorananta—O unlimiteddeva - īśa—O God of the godsjagat - nivāsa—O refuge of the universetvam—You areakṣaram—imperishablesat - asat—to cause and effecttat param—transcendentalyat—because .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kasmāc ca te na nameran mahātman
kasmāt
why
ca
also
te
unto You
na
not
nameran
they should offer proper obeisances
mahā - ātman
O great one
garīyase brahmaṇo ’py ādi-kartre
garīyase
who are better
brahmaṇaḥ
than Brahmā
api
although
ādi - kartre
to the supreme creator
ananta deveśa jagan-nivāsa
ananta
O unlimited
deva - īśa
O God of the gods
jagat - nivāsa
O refuge of the universe
tvam akṣaraṁ sad-asat tat paraṁ yat
tvam
You are
akṣaram
imperishable
sat - asat
to cause and effect
tat param
transcendental
yat
because .
Important Words
garīyase—to the greater
Dative of garīyas, comparative of guru. Arjuna applies the comparative directly: greater even than Brahmā. The Gītā's hierarchy is fixed by a single word.
brahmaṇaḥ—of/than Brahmā
Ablative of brahman. With api in the same line — 'than Brahmā even.' Brahmā is the highest creature any comparison could invoke; Kṛṣṇa is being placed above the highest case.
ādi - kartre—to the original creator
Dative compound: ādi (first) + kartṛ (doer). The first-doer, before whom no other doer. The dative tells us the obeisance flows to this address.
ananta—O unlimited
Vocative — the same word for the cosmic serpent and for the Lord's own quality. The Gītā prefers an-anta over abstract terms for infinity.
akṣaram—the imperishable
Accusative — repeated from 11.18. The verse returns to akṣara when it must name the absolute ground.
sat - asat—being and non-being
Dvandva: sat + asat. The dual pair that frames the manifest universe. The Lord is both and beyond both — tat-param, that which is higher.
O great one, greater even than Brahmā, You are the original creator. Why then should they not offer their respectful obeisances unto You? O limitless one, God of gods, refuge of the universe! You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The rhetorical 'why should they not bow?' presupposes universal submission — Arjuna asserts the propriety of cosmic worship by stacking the highest titles. The closing line lifts Kṛṣṇa above the sat/asat duality: not merely both, but transcending both.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Brahmaṇaḥ api ādi-kartre' makes Kṛṣṇa prior to brahman/Brahmā — answering 10.2 in stotra form. The closing tat-paraṁ-yat echoes Upaniṣadic apophasis (Kaṭha 1.3.11, 'mahato 'param avyaktam'). Arjuna's theology has caught up with what Kṛṣṇa has been declaring.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे महा-आत्मन्! हे अनन्त! हे देव-ईश! हे जगत्-निवास! ब्रह्मणः अपि गरीयसे आदि-कर्त्रे ते कस्मात् च न नमेरन्? त्वम् अक्षरं, सत् असत् च, यत् तत् परं — (तत् त्वम्) ।
he mahā-ātman! he ananta! he deva-īśa! he jagat-nivāsa! brahmaṇaḥ api garīyase ādi-kartre te kasmāt ca na nameran? tvam akṣaraṃ, sat asat ca, yat tat paraṃ — (tat tvam) |
O great Self, O infinite, O Lord of gods, O abode of the universe — why should they not bow to You, greater even than Brahmā, the original creator? You are the Imperishable, You are being and non-being, and You are that which is beyond them both.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
कस्मात् च ते न नमेरन् महा-आत्मन् गरीयसे ब्रह्मणः अपि आदि-कर्त्रे । अनन्त देव-ईश जगत्-निवास त्वम् अक्षरं सत्-असत् तत् परं यत् ॥
kasmāt ca te na nameran mahā-ātman garīyase brahmaṇaḥ api ādi-kartre | ananta deva-īśa jagat-nivāsa tvam akṣaraṃ sat-asat tat paraṃ yat ||
By this offering of obeisances, Arjuna indicates that Kṛṣṇa is worshipable by everyone. He is all-pervading, and He is the Soul of every soul. Arjuna is addressing Kṛṣṇa as mahātmā, which means that He is most magnanimous and unlimited. Ananta indicates that there is nothing which is not covered by the influence and energy of the Supreme Lord, and deveśa means that He is the controller of all demigods and is above them all. He is the shelter of the whole universe. Arjuna also thought that it was fitting that all the perfect living entities and powerful demigods offer their respectful obeisances unto Him, because no one is greater than Him. Arjuna especially mentions that Kṛṣṇa is greater than Brahmā because Brahmā is created by Him. Brahmā is born out of the lotus stem grown from the navel abdomen of Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, who is Kṛṣṇa’s plenary expansion; therefore Brahmā and Lord Śiva, who is born of Brahmā, and all other demigods must offer their respectful obeisances. It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that the Lord is respected by Lord Śiva and Brahmā and similar other demigods. The word akṣaram is very significant because this material creation is subject to destruction but the Lord is above this material creation. He is the cause of all causes, and being so, He is superior to all the conditioned souls within this material nature as well as the material cosmic manifestation itself. He is therefore the all-great Supreme.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
37. O great soul, why should they not offer respects to You, the first creator, greater than Brahmā? O infinite one, lord of the devas, abode of the universe, You are the Brahman, above cause and effect.
Commentary
Why should they not offer respects to You? Certainly, they should offer respects to You, for You are Brahman (akṣaram), above both cause and effect (sad-asat param)?
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
37. O great soul, why should they not offer respects to You, the first creator, greater than Brahmā? O infinite one, lord of the devas, abode of the universe, You are the jīva in bondage, prakṛti in its gross and subtle forms, and the jīva in liberation.
Commentary
Arjuna described how the Lord is the object of respect for all living entities. Now, in four verses he expounds the Lord’s pervasion of everything by being the soul of everything.
O Lord with generous mind (mahātman)! O Lord who pervades everything (ananta)! O controller of all devas (deveśa)! O shelter of everything (jagannivāsa)! For what reason (kasmāt) should the gathering of devotees not offer their respects? Certainly they should offer respects. Ātmanepadam (nameran for the self) is used instead of parasmaipadam (nameyuḥ for another person) as poetic license. They should offer respects to You who are even greater than Brahmā (garīyase), because You are the creator of all existing elements (ādi kartre). [Note: Brahmā does not create tattvas, but only combines their products.] These terms supply some of the many reasons in the rhetorical question “Why should they not respect You?” This is the literary device called samuccaya.
Akṣaram is the jīva in contact with prakṛti. Prakṛti has two forms gross and subtle, effect and cause (sat asat). What is superior to jīva which is mixed with prakṛti and prakṛti in its gross and subtle forms is the liberated jīva (tat param). You are all of these: jīva in māyā, prakṛti and the liberated jīva.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.37 Ca, and; since You are the Primal Creator, the Cause, api, even; brahmanah, of Brahma, of Hiranyagarbha; therefore, kasmat, why, for what reason; should they na nameran, not bow down; te, to You; mahatman, O exalted One; gariyase, who are greater (than all)! Hence, why should these not bow down adi-karte, to the first Creator? Therefore You are fit for, i.e. the fit object of, delight etc. and salutation as well.
Ananta, O infinite One; devesa, supreme God; jagannivasa, Abode of the Universe; tvam, You; are the aksaram, Immutable; tat param yat, that which is Transcendental, which is heard of in the Upanisads;-what is that?-sad-asat, being and nonbeing. Being is that which exists, and non-being is that with regard to which the idea of nonexistence arises. (You are) that Immutable of which these two-being and non-being-become the limiting adjuncts; which (Immutable), as a result, is metaphorically referred to as being and non-being. But in reality that Immutable is transcendental to being and non-being. 'That Immutable which the knowers of the Vedas declare' (8.11; cf. Ka. 1.2.15)-that is You Yourself, nothing else. This is the idea.
He praises again:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.37 O Mahatman, for what reason should Brahma and others not bow down to You, who are great and are the First Being and the Creator even of Brahma, namely, Hiranyagarbha?
O Infinite, O Lord of the gods, O You who have the universe for Your abode! You are the 'Aksara'. What does not perish, is the Aksara, here, the 'principle of individual self'; for the individual self does not perish as established in Sruti passages: 'The intelligent self is not born, nor dies' (Ka. U., 1.2.18). You alone are the 'existent and the non-existent,' the principle of Prakrti, in its condition as effect and in its condition as cause. This is denoted by the terms 'Sat' (existent) and 'Asat' (non-existent). You alone are the state of effect denoted by the term 'Sat', which is the state of diversification by names and forms, and also the state of cause, denoted by the tetm 'Asat', which is the state incapable of such divisions and diversities. 'What is beyond both' - what is beyond Prakrti and the individual self associated with the Prakrti, as also from the principle of liberated selves who are different from those associated with Prakrti, i.e., bound souls. You alone are that also.
Therefore:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.37 Kasmat etc. Existent (11.Sat) : i.e. as a purport of words (11.or as material object). Non-existent (11.Asat) : Because, the Absolute does not become an object of perception. Or Asat signifies negation; [in fact] it is also well connected with the words which denote it directly, or indicate it indirectly by denoting what contains it; it also enjoys a form (11.becomes an object) of knowledge (11.of its own); and [hence] is has no separate existence other than the existence of the Absolute Brahman ? (11.It is) beyond both the existent and non-existent : For, It is realised when the knowledge of both of them disappears. (11.38)
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.37 And why should they not, O great Soul, bow to Thee Who art greater (than all else), the primal cause even of the Creator (Brahma), O Infinite Being, O Lord of the gods, O Abode of the universe; Thou art the imperishable, the Being, the non-being and That which is the supreme (that which is beyond the Being and the non-being).
Commentary
11.37 कस्मात् why? च and? ते they? न not? नमेरन् may prostrate? महात्मन् O greatsouled One? गरीयसे greater? ब्रह्मणः of Brahma? अपि also? आदिकर्त्रे the primal cause? अनन्त O Infinite Being? देवेश O Lord of the gods? जगन्निवास O Abode of the universe? त्वम् Thou? अक्षरम् Imperishable? सत् the Being? असत् nonbeing? तत् That? परम् the Supreme? यत् which.Commentary The Lord is Mahatma. He is greater than all else. He is the imperishable. So He is the proper object of worship? love and delight.That which exists in the three periods of time is Sat. Brahman is Sat. That which does not exist in the three periods of time is Asat. This world is Asat. This body is Asat.The words Sat and Asat mean here the manifested and the unmanifested which form the adjuncts of the Akshara (imperishable). In reality the Akshara transcends both these. The word Akshara is applied in the Gita sometimes to the Unmanifest (Nature) and sometimes to the Supreme Being.Ananta is He Who is free from the three kinds of limitations (of time? space and thing) which have already been explained.Arjuna again praises the Lord thus
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.37 And why should they not bow down to You, O exalted [i.e. not narrow-minded.] One, who are greater (than all) and who are the first Creator even of Brahma! O infinite One, supreme God, Abode of the Universe, You are the Immutable,being and non-being, (and) that which is Transcendental.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.37 How should they do otherwise? O Thou Supremest Self, greater than the Powers of creation, the First Cause, Infinite, the Lord of Lords, the Home of the universe, Imperishable, Being and Not-Being, yet transcending both.
Why should they not bow to You, the original creator, even greater than Brahmā? You are the eternal — being, non-being, and what is beyond.
Practical Applications
Recognize Kṛṣṇa as greater than Brahmā — the cosmic father.
Don't reduce Him in cosmic hierarchy.
Use proper hierarchy in prayer.
Reflection Questions
Where in my mental model is Kṛṣṇa not at the top?
What restores His place?
Analogy
When the headmaster enters the classroom, the visiting officials and even the senior teachers rise — not because they fear him but because the order of the room calls for it. So Brahmā himself, the senior teacher of the universe, rises in obeisance; Arjuna's question 'why should they not?' is rhetorical because the answer is obvious to any properly oriented mind.
Stories
Brahmā's Prayers to Kṛṣṇa in Vraja
After his theft of the calves and cowherd boys had been answered by Kṛṣṇa's multiplying Himself into all of them (SB 10.13–14), Brahmā composed the famous Brahmā-stuti — verses recognising Kṛṣṇa as the source even of Brahmā himself. He acknowledged that he, the so-called creator, was only a function of Kṛṣṇa's līlā.
Arjuna's verse in 11.37 — kasmāc ca te na nameran mahātman, garīyase brahmaṇo 'pi — is the conceptual sibling of Brahmā's stuti. Why would the deva not bow? Even the creator bows.
tvam—Youādi - devaḥ—the original Supreme Godpuruṣaḥ—personalitypurāṇaḥ—oldtvam—Youasya—of thisviśvasya—universeparam—transcendentalnidhānam—refugevettā—the knowerasi—You arevedyam—the knowableca—andparam—transcendentalca—anddhāma—refugetvayā—by Youtatam—pervadedviśvam—the universeananta - rūpa—O unlimited form .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇas
tvam
You
ādi - devaḥ
the original Supreme God
puruṣaḥ
personality
purāṇaḥ
old
tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
tvam
You
asya
of this
viśvasya
universe
param
transcendental
nidhānam
refuge
vettāsi vedyaṁ ca paraṁ ca dhāma
vettā
the knower
asi
You are
vedyam
the knowable
ca
and
param
transcendental
ca
and
dhāma
refuge
tvayā tataṁ viśvam ananta-rūpa
tvayā
by You
tatam
pervaded
viśvam
the universe
ananta - rūpa
O unlimited form .
Important Words
ādi - devaḥ—original God
Compound: ādi (first) + deva (god). The first god — meaning no deva before, and all devas after. The same title used in Viṣṇu-sahasra-nāma.
puruṣaḥ—the Person
Nominative. Even now, in the midst of cosmic vision, Arjuna's noun for the Lord is puruṣa — Person, not principle. The Gītā never lapses into the impersonal.
purāṇaḥ—the ancient one
Adjective from purā — 'long ago.' The same root behind the genre called Purāṇa. The Lord is purāṇa not by being old-fashioned but by being prior to all that has ever been.
vedyam—the knowable
Future passive participle of vid — that which ought to be known. Paired in the verse with vettā (the knower): the Lord is simultaneously the one to be known and the one who knows.
dhāma—abode, refuge
Neuter noun — the high resting-place. Used in the Veda for the Lord's own residence; here Arjuna names the Lord Himself as the dhāma, not a place He inhabits.
tatam—pervaded
Past participle of tan, 'to stretch.' The universe is stretched-through by the Lord — the verb behind tantra. Pervasion is described as a continuous taut weaving.
You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You!
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna identifies Kṛṣṇa with the Vedic ādi-deva and the Upaniṣadic puruṣa-purāṇa, then collapses the knower/known split into Him. The vocative 'ananta-rūpa' marks the gap between Kṛṣṇa's two-armed form he has always known and the infinity now before him.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Echoes BG 8.9 ('purāṇam anuśāsitāram') and 9.17-18 ('pitāham asya jagataḥ'). 'Vettā/vedyaṁ/paraṁ dhāma' is the kṣetrajña-kṣetra synthesis later developed in ch. 13. 'Tvayā tataṁ viśvam' restates 9.4's 'mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam' — the chapter's vision confirms what ch. 9 declared.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे अनन्त-रूप! त्वम् आदि-देवः, पुराणः पुरुषः; त्वम् अस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम्; (त्वं) वेत्ता असि, वेद्यं च (असि), परं च धाम (असि); त्वया विश्वं ततम् ।
he ananta-rūpa! tvam ādi-devaḥ, purāṇaḥ puruṣaḥ; tvam asya viśvasya paraṃ nidhānam; (tvaṃ) vettā asi, vedyaṃ ca (asi), paraṃ ca dhāma (asi); tvayā viśvaṃ tatam |
You are the original Divinity, the ancient Person; You are the ultimate resting-place of this universe. You are the knower, the knowable, and the supreme abode; by You this universe is pervaded, O infinite-form.
Everything is resting on the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore He is the ultimate rest. Nidhānam means that everything, even the Brahman effulgence, rests on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He is the knower of everything that is happening in this world, and if knowledge has any end, He is the end of all knowledge; therefore He is the known and the knowable. He is the object of knowledge because He is all-pervading. Because He is the cause in the spiritual world, He is transcendental. He is also the chief personality in the transcendental world.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
38. You are the original deva , the oldest person, the final place for the universe after destruction. You are the knower, the object of knowledge, the transcendental form. O infinite form! You pervade this whole universe.
Commentary
Nidhānam means the place of merging at the time of destruction. Paraṁ dhāma means the transcendental form of the Lord beyond the guṇas.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
38. You are the original deva, the oldest person, the shelter of the universe. You are the knower and the object of knowledge, the supreme abode. O infinite form! You pervade this whole universe.
Commentary
You are the supreme shelter (nidhānam) of the universe. Nidhānam means that in which things are placed. You alone are the knower in this universe and You alone are to be known by all within the universe. How is this? Because You spread throughout this universe by Your power of pervasion (tvayā tatam viśvam), [Note: Thus you know everything in the universe.] and You alone are also the spiritual world to be attained (param dhāma), since the spiritual world exists by the influence of Your superior energy.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.38 You are the adi-devah, primal Deity, because of being the creator of the Universe; the puranah, ancient, eternal; purusah, Person-(derived) in the sense of 'staying in the town (pura) that is the body'. You verily are the param, suprem; nidhanam, Resort, in which this entire Universe comes to rest at the time of final dissolution etc. Besides, You are the vetta, knower of all things to be known. You are also the vedyam, object of knowledge-that which is fit to be known; and the param, supreme; dhama, Abode, the supreme State of Visnu. Anantarupa, O You of infinite forms, who have no limit to Your own forms; the entire visvam, Universe; tatam, is pervaded; tvaya, by You.
Further,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.38 You alone are all the knowers and all that must be known. You alone, abiding thus as the Self of all, are the 'Dhaman' (abode), namely, the goal to be attained. By You, O infinite of form, is the universe pervaded. By You the universe, composed of conscient beings and non-conscient matter, is 'Tatam', pervaded. You are the Primal God, the Ancient Person. You are the supreme resting place of the universe. The meaning is that You are the supreme foundation of the universe which constitutes Your body, as You are its Self. [It is to be noted how Ramanuja derives here the meaning of 'individual self' for the word Aksara, which helps him to explain 'Kutasth'oksara ucchyate' in 15.16]
Arjuna says: 'Therefore You alone are expressed by the terms Vayu etc.'
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.38 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.38 Thou art the primal God, the ancient Purusha, the supreme refuge of this universe, the knower, the knowable and the supreme Abode. By Thee is the universe pervaded, O Being of infinite forms.
Commentary
11.38 त्वम् Thou? आदिदेवः the primal God? पुरुषः Purusha? पुराणः the ancient? त्वम् Thou? अस्य of (this)? विश्वस्य of Universe? परम् the Supreme? निधानम् Refuge? वेत्ता Knower? असि (Thou) art? वेद्यम् to be known? च and? परम् the Supreme? च and? धाम abode? त्वया by Thee? ततम् is pervaded? विश्वम् the Universe? अनन्तरूप O Being of infinite forms.Commentary Primal God? because the Lord is the creator of the universe.Purusha? because the Lord lies in the body (Puri Sayanat).Nidhaanam That in which the world rests during the great deluge or cosmic dissolution.The pot comes out of the clay and gets merged in clay. Even so the world has come out of the Lord and gets dissolved or involved in the Lord. So the Lord is the material cause of the world. Therefore? He is the primal God and the supreme refuge also.Vetta Knower of the knowable things. As the Lord is omniscient? He knows all about the world? and He is the instrumental or the efficient cause of this world.Param Dhama Supreme Abode of Vishnu. Just as the rope (the substratum for the superimposed snake) pervades the snake? so also Brahman or Vishnu through His Nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute pervades the whole universe.Moreover --
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.38 You are the primal Deity, the ancient Person; You are the supreme Resort of this world. You are the knower as also the object of knowledge, and the supreme Abode. O You of infinite forms, the Universe is pervaded by You!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.38 Thou art the Primal God, the Ancient, the Supreme Abode of this universe, the Knower, the Knowledge and the Final Home. Thou fillest everything. Thy form is infinite.
You are the original Lord, the ancient person, the Supreme — the knower and the known; the highest abode; You pervade all.
Practical Applications
Cultivate the language: original, ancient, Supreme.
Use these terms as prayer-anchors.
Don't substitute generic God-language.
Reflection Questions
What specific terms do I use in prayer?
Are they sufficient or generic?
Analogy
A single tree is the sapling, the trunk, the canopy, the fruit — all at once, depending on where in time you stand. The Lord, Arjuna names, is the ādi-deva (sapling), the purāṇa (ancient trunk), the dhāma (the canopy under which all rest), and the vedyam (the fruit to be known).
Stories
Dhruva's Vision of the Eternal Person
When the boy Dhruva, after months of austerity in the forest of Madhuvana (SB 4.8–9), at last beheld the Lord, he recognised Him as the original Person — ādi-puruṣa — and addressed Him with a hymn echoing this verse: oldest of beings, knower and the knowable, ultimate refuge.
Arjuna's words in 11.38 — tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ — could be lifted from Dhruva's stuti. Two devotees in different settings reach for the same vocabulary because they have met the same Person.
vāyuḥ—airyamaḥ—the controlleragniḥ—firevaruṇaḥ—waterśaśa - aṅkaḥ—the moonprajāpatiḥ—Brahmātvam—Youprapitāmahaḥ—the great-grandfatherca—alsonamaḥ—my respectsnamaḥ—again my respectste—unto Youastu—let there besahasra - kṛtvaḥ—a thousand timespunaḥ ca—and againbhūyaḥ—againapi—alsonamaḥ—offering my respectsnamaḥ te—offering my respects unto You .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vāyur yamo ’gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ
vāyuḥ
air
yamaḥ
the controller
agniḥ
fire
varuṇaḥ
water
śaśa - aṅkaḥ
the moon
prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca
prajāpatiḥ
Brahmā
tvam
You
prapitāmahaḥ
the great-grandfather
ca
also
namo namas te ’stu sahasra-kṛtvaḥ
namaḥ
my respects
namaḥ
again my respects
te
unto You
astu
let there be
sahasra - kṛtvaḥ
a thousand times
punaś ca bhūyo ’pi namo namas te
punaḥ ca
and again
bhūyaḥ
again
api
also
namaḥ
offering my respects
namaḥ te
offering my respects unto You .
Important Words
vāyuḥ—the wind-god
Nominative. The deity Arjuna's own elder kinsman Bhīma was begotten of. Arjuna names a familiar relative as the Lord — even the most intimate cosmic ancestor is Kṛṣṇa.
yamaḥ—the lord of death
Nominative. Yama, the dharma-rāja, the deity to whom Yudhiṣṭhira is owed his birth. Even the death-judge is named as Kṛṣṇa, which folds back into the kāla-asmi of 11.32.
agniḥ—fire
Nominative. The deva who carries oblations to the gods. By identifying Kṛṣṇa with Agni, Arjuna identifies Him with the very medium of all sacrifice.
varuṇaḥ—the lord of waters
Nominative. The deity of cosmic ṛta and of the oceanic vault. By naming Varuṇa, Arjuna acknowledges Kṛṣṇa as guardian of order itself.
prapitāmahaḥ—the great-grandfather
Nominative — pra (beyond) + pitāmaha (grandfather). The grandfather of the grandfather. Arjuna places Kṛṣṇa not just at the head of one genealogy but two steps further back.
sahasra - kṛtvaḥ—a thousand times
Adverbial compound — 'a thousand-fold.' The number does not measure; it abandons measure. Arjuna offers obeisance more times than he can count and asks to keep offering.
You are air, and You are the supreme controller! You are fire, You are water, and You are the moon! You are Brahmā, the first living creature, and You are the great-grandfather. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again!
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna identifies Kṛṣṇa with the principal Vedic devatās — air, death, fire, water, moon, primal progenitor, even great-grandfather (Brahmā's father). The doubled-and-redoubled 'namo namaḥ' enacts overflow: words cannot keep up with the reverence.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Compresses the vibhūti-catalog of ch. 10 into a single identification. 'Prapitāmaha' relativizes Brahmā (who is 'pitāmaha' of the world) below Kṛṣṇa. The rhetorical reduplication is a stotra-convention; rasa-theory calls this 'puruṣārtha-stuti' — praise so overwhelmed it loops.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
त्वं वायुः, यमः, अग्निः, वरुणः, शशाङ्कः, प्रजा-पतिः, प्र-पितामहः च; ते सहस्र-कृत्वः नमः नमः अस्तु; पुनः च भूयः अपि ते नमः नमः ।
tvaṃ vāyuḥ, yamaḥ, agniḥ, varuṇaḥ, śaśāṅkaḥ, prajā-patiḥ, pra-pitāmahaḥ ca; te sahasra-kṛtvaḥ namaḥ namaḥ astu; punaḥ ca bhūyaḥ api te namaḥ namaḥ |
You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the Moon, Prajāpati, and the great-grandfather. May there be salutation, salutation to You — a thousandfold; and again and yet again, salutation, salutation to You.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
वायुः यमः अग्निः वरुणः शशाङ्कः प्रजा-पतिः त्वं प्र-पितामहः च । नमः नमः ते अस्तु सहस्र-कृत्वः पुनः च भूयः अपि नमः नमः ते ॥
vāyuḥ yamaḥ agniḥ varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ prajā-patiḥ tvaṃ pra-pitāmahaḥ ca | namaḥ namaḥ te astu sahasra-kṛtvaḥ punaḥ ca bhūyaḥ api namaḥ namaḥ te ||
The Lord is addressed here as air because the air is the most important representation of all the demigods, being all-pervasive. Arjuna also addresses Kṛṣṇa as the great-grandfather because He is the father of Brahmā, the first living creature in the universe.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
39. You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the moon, Prajāpati, and the great grandfather. I offer respects to You a thousand times, and again I offer respects to You.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
39. You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the moon, Brahmā, and the father of Brahmā. I offer respects to You a thousand times, and again I offer respects to You.
Commentary
All words describe only You. You are all devatās, represented by the list from Vāyu to the moon god. You are Brahmā (prajāpati). Brahmā is the grandfather and You are his father, so you are the great grandfather. All these forms are You, since You are spread out in Vāyu and others by being their cause, since you are the possessor of spiritual and material energies. You are like gold spread in bangles and other objects made of gold. Since You are worthy of respect by all, I offer respects to You. A thousand times I offer respects to You, and again I offer respects to You.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna in so much reverence by seeing this universal form, wants to offer Krsna something. But Krsna is everything, so he can't find anything to offer Him. So he chooses to offer Krsna his respectful obeisances.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.39 You are vayuh, Air; yamah, Death; and agnih, Fire; varunah, the god of the waters; sasankah, the moon; prajapatih, the Lord of the creatures- Kasyapa and others [See note on p.2.-Tr.]; and pra-pitamahah, the Great-grandfather, i.e. the Father ever of Brahma (Hiranyagarbha). Namo, salutations; namah, salutation; astu, be; te, to You; sahasra-krtvah, a thousand times. Punah ca bhuyah api namo te, salutation to You again and again; namah, salutation!
The suffix krtvasuc (after sahasra) indicates performance and repetition of the act of salutation a number of times. The words punah ca bhuyah api (again and again) indicate his own dissatisfaction [Dissatisfaction with only a few salutations.] owing to abundance of reverence and devotion.
So also,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.39 You alone are the great-grandsire of all and also grandfather etc. The Prajapatis are the fathers of all creatures. Hiranyagarbha (Brahma), the father of the Prajapatis, is the grandsire of all creatures. You, being the father of even Hiranyagarbha, are great grandfather of all creatures. You alone are denoted by the several terms by which these beings are known. Such is the meaning.
Beholding the Lord in a most marvellous form, Arjuna, bent with great awe, saluted Him from all sides with his eyes widely open from joy.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.39 See comment under 11.40.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.39 Thou art Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, the Creator, and the great-grandfather. Salutations, salutations unto Thee, a thousand times, and again salutations, salutations unto Thee.
Commentary
11.39 वायुः Vayu? यमः Yama? अग्निः Agni? वरुणः Varuna? शशाङ्कः moon? प्रजापतिः Prajapati? त्वम् Thou? प्रपितामहः greatgrandfather? च and? नमःनमः salutations? ते to Thee? अस्तु be? सहस्रकृत्वः thousand times? पुनः again? च and? भूयः again? अपि also ? नमःनमः salutations? ते to Thee.Commentary Prajapati Marichi and others were the seven mindborn sons of Brahma. Kasyapa descended from Marichi and from Kasyapa came all other progeny. Therefore? Marichi? Kasyapa and others are known as Prajapatis or the gods or progeny. The word Prajapati here is interpreted by some as Kasyapa and other Prajapatis. But as the word has been used here in the singular number it is appropriate to take Brahma as Prajapati. Brahma is the grandfather (Pitamaha) of Kasyapa. Brahma or the Hiranyagarbha is the Karya Brahman (effect). Isvara is the Karana Brahman (the cause for Brahma). Therefore? Isvara is the greatgrandfather. He is the father of,even Brahma.Isvara has Maya as the limiting adjunct. Maya is His causal body. Isvara has no plane. Maya is in an undifferentiated state. She is in a state where the alities of Nature (Gunas) are in eilibrium. When the eilibrium is disturbed through the will of Isvara? the three Gunas? Brahma? Vishnu and Siva manifest.Thou art the moon alludes to and includes the sun also.Punah? Bhuyah Again. Salutations a thousand times and again salutations. This indicates that Arjuna had intense faith in and boundless devotion for Lord Krishna. He was not satisfied even if he prostrated himself a thousand times.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.39 You are Air, Death, Fire, the god of the waters, the moon, the Lord of the creatures, and the Greater-grandfather. Salutations! Salutation be to You a thousand times; salutation to You again and again! Salutation!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.39 Thou art the Wind, Thou art Death, Thou art the Fire, the Water, the Moon, the Father and the Grandfather. Honour and glory to Thee a thousand and a thousand times! Again and again, salutation be to Thee, O my Lord!
His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami· 1989-11-19· English
Personal Guidance
You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the moon, Brahmā, the great-grandfather — obeisances a thousand times, again and again.
Practical Applications
Multiply your obeisances; once is not enough.
Use prostration as bodily prayer.
Repeat as Arjuna does.
Reflection Questions
When was my last full prostration?
What does the body know that the mind doesn't?
Analogy
Tour a city long enough and you discover that the water-bearer, the watchman, the gardener, and the silver-haired grandfather of the household are all the same person seen in different roles. Arjuna says: every cosmic functionary I have ever offered oblation to — Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, Candra, Brahmā — is You.
नम: पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते
नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व ।
अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं
सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्व: ॥ ४० ॥
namaḥ purastād atha pṛṣṭhatas te
[namah purastaad atha prishthatas te]
namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva
[namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva]
ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ
[ananta-veeryaamita-vikramas tvam]
sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi tato ’si sarvaḥ
[sarvam samaapnoshi tato ’si sarvah]
Word-for-word
namaḥ—offering obeisancespurastāt—from the frontatha—alsopṛṣṭhataḥ—from behindte—unto Younamaḥ astu—I offer my respectste—unto Yousarvataḥ—from all sideseva—indeedsarva—because You are everythingananta - vīrya—unlimited potencyamita - vikramaḥ—and unlimited forcetvam—Yousarvam—everythingsamāpnoṣi—You covertataḥ—thereforeasi—You aresarvaḥ—everything .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
namaḥ purastād atha pṛṣṭhatas te
namaḥ
offering obeisances
purastāt
from the front
atha
also
pṛṣṭhataḥ
from behind
te
unto You
namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva
namaḥ astu
I offer my respects
te
unto You
sarvataḥ
from all sides
eva
indeed
sarva
because You are everything
ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ
ananta - vīrya
unlimited potency
amita - vikramaḥ
and unlimited force
tvam
You
sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi tato ’si sarvaḥ
sarvam
everything
samāpnoṣi
You cover
tataḥ
therefore
asi
You are
sarvaḥ
everything .
Important Words
purastāt—from the front
Adverb — 'in front.' The first direction of Arjuna's bow. Forward is the warrior's natural orientation; he begins his prostration there.
pṛṣṭhataḥ—from behind
Adverb — 'from the rear.' Arjuna cannot turn his back even there — He is behind too. The blind side of ordinary life is closed.
sarvataḥ—from all sides
Adverb — 'in every direction.' Once front and back are claimed, the rest follows. The grammar enumerates and then totals.
ananta - vīrya—O unlimited prowess
Vocative compound: an-anta + vīrya. The same vīrya named in 11.19. Repetition concentrates the title at the verse of total obeisance.
amita - vikramaḥ—of immeasurable might
Compound: a-mita (not-measured) + vikrama (heroic stride). Vikrama recalls Vāmana's strides; Arjuna names the Lord by the very category that 11.20 described as filling heaven and earth.
samāpnoṣi—You completely pervade
Second-person singular present of sam-āp, 'to reach completely.' The verb of cosmic completion: nothing is left over, nothing is unreached.
Obeisances to You from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything!
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The salutation completes itself geometrically — front, back, every side — because the form has no privileged orientation. The final logic 'sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi, tato 'si sarvaḥ' grounds Kṛṣṇa's identity-with-all in His pervasion-of-all.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Echoes BG 9.4's 'mayā tatam idam' and 7.7's 'mattaḥ parataraṁ nāñyat.' The vocative 'sarva' (O All) is daring — addressing the personal Lord directly as 'the everything.' The reasoning ataḥ asi sarvaḥ ('therefore You are all') is a one-line metaphysical argument condensed into a stotra-pāda.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे सर्व! पुरस्तात् अथ पृष्ठतः ते नमः; सर्वतः एव ते नमः अस्तु; त्वम् अनन्त-वीर्य-अमित-विक्रमः; (त्वं) सर्वं समाप्नोषि, ततः सर्वः असि ।
he sarva! purastāt atha pṛṣṭhataḥ te namaḥ; sarvataḥ eva te namaḥ astu; tvam ananta-vīrya-amita-vikramaḥ; (tvaṃ) sarvaṃ samāpnoṣi, tataḥ sarvaḥ asi |
O All! Salutation to You from the front, and from behind; let there be salutation to You from every side. You are of infinite power and immeasurable might; You pervade everything, therefore You are everything.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
नमः पुरस्तात् अथ पृष्ठतः ते नमः अस्तु ते सर्वतः एव सर्व । अनन्त-वीर्य-अमित-विक्रमः त्वं सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततः असि सर्वः ॥
namaḥ purastāt atha pṛṣṭhataḥ te namaḥ astu te sarvataḥ eva sarva | ananta-vīrya-amita-vikramaḥ tvaṃ sarvaṃ samāpnoṣi tataḥ asi sarvaḥ ||
√अस् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
You are
सर्वः
sarvaḥ
सर्व (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m.
all, the All
Purport
Out of loving ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa, his friend, Arjuna is offering his respects from all sides. He is accepting that He is the master of all potencies and all prowess and far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield. It is said in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.9.69): yo ’yaṁ tavāgato deva samīpaṁ devatā-gaṇaḥ sa tvam eva jagat-sraṣṭā yataḥ sarva-gato bhavān “Whoever comes before You, even if he be a demigod, is created by You, O Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
40. I offer respects from the back, from the front, from all sides, O person who is everything! You have infinite power, with immeasurable skill. You pervade everywhere, and therefore You are everything.
41-42. I beg pardon from You, not knowing this greatness of Yours, and through want of consideration or through affection, looking upon You, the immeasurable, as a friend, for whatever I have said rudely, such as addressing You “O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O friend”, and for whatever disrespect I have shown to You in fun, while playing, lying, sitting together or dining, whether alone or in the company of others.
Commentary
You pervade all of this universe (sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi), since it is Your product, like gold in earrings and bracelets. Thus You are everything.
“O, I have committed the greatest offense to You, who are filled with such great, great powers.” In this way, Arjuna manifests great regret.
“O Kṛṣṇa (he kṛṣṇa), You are well known as the son of Vasudeva who is not famous, who was a human, a mediocre fighter situated on the same chariot as another fighter (ardha ratha). I, Arjuna, am well known as the son of a king, Pāṇḍu, a great warrior fighting on his own chariot (atiratha). [Note: This is the implication of Arjuna calling out “Kṛṣṇa.” Each of the three names of address implies that Kṛṣṇa is in a low position, not suitable in addressing the Supreme Lord.] O Yādava (he yādava), You do not have the king’s position in the Yadu dynasty. But I have kingship over the Puru dynasty. (The sandhi of sakha with iti is poetic license) O friend (he sakha), my friendship with You is not because of the greatness of Your forefathers nor because of the reputation of Your family, but it is simply based on familiarity. I beg pardon for such rough words (prasabham) I have spoken, for intending the above meanings.” The sense of verse 41 is continued in verse 42 with the verb kṣamaye. The proper form of the verb would be kṣamayām (I should beg for forgiveness).
Either through negligence or out of affection, not knowing You as the universal form (mahimānam), I have treated You badly during leisure and other times, in order to joke. I have scolded You with sarcastic words saying that You are truthful, innocent, and very gullible. I beg forgiveness for the thousands of offenses produced when You were alone, not in the presence of friends, or when You were surrounded by friends who were joking (tat samakṣam). O master, I beg You to forgive me (kṣamaye).
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
40. I offer respects in the back, in the front, on all sides, O person who is everything! You have infinite power and immeasurable skill. You pervade everywhere, and therefore You are everything.
41-42. I beg pardon from you, not knowing Your greatness, and through want of consideration or through affection, looking upon You, the immeasurable, as a friend, for whatever I have said rudely, such as addressing You “O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O friend”, and for whatever disrespect I have shown to You in fun, while playing, lying, sitting together or dining, whether alone or in the company of others.
Commentary
Out of great devotion, not knowing how much could ever be sufficient, Arjuna offers repeated obeisances. O everything (sarva)! I offer respects to You who are situated in the back, in the front, everywhere (sarvataḥ). You have unlimited physical strength (vīṛya) and immeasurable mental strength (amita vikrama) so that You are expert in applying scriptures. (The compound is grammatically called karma-dhāraya.) This indicates that others have only single powers: some like Bhīma have extreme physical strength, and others like Duryodhana have extreme intelligence for learning. Arjuna then tells the cause of Kṛṣṇa being all forms. You reach everything (sarvam samāpnosi). Therefore You are everything. Viṣṇu Purāṇa confirms this:
yo’yaṁ tavāgato deva samīpaṁ devatā-gaṇaḥ
sa tvam eva jagat-sraṣṭā yataḥ sarva-gato bhavān
O Lord, the devatās who approach You are indeed You, the creator of the universe, because You are everywhere. Viṣṇu Purāṇa1.9.70
Bg 11.41, Bg 11.42, Bg 11.41-42
Sa%eiTa MaTva Pa[Sa>a& Yadu¢&- he k*-Z<a he Yaadv he Sa%eiTa )
AJaaNaTaa MaihMaaNa& Taved& MaYaa Pa[MaadaTPa[<aYaeNa vaiPa )) 41 ))
YaṀavhaSaaQaRMaSaTk*-Taae_iSa ivharXaYYaaSaNa>aaeJaNaezu )
Wk-ae_QavaPYaCYauTa TaTSaMa+a& TaT+aaMaYae TvaMahMaPa[MaeYaMa( )) 42 ))
sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
yac cāvahāsārtham asat-kṛto 'si
vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu
eko 'tha vāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ
tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam
sakhā—friend; iti—thus; matvā—thinking; prasabham—presumptuously; yat—whatever; uktam—said; he kṛṣṇa—O Kṛṣṇa; he yādava—O Yādava; he sakhe—O my dear friend; iti—thus; ajānatā—without knowing; mahimānam—glories; tava—Your; idam—this; mayā—by me; pramādāt—out of foolishness; praṇayena—out of love; vā api—either; yat—whatever; ca—also; avahāsa-artham—for joking; asat-kṛtaḥ—dishonored; asi—You have been; vihāra—in relaxation; śayyā—in lying down; āsana—in sitting; bhojaneṣu—or while eating together; ekaḥ—alone; atha vā—or; api—also; acyuta—O infallible one; tat-samakṣam—among companions; tat—all those; kṣāmaye—ask forgiveness; tvām—from You; aham—I; aprameyam—immeasurable.
Seeing his friend Kṛṣṇa with a thousand heads, having praising Him and offering respects to Him, Arjuna now shows suitable reverential courtesy in two verses, out of friendship mixed with knowledge of Him as the Lord.
Thinking that You, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, were only my friend, not realizing (ajānatā) Your greatness as the universal form with a thousand heads, I would suddenly speak to You carelessly, not respectfully (pramādāt) or out of affection as a friend (praṇayena). Now I beg forgiveness for that. “What would you say?” I would say, “O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O friend!”
The elision of words in sakheti is for metrical reasons. Addressing the Lord with these names shows lack of respect. Addressing Kṛṣṇa without the prefix Śrī is disrespectful. He should address Him as “Ṣrī Kṛṣṇa.” Addressing Him as Yādava is disrespectful because he does not announce Kṛṣṇa’s kingly position in that family. (He should address Him with such terms as “best of the Yadus.”) Addressing Him as “friend” is disrespectful, because he treats the Lord as his equal. Moreover, while playing, resting, sitting or eating, for joking, I have treated you disrespectfully. You are truthful and straightforward, but by suggestive words I have insulted You, either while alone or in the presence of other joking friends (tat samakṣam). Please forgive all that I said, or treatment I gave You, which produced offense, O Lord. In this way I entreat You, O Acyuta, who remains a friend unfailingly, even undergoing offense by me! That is possible because You have inconceivable power (aprameyam).
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.40 Namah, salutation to You; purastat, in the East; atha, and; even prsthatah, behind. Salutation be sarvatah, on all sides; eva, indeed; te, to You who exist everywhere; sarva, O All! Tvam, You; are ananta-virya-amita-vikramah, possessed of infinite strength and infinite heroism. virya is strength, and vikramah is heroism. Someone though possessing strength for the use of weapons etc. [Ast. reads 'satru-vadha-visaye, in the matter of killing an enemy'.-Tr.] may lack heroism or have little heroism. But You are possessed of infinite strength and infinite heroism.
Samapnosi, You pervade, interpenetrate; sarvam, everything, the whole Universe, by Your single Self. Tatah, hence; asi, You are; sarvah, All, i.e., no entity exists without You.
'Since I am guilty of not knowing Your greatness, therefore,'-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.40 You, of infinite prowess and measureless heroic action, pervade all beings as their very Self and therefore, are, in reality all of them. Terms, naming all other entities, are truly naming You; for they, both sentient as well as non-sentient, constitute Your body, and as such are just Your modes. Therefore You alone, having them all as Your modes, are signified by all terms standing for them. In the texts, 'O by You of infinite form, is the cosmos pervaded' (11.38) and 'You pervade all, and hence are all' (11.40), it is clearly stated that the pervasion as the Self is the only rationale for speaking of them as one with You, in the sense of co-ordinate predication as in the text, 'You are the imperishable and also being and non-being' (11.37) and 'You are Vayu, Yama and Agni' (11.39).
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.39-40 Namo namah etc. Salutation and salutation : This repetition reveals the intensity of the devotion. What has been taught by the past chapters by the Bhagavat regarding His own intrinsic nature, Arjuna - witnessing the same by perception - declares it openly by way of devotional hymn. Hence, to comment on the hymn would symply amount to the repetition [of what has already been said by us]. Hence, let me (11.Ag.) abstain [from commenting on it].
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.40 Salutations to Thee, in front and behind! Salutations to Thee on every side! O All!! Thou infinite in power and prowess, pervadest all; wherefore Thou art all.
Commentary
11.40 नमः salutation? पुरस्तात् (from) front? अथ also? पृष्ठतः (from) behind? ते to Thee? नमः salutation? अस्तु be? ते to Thee? सर्वतः on every side? एव even? सर्व O all? अनन्तवीर्य infinite power? अमितविक्रमः infinite in prowess? त्वम् Thou? सर्वम् all? समाप्नोषि pervadest? ततः wherefore? असि (Thou) art? सर्वः all.Commentary The words I prostrate myself before Thee? behind Thee and on every side indicate the allpervading nature of the Lord. How can the allpervading Self have front and back Finite objects only have front and back sides Arjuna imagined that there were front and back sides to the Lord and so prostrated himself in his extreme faith and devotion.O All Nothing exists without Thee. As the Self is allpervading? He is called the All. There is nothing except the Self.On every side? as Thou art present everywhere or in all arters.One may be powerful but may not possess the courage to kill the enemies or he may be endowed with a mild form of courge but the Lord is infinite in courage and infinite in power.Pervadest by Thy One Self.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.40 Salutation to You in the East and behind. Salutation be to You on all sides in deed, O All! You are possessed of infinite strength and infinite heroism. You pervade everything; hence You are all!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.40 Salutations to Thee in front and on every side, Thou who encompasseth me round about. Thy power is infinite; Thy majesty immeasurable; thou upholdest all things; yea,Thou Thyself art All.
His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami· 2012-03-11· English
Personal Guidance
Obeisances from in front, behind, all sides — You are the All; You are everything.
Practical Applications
Develop 360-degree reverence — Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.
Bow not just toward an icon but in all directions internally.
Practice all-sided respect.
Reflection Questions
From which side do I most often forget Him?
What practice would restore the surround?
Analogy
Imagine standing at the centre of a sphere and bowing — there is no direction that is not 'toward.' Arjuna's obeisance in this verse has lost its directionality because the Lord has filled every direction; bowing forward, backward, and to every side, he ratifies what he has finally seen.
sakhā—frienditi—thusmatvā—thinkingprasabham—presumptuouslyyat—whateveruktam—saidhe kṛṣṇa—O Kṛṣṇahe yādava—O Yādavahe sakhe—O my dear frienditi—thusajānatā—without knowingmahimānam—gloriestava—Youridam—thismayā—by mepramādāt—out of foolishnesspraṇayena—out of lovevā api—eitheryat—whateverca—alsoavahāsa - artham—for jokingasat - kṛtaḥ—dishonoredasi—You have beenvihāra—in relaxationśayyā—in lying downāsana—in sittingbhojaneṣu—or while eating togetherekaḥ—aloneatha vā—orapi—alsoacyuta—O infallible onetat - samakṣam—among companionstat—all thosekṣāmaye—ask forgivenesstvām—from Youaham—Iaprameyam—immeasurable .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
sakhā
friend
iti
thus
matvā
thinking
prasabham
presumptuously
yat
whatever
uktam
said
he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
he kṛṣṇa
O Kṛṣṇa
he yādava
O Yādava
he sakhe
O my dear friend
iti
thus
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
ajānatā
without knowing
mahimānam
glories
tava
Your
idam
this
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
mayā
by me
pramādāt
out of foolishness
praṇayena
out of love
vā api
either
yac cāvahāsārtham asat-kṛto ’si
yat
whatever
ca
also
avahāsa - artham
for joking
asat - kṛtaḥ
dishonored
vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu
asi
You have been
vihāra
in relaxation
śayyā
in lying down
āsana
in sitting
bhojaneṣu
or while eating together
eko ’tha vāpy acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ
ekaḥ
alone
atha vā
or
tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam
api
also
acyuta
O infallible one
tat - samakṣam
among companions
tat
all those
kṣāmaye
ask forgiveness
tvām
from You
aham
I
aprameyam
immeasurable .
Important Words
sakhā—friend
Nominative. Arjuna confesses the very category through which he had related to Kṛṣṇa — sakhā, friend. The Gītā does not condemn friendship with Kṛṣṇa; it confesses friendship that did not know whom it befriended.
matvā—having thought
Gerund of man. Paired with sakhā and iti — 'having thought (He is) friend' — naming the cognitive habit Arjuna is repenting: a thinking-as that fell short of who Kṛṣṇa actually is.
he kṛṣṇa—O Kṛṣṇa
Vocative — the most intimate name. Arjuna repeats his own old addresses verbatim, as if to feel them again with the new knowledge.
pramādāt—out of madness, oversight
Ablative of pramāda — 'inadvertence, intoxication of carelessness.' One of the four traditional failings of conditioned beings. Arjuna names his fault by its technical category.
praṇayena—out of affection
Instrumental of praṇaya — 'intimate love.' Arjuna offers, in parallel to pramāda, his second possible cause: love. Forgiveness is sought for both — careless love and loving carelessness.
acyuta—O infallible one
Vocative — 'one who never falls.' Arjuna addresses Kṛṣṇa by the title that names His incapacity to fall, even as he confesses his own fall.
Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You “O Kṛṣṇa,” “O Yādava,” “O my friend,” not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offenses.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The most personal verses of the chapter. Arjuna catalogs the casual intimacies of years of friendship — eating, playing, sleeping together — and begs pardon for every familiarity, now revealed to have been addressed to the Supreme. Love and ignorance jointly produced the offenses.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Dual-verse Upajāti confession. The list of contexts (vihāra, śayyā, āsana, bhojana) is the catalog of sakhya-rasa par excellence; Arjuna does not regret the friendship, only the asat-kṛta (disrespect) that flowed from not knowing whom he was loving. The Gauḍīya tradition reads here both viraha and the eventual restoration of intimacy in 11.51-54 — sakhya-rasa survives darśana.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे अच्युत! तव इदं महिमानम् अजानता मया, सखा इति मत्वा, प्रमादात् प्रणयेन वा अपि, 'हे कृष्ण! हे यादव! हे सखा!' इति प्रसभं यत् उक्तम्, विहार-शय्या-आसन-भोजनेषु यत् च अवहास-अर्थम् एकः अथवा (अन्येषां) तत्-समक्षम् असत्-कृतः असि — तत् अप्रमेयं त्वाम् अहं क्षामये ।
he acyuta! tava idaṃ mahimānam ajānatā mayā, sakhā iti matvā, pramādāt praṇayena vā api, 'he kṛṣṇa! he yādava! he sakhā!' iti prasabhaṃ yat uktam, vihāra-śayyā-āsana-bhojaneṣu yat ca avahāsa-artham ekaḥ athavā (anyeṣāṃ) tat-samakṣam asat-kṛtaḥ asi — tat aprameyaṃ tvām ahaṃ kṣāmaye |
O Acyuta! Whatever I, ignorant of this Your greatness and thinking of You as a friend, said rashly out of negligence or even affection — 'O Kṛṣṇa! O Yādava! O friend!' — and whatever disrespect I showed You in jest, during play, on bed, while sitting or eating, alone or in others' presence — for that I beg forgiveness of You, the immeasurable.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
सखा इति मत्वा प्रसभं यत् उक्तं हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखा इति । अजानता महिमानं तव इदं मया प्रमादात् प्रणयेन वा अपि ॥ यत् च अवहास-अर्थम् असत्-कृतः असि विहार-शय्या-आसन-भोजनेषु । एकः अथवा अपि अच्युत तत्-समक्षं तत् क्षामये त्वाम् अहम् अप्रमेयम् ॥
sakhā iti matvā prasabhaṃ yat uktaṃ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakhā iti | ajānatā mahimānaṃ tava idaṃ mayā pramādāt praṇayena vā api || yat ca avahāsa-artham asat-kṛtaḥ asi vihāra-śayyā-āsana-bhojaneṣu | ekaḥ athavā api acyuta tat-samakṣaṃ tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam ||
Although Kṛṣṇa is manifested before Arjuna in His universal form, Arjuna remembers his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa and is therefore asking pardon and requesting Kṛṣṇa to excuse him for the many informal gestures which arise out of friendship. He is admitting that formerly he did not know that Kṛṣṇa could assume such a universal form, although Kṛṣṇa explained it as his intimate friend. Arjuna did not know how many times he may have dishonored Kṛṣṇa by addressing Him “O my friend,” “O Kṛṣṇa,” “O Yādava,” etc., without acknowledging His opulence. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind and merciful that in spite of such opulence He played with Arjuna as a friend. Such is the transcendental loving reciprocation between the devotee and the Lord. The relationship between the living entity and Kṛṣṇa is fixed eternally; it cannot be forgotten, as we can see from the behavior of Arjuna. Although Arjuna has seen the opulence in the universal form, he cannot forget his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
When Arjuna is saying 'O Krsna!', he was thinking: "You are Krsna, You are not even Sri Krsna. O Krsna You are just the son of Vasudeva! And Vasudeva is simply a minister, but I am the son of Pandu, and Pandu was a great warrior!" Arjuna was minimizing by saying: 'O Krsna!'
And 'O Yadava!'. The Yadavas were not allowed to be kings.
'O my friend!'. Since Arjuna was thinking that sometimes 'O out of my mercy I am accepting You as my friend because You are only a Yadava, and I am a great royal prince. Out of my mercy, out of my kindness, I am considering You as my friend."
Now Arjuna is feeling very embarassed about all that he did to Krsna.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.41 Like a fool, ajanata, without knowing-. Not knowing what? In answer he says: idam, this; mahimanam, greatness-the Cosmic form; tava, of Yours, of God; yat, whatever; uktam, was said; maya, by me (to You); prasabham, rashly, slightingly; pramadat, through inadvertence, being in a distracted state of mind; va api, or even; pranayena, out of intimacy-itimacy is the familiarity arising out of love; whatever I have said because of that reason; erroneously matva, thinking (You); sakha iti, to be a friend, of the same age; iti, addressing You as, 'O Krsna,' 'O Yadava,' 'O friend,'-.
In the clause, 'tava idam mahimanam, ajanata, without knowing this greatness of Yours,' idam (this) (in the neutor gender) is connected with mahimanam (greatness) (in masculine gender) by a change of gender. If the reading be tava imam, then both the words would be in the same gender.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.41 - 11.42 Infinite power, boundless valour, being the Inner Self of everything, being the creator etc., these constitute Your majesty. Being ignorant of this, and considering You only as a friend, and out of conseent love, or negligence born of life-long familiarity, whatever has been said rudely, without showing courtesy, such as 'O Krsna, O Yadava, O Comrade'; and whatever disrespect has been shown to You in jest, while playing or resting, while sitting or eating, while alone or in the sight of others - for all these I beseech forgiveness of You who are in incomprehensible.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.41 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.41 Whatever I have presumptuously said from carelessness or love, addressing Thee as O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend! regarding Thee merely as a friend, unknowing of this, Thy greatness.
Commentary
11.41 सखा friend? इति as? मत्वा regarding? प्रसभम् presumptuously? यत् whatever? उक्तम् said? हे कृष्ण O Krishna? हे यादव O Yadava? हे सखा O friend? इति thus? अजानता unknowing? महिमानम् greatness? तव Thy? इदम् this? मया by me? प्रमादात् from carelessness? प्रणयेन due to love? वा or? अपि even.No Commentary.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.41 Without knowing this greatness of Yours, whatever was said by me (to You) rashly, through inadvertence or even out of intimacy, thinking (You to be) a friend, addressing (You) as 'O krsna,' 'O Yadava,' 'O friend,' etc.-.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.41 Whatever I have said unto Thee in rashness, taking Thee only for a friend and addressing Thee as O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend!' in thoughtless familiarity, no understanding Thy greatness;
Whatever I have presumptuously called You — friend, Kṛṣṇa, comrade — out of forgetfulness or affection, please forgive me.
Practical Applications
Repent honestly when familiarity has crossed into presumption.
Ask forgiveness specifically, not vaguely.
Don't sustain disrespect under cover of intimacy.
Reflection Questions
What familiarity of mine has crossed into presumption?
What honest apology is being asked?
Analogy
A son discovers that the man he has called by his first name and treated as a playmate is, in fact, the head of state. The retrospective horror is not because anything has changed in the relationship — the love is real — but because the disproportion was always there and only now is seen. Arjuna's begging-forgiveness is the proper grief of such a discovery.
Stories
The Bhāgavatam's Account of Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna Friendship
The Bhāgavatam (SB 1.15) records Arjuna's later lament to Yudhiṣṭhira: he describes how he and Kṛṣṇa ate from the same plate, slept on the same bed, rode on the same chariot, and how, in their familiarity, he had taken Kṛṣṇa for an ordinary friend. Arjuna's grief there is the same as his grief here — the friend was always the Lord, and he treated the Lord as merely a friend.
In 11.41–42 the recognition arrives in real time: vihāra-śayyā-āsana-bhojaneṣu — in play, in sleep, in sitting, in eating — Arjuna had spent years calling 'O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava' to the source of the universe. The verse is one of the most moving in all the Gītā.
pitā—the fatherasi—You arelokasya—of all the worldcara—movingacarasya—and nonmovingtvam—You areasya—of thispūjyaḥ—worshipableca—alsoguruḥ—mastergarīyān—gloriousna—nevertvat - samaḥ—equal to Youasti—there isabhyadhikaḥ—greaterkutaḥ—how is it possibleanyaḥ—otherloka - traye—in the three planetary systemsapi—alsoapratima - prabhāva—O immeasurable power .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pitāsi lokasya carācarasya
pitā
the father
asi
You are
lokasya
of all the world
cara
moving
acarasya
and nonmoving
tvam asya pūjyaś ca gurur garīyān
tvam
You are
asya
of this
pūjyaḥ
worshipable
ca
also
guruḥ
master
garīyān
glorious
na tvat-samo ’sty abhyadhikaḥ kuto ’nyo
na
never
tvat - samaḥ
equal to You
asti
there is
abhyadhikaḥ
greater
kutaḥ
how is it possible
anyaḥ
other
loka-traye ’py apratima-prabhāva
loka - traye
in the three planetary systems
api
also
apratima - prabhāva
O immeasurable power .
Important Words
pitā—father
Nominative. The first of three relational titles. Kṛṣṇa is named as father before guru — the source comes before the teacher, even though the teacher is closer.
pūjyaḥ—worshipable
Future passive participle of pūj — 'to be worshipped.' The grammar is normative: there is no choice in the matter; this is the Person owed worship.
guruḥ—the teacher
Nominative. Not 'a teacher' — the teacher. The same title Kṛṣṇa Himself will accept in 18.63–64 when He gives Arjuna the most confidential instruction.
garīyān—greater
Comparative of guru — heavier, weightier, greater. The comparative is repeated from 11.37; the verse stacks superlatives because no single one suffices.
tvat - samaḥ—equal to You
Compound: tvat (you) + sama (equal). Arjuna denies any peer. The doctrine of asama-ūrdhva — no equal, no higher — is here in seed.
apratima - prabhāva—O incomparable power
Vocative compound: a-pratima (without likeness) + prabhāva (might). 'No image, no comparison.' Even the analogies of verses 12 and 25 are formally abandoned at this point — the Lord is beyond simile.
You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the nonmoving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is greater than You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna establishes Kṛṣṇa's relational uniqueness: father (creator), guru (teacher), peerless (none equal, much less greater). The argument is rhetorical: if no equal, then a fortiori no superior. The titles set up the next verse's analogy — father, friend, beloved.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Gurur garīyān' is a wordplay: garīyas literally 'weightier' (gurus by weight). Echoes ŚU 6.7-8 and BG 4.34's guru-paramparā theme. The vocative 'apratima-prabhāva' acknowledges that even comparison fails — the standard apophatic move of stotra literature.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे अप्रतिम-प्रभाव! त्वम् अस्य चर-अचरस्य लोकस्य पिता असि; पूज्यः च गरीयान् गुरुः (असि); लोक-त्रये अपि त्वत्-समः न अस्ति, अभ्यधिकः अन्यः कुतः?
he apratima-prabhāva! tvam asya cara-acarasya lokasya pitā asi; pūjyaḥ ca garīyān guruḥ (asi); loka-traye api tvat-samaḥ na asti, abhyadhikaḥ anyaḥ kutaḥ?
O one of incomparable power, You are the father of this world of the moving and the unmoving; You are its worshipable, weightier Teacher. In the three worlds none is Your equal — how could there be anyone greater?
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
पिता असि लोकस्य चर-अचरस्य त्वम् अस्य पूज्यः च गुरुः गरीयान् । न त्वत्-समः अस्ति अभ्यधिकः कुतः अन्यः लोक-त्रये अपि अप्रतिम-प्रभाव ॥
pitā asi lokasya cara-acarasya tvam asya pūjyaḥ ca guruḥ garīyān | na tvat-samaḥ asti abhyadhikaḥ kutaḥ anyaḥ loka-traye api apratima-prabhāva ||
Grammar(व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
Sanskrit
IAST
Grammar
Meaning
पिता
pitā
पितृ (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)
father
असि
asi
√अस् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is worshipable as a father is worshipable for his son. He is the spiritual master because He originally gave the Vedic instructions to Brahmā and presently He is also instructing Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna; therefore He is the original spiritual master, and any bona fide spiritual master at the present moment must be a descendant in the line of disciplic succession stemming from Kṛṣṇa. Without being a representative of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot become a teacher or spiritual master of transcendental subject matter. The Lord is being paid obeisances in all respects. He is of immeasurable greatness. No one can be greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, because no one is equal to or higher than Kṛṣṇa within any manifestation, spiritual or material. Everyone is below Him. No one can excel Him. This is stated in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8): na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, has senses and a body like the ordinary man, but for Him there is no difference between His senses, His body, His mind and Himself. Foolish persons who do not perfectly know Him say that Kṛṣṇa is different from His soul, mind, heart and everything else. Kṛṣṇa is absolute; therefore His activities and potencies are supreme. It is also stated that although He does not have senses like ours, He can perform all sensory activities; therefore His senses are neither imperfect nor limited. No one can be greater than Him, no one can be equal to Him, and everyone is lower than Him. The knowledge, strength and activities of the Supreme Personality are all transcendental. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) : janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna Whoever knows Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental body, activities and perfection, after quitting his body, returns to Him and doesn’t come back again to this miserable world. Therefore one should know that Kṛṣṇa’s activities are different from others. The best policy is to follow the principles of Kṛṣṇa; that will make one perfect. It is also stated that there is no one who is master of Kṛṣṇa; everyone is His servant. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Ādi 5.142) confirms, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: only Kṛṣṇa is God, and everyone else is His servant. Everyone is complying with His order. There is no one who can deny His order. Everyone is acting according to His direction, being under His superintendence. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, He is the cause of all causes.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
43. You are the father of the world, of all moving and non-moving beings. You are most deserving of worship and as the teacher, even more deserving of worship. No one is equal to You, or greater than You in the three worlds, O person with unsurpassed glory.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
43. You are the father of the world, of all moving and non-moving beings. You are most deserving of worship. You are the teacher of scripture. Therefore you are more venerable than all others. No one is equal to You, or greater than You in the three worlds, O person with unsurpassed glory.
Commentary
Arjuna here explains Kṛṣṇa’s inconceivable powers, mentioned at the end of the last verse.
You are the father of the world, and the worshippable teacher of scripture for the world, and therefore more venerable (garīyān) in all ways (than others). There is no one equal to You in all the three worlds, in the whole universe, O person of imcomparable power (apratima-prabhāva). If there is no one equal to the Supreme Lord, no second Lord, then how could there be anyone superior to You? The śruti says: na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate: no one equal to or greater than the Lord is seen. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7)
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Translation
You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the nonmoving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.43 Asi, You are; pita, the Father, the Progenitor; lokasya, off all beings; cara-acarasya, moving and nonmoving. Not only are Yur are Father of this world, You are also pujyah, worthy of worship; since You are the guruh, Teacher; [He is the Teacher since He introduce the line of teachers of what is virtue and vice, and of the knowledge of the Self. And He is greater than a teacher because He is the teacher even of Hiranyagarbha and others.] gariyan, greater (than a teacher). How are You greater? In answer he says: Asti, there is; na, none other; tvat-samah, eal to You; for there is no possibility of two Gods. Because all dealings will come to naught if there be many Gods! When there is no possibility of another being eal toYou, kutah eva, how at all; can there be anyah, anyone; abhyadhikah, greater; api, even; loka-traye, in all the three worlds; apratima-prabhavah, O you of unrivalled power?
That by which something is measured is pratima. You who have no measure for Your power (prabhava) are a pratima-prabhavah. Apratima-prabhava means 'O You of limitless power!'
Since this is so,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.43 O Being of matchless greatness! You are the father of this world, of all that moves and does not move. You are the teacher of this world. Therefore You are the one most worthy of reverence in this world of mobile and immobile entities. There is none eal to You. How then could there be in the three worlds another greater than You? No other being is eal to You in point of any attribute like compassion etc. How could there be any one greater?
Inasmuch as You are the father of all, the most worthy of reverence, teacher and exalted over all by virtue of attributes like compassion etc.,
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.43 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.43 Thou art the Father of this world, moving and unmoving. Thou art to be adored by this world, Thou, the greatest Guru; (for) none there exists who is eal to Thee; how then could there be another superior to Thee in the three worlds, O Being of unealled power?
Commentary
11.43 पिता Father? असि (Thou) art? लोकस्य of the world? चराचरस्य of the moving and unmoving? त्वम् Thou? अस्य of this? पूज्यः to be reserved? च and? गुरुः the Guru? गरीयान् weightier? न not? त्वत्समः eal to Thee? अस्ति is? अभ्यधिकः surpassing? कुतः whence? अन्यः other? लोकत्रये in the three worlds? अपि also? अप्रतिमप्रभाव O Being of unealled power.Commentary There exists none who is eal to Thee There cannot be two or more Isvaras. If there were? the world will not get on as it does now. All the Isvaras may not be of one mind? as they would all be independent of one another. What one wishes to create? another may wish to destroyWhen there does not exist one who is eal to Thee? how could there be one superior to TheeFather Creator. As the Lord is the creator of this world He is fit to be adored. He is the greatest Guru also. Therefore there is no one who is eal to the Lord.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.43 You are the Father of all beings moving and non-moving; to this (world) You are worthy of worship, the Teacher, and greater (than a teacher). There is none eal to You; how at all can there be anyone greater even in all the three worlds, O You or unrivalled power?
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.43 For Thou art the Father of all things movable and immovable, the Worshipful, the Master of Masters! In all the worlds there is none equal to Thee, how then superior, O Thou who standeth alone, Supreme.
You are the father of this entire creation, the worshippable, the glorious teacher — there is none equal to You; how could anyone be greater?
Practical Applications
Hold Kṛṣṇa's incomparability as a settled truth.
Don't compare Him to any other.
Use this verse against subtle theological flattening.
Reflection Questions
Where do I quietly compare Him to other forms of divinity?
What does true incomparability allow?
Analogy
If you stack every father, every teacher, every elder you have ever known, the top of the stack still reaches up toward Him. Arjuna's grammar (pitā asi lokasya — You are the father of the world) is not flattery; it is a structural claim about who stands above whom in the universe.
Stories
Bharata Mahārāja Bowing to the Lord
Emperor Bharata, after a long reign, retired to Pulahāśrama and there fixed his mind on the Lord (SB 5.7–8). When his life was complicated by attachment and he eventually attained mokṣa, the Bhāgavatam describes him as bowing to the Lord as pitā, guru, and śreyas-kṛt — father, teacher, and benefactor.
Arjuna's address in 11.43 — pitāsi lokasya carācarasya, tvam asya pūjyaḥ ca guruḥ garīyān — gathers these same three titles. The verse compresses every relation a soul can have to the Supreme into one breath of obeisance.
tasmāt—thereforepraṇamya—offering obeisancespraṇidhāya—laying downkāyam—the bodyprasādaye—to beg mercytvām—unto Youaham—Iīśam—unto the Supreme Lordīḍyam—worshipablepitā iva—like a fatherputrasya—with a sonsakhā iva—like a friendsakhyuḥ—with a friendpriyaḥ—a loverpriyāyāḥ—with the dearmostarhasi—You shoulddeva—my Lordsoḍhum—tolerate .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṁ
tasmāt
therefore
praṇamya
offering obeisances
praṇidhāya
laying down
kāyam
the body
prasādaye tvām aham īśam īḍyam
prasādaye
to beg mercy
tvām
unto You
aham
I
īśam
unto the Supreme Lord
īḍyam
worshipable
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ
pitā iva
like a father
putrasya
with a son
sakhā iva
like a friend
sakhyuḥ
with a friend
priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum
priyaḥ
a lover
priyāyāḥ
with the dearmost
arhasi
You should
deva
my Lord
soḍhum
tolerate .
Important Words
praṇidhāya—having prostrated
Gerund of pra-ni-dhā — 'to lay down completely.' Beyond bowing — full bodily prostration. The body is laid down before the request is made.
prasādaye—I beg mercy
First-person singular causative middle of pra-sad — 'I cause-to-be-gracious.' The verb of formally petitioning grace. The middle voice marks the petitioner's stake.
īḍyam—worshipable
Future passive participle of īḍ — 'to praise.' One of the Lord's standard epithets in the Upaniṣads and in the Brahma-saṁhitā.
pitā iva—like a father
Two-word phrase. The first of three parallel intimacies in the verse. The Gītā teaches the disciple to remember the relations he is asking to keep — father, friend, lover.
priyāyāḥ—of the beloved
Genitive feminine of priyā — 'beloved woman.' The deepest of the three relations, kept for last. Anticipates the mādhurya-rasa that Caitanya-tradition will develop; the lover-beloved relation is the most intimate framework for surrender.
soḍhum—to tolerate
Infinitive of sah — 'to bear, to suffer through.' Arjuna asks for forbearance, not for affirmation of his failings. Tolerance is the verse's specific request.
You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, a friend the impertinence of a friend, or a husband the familiarity of his wife, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The plea moves from theology to intimacy. Arjuna appeals to three relational paradigms of forbearance — father-son, friend-friend, lover-beloved. The grammar of love itself contains the forgiveness he is asking for.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The triple analogy (pitā-putra / sakhā-sakhi / priyaḥ-priyāyāḥ) maps onto the rasa-typology of devotional moods: vātsalya (parental), sakhya (friendly), mādhurya (conjugal). Gauḍīya theologians read this verse as Arjuna's own primary sakhya-rasa speaking — he asks for the friend-toleration he has assumed all along.
Therefore, prostrating my body, I propitiate You, the worshipable Lord. As a father (forbears) his son, as a friend his friend, as a lover his beloved — O Divine One, please bear with me.
√अर्ह् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
you are worthy / please (do)
देव
deva
देव (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular)
O Divine One
सोढुम्
soḍhum
√सह् inf. (infinitive)
to bear, forbear
Purport
Kṛṣṇa’s devotees relate to Kṛṣṇa in various relationships; one might treat Kṛṣṇa as a son, or one might treat Kṛṣṇa as a husband, as a friend, or as a master. Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are related in friendship. As the father tolerates, or the husband or a master tolerates, so Kṛṣṇa tolerates.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
44. Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I beg pardon from You, the Lord, most worthy of worship. O Lord, You, so dear to me, should tolerate me, so dear to You, just as a father tolerates his son, or a friend tolerates his friend.
Commentary
Praṇidhāya means placing the body on the earth like a rod, out of respect. The sandhi in priyāyārhasi is poetic license.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
44. Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I beg pardon from You, Lord most worthy of worship. O Lord, You should tolerate my offenses just as a father tolerates his son, or a friend tolerates his friend, or a husband tolerates the faults of his wife.
Commentary
Therefore, (because no one is greater than You), bowing down to You, touching eight parts of my body on the earth, [Note: Eight limbs are the two hands, two feet, chest, head, voice and mind.] (I beg you, worshippable Lord.) You should tolerate my offenses, O Lord (deva). Arjuna describes who can tolerate whose offense. The father tolerates the son’s offenses. The friend tolerates his friend’s offenses. There seems to be offense because, now, seeing Kṛṣṇa’s great powers, Arjuna considers himself as a servant. Therefore his friend Kṛṣṇa should forgive him. Dropping the visarga on priyāyāḥ (wife) and then joining it with arhasi is poetic license. [Note: Normally priyāyā should remain separate from arhasi.]
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Translation
You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, or a friend tolerates the impertinence of a friend, or a wife tolerates the familiarity of her partner, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You.
Commentary
Arjuna is falling to the ground at this point. He is in the mood of a son, a wife and a friend. All these different rasas in dealing with Krsna.
[3. Arjuna fearfully requests Krsna to again reveal His two‑armed form as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (45‑46) ]
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.44 Tasmat, therefore; pranamya, by bowing down; and pranidhaya kayam, prostrating, laying, the body completely down; prasadaye, I seek to propitiate; tvam, You; who are isam, God, the Lord; and are idyam, adorable. Deva, O God; You are Your part, arhasi, should; sodhum, bear with, i.e. forgive (my faults); iva, as would; a pita, father; forgive all the faults putrasya, of a son; and as a sakha, friend; the fautls sakhyuh, of a friend; or as a priyah, lover; forgives the faults priyayah, of a beloved.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.44 Therefore, bowing down and prostrating, I implore You, O adorable Lord, for Your mercy. Just as, when entreated with salutation, a father will show mercy to his son, or a friend to a friend, even if he has been at fault, even so it is meet that You, most compassionate and dear to me, should bear with me, who is dear to You in all respects.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.44 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.44 Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I crave Thy forgiveness, O adorable Lord. As a father forgives his son, a friend his (dear) friend, a lover his beloved, even so shouldst Thou
forgive me, O God.
Commentary
11.44 तस्मात् therefore? प्रणम्य saluting? प्रणिधाय having bent? कायम् body? प्रसादये crave forgiveness? त्वाम् Thee? अहम् I? ईशम् the Lord? ईड्यम् adorable? पिता father? प्रियः beloved? प्रियायाः to the beloved? अर्हसि (Thou) shouldst? देव O God? सोढुम् to bear.Commentary O Lord? take me to Thy bosom as a mother does her child. Forgive me for all tht I have hitherto spoken or done. Forgive my faults. Please overlook my past mistakes. I have done this through ignorance. Now I have come to Thee in submission. I beg Your pardon now.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.44 Therefore, by bowing down and prostrating the body, I seek to propitate You who are God and are adorable. O Lord, You should [The elision of a (in arhasi of priyayarhasi) is a metrical licence.] forgive (my faults) as would a father (the faults) of a son, as a friend, of a friend, and as a lover of a beloved.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.44 Therefore I prostrate myself before Thee, O Lord! Most Adorable! I salute Thee, I ask Thy blessing. Only Thou canst be trusted to bear with me, as father to son, as friend to friend, as lover to his beloved.
Therefore, bowing down, with prostrate body, I beg mercy of You, the worshippable Lord — bear with me as a father with a son, a friend with a friend, a lover with the beloved.
Practical Applications
Use the threefold relational model: father-son, friend-friend, beloved-lover.
Approach Kṛṣṇa in your most natural relational mode.
Don't restrict relationship to formal worship.
Reflection Questions
Which of the three relational modes is most natural to me?
Which is most underdeveloped?
Analogy
A wife who has just learned her husband's hidden royal lineage does not stop being his wife — she keeps the intimacy but adds the reverence. Arjuna asks for exactly this: that the Lord tolerate his familiarities the way a father tolerates a son's, a friend a friend's, a husband a wife's — without ceasing to be the Lord.
Stories
Yudhiṣṭhira Asking Kṛṣṇa's Mercy
After the war, at the Aśvamedha sacrifice (Mahābhārata, Aśvamedhika-parva), Yudhiṣṭhira repeatedly approached Kṛṣṇa with bowed head, asking that the Lord forgive the Pāṇḍavas' battlefield errors and the inevitable injustices of kingship. He invoked Kṛṣṇa simultaneously as Lord, friend, and elder brother of the family.
Arjuna's posture in 11.44 — pitā iva putrasya, sakhā iva sakhyuḥ, priyaḥ priyāyāḥ — anticipates Yudhiṣṭhira's appeal. The relations are kept, the reverence is added; nothing of love is renounced.
अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा
भयेनचप्रव्यथितंमनोमे ।
तदेव मे दर्शय देव रूपं
प्रसीददेवेशजगन्निवास ॥ ४५ ॥
adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛṣito ’smi dṛṣṭvā
[adrishta-poorvam hrishito ’smi drishtvaa]
bhayena ca pravyathitaṁ mano me
[bhayena cha pravyathitam mano me]
tad eva me darśaya deva rūpaṁ
[tad eva me darshaya deva roopam]
prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa
[praseeda devesha jagan-nivaasa]
Word-for-word
adṛṣṭa - pūrvam—never seen beforehṛṣitaḥ—gladdenedasmi—I amdṛṣṭvā—by seeingbhayena—out of fearca—alsopravyathitam—perturbedmanaḥ—mindme—mytat—thateva—certainlyme—unto medarśaya—showdeva—O Lordrūpam—the formprasīda—just be graciousdeva - īśa—O Lord of lordsjagat - nivāsa—O refuge of the universe .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛṣito ’smi dṛṣṭvā
adṛṣṭa - pūrvam
never seen before
hṛṣitaḥ
gladdened
bhayena ca pravyathitaṁ mano me
tad eva me darśaya deva rūpaṁ
prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa
asmi
I am
dṛṣṭvā
by seeing
bhayena
out of fear
ca
also
pravyathitam
perturbed
manaḥ
mind
me
my
tat
that
eva
certainly
me
unto me
darśaya
show
deva
O Lord
rūpam
the form
prasīda
just be gracious
deva - īśa
O Lord of lords
jagat - nivāsa
O refuge of the universe .
Important Words
adṛṣṭa - pūrvam—never before seen
Compound: a-dṛṣṭa (not-seen) + pūrva (before). Echoes Kṛṣṇa's own words in 11.47 (na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam). Arjuna confirms from his side what Kṛṣṇa will confirm from His.
hṛṣitaḥ—gladdened
Past participle of hṛṣ — 'to be thrilled.' The same root as romāñca (hair-on-end). Arjuna is genuinely glad; he is not asking for withdrawal because the form is unwanted.
pravyathitam—disturbed
Past participle of pra-vyath — the same word from 11.20, here qualifying manas. The verse holds both joy (hṛṣitaḥ) and trembling (pravyathitam) in one breath, refusing to resolve them prematurely.
darśaya—show
Imperative of dṛś — 'cause to be seen.' Same root as the granted divya-cakṣus. Arjuna asks for a different darśana, not for the end of darśana.
prasīda—be gracious
Fourth appearance of this imperative in the chapter (after 11.25, 11.31, and 11.44). The chapter's most-petitioned verb.
jagat - nivāsa—O refuge of the worlds
Vocative — same address as 11.25. The vocative of mercy returns at the moment of asking the form to give way to mercy.
After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna names the contradiction directly: delight and terror in one breath. He withdraws his original wish — what was asked in 11.4 is too much. He asks now to see the familiar form, not the cosmic. The vision must end.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Pivot verse: from demanded darśana to requested upasaṁhāra (withdrawal). The phrase 'hṛṣito 'smi … pravyathitaṁ' is the Gītā's purest statement of the bhayānaka–adbhuta blend at the heart of the chapter. The request for 'tat eva … rūpam' is for the two-armed saumya form he loves — not even the four-armed Viṣṇu (asked first in 11.46, then resolved in 11.50).
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे देव! हे देव-ईश! हे जगत्-निवास! अदृष्ट-पूर्वं (रूपं) दृष्ट्वा हृषितः अस्मि; मे मनः च भयेन प्रव्यथितम्; तत् एव (पूर्व-दृष्टं) रूपं मे दर्शय; प्रसीद ।
he deva! he deva-īśa! he jagat-nivāsa! adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṃ (rūpaṃ) dṛṣṭvā hṛṣitaḥ asmi; me manaḥ ca bhayena pravyathitam; tat eva (pūrva-dṛṣṭaṃ) rūpaṃ me darśaya; prasīda |
O Divine One, O Lord of gods, O abode of the universe! Having seen what was never seen before, I am thrilled; and my mind is at the same time agitated with fear. Show me that (familiar) form; be gracious.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अदृष्ट-पूर्वं हृषितः अस्मि दृष्ट्वा भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनः मे । तत् एव मे दर्शय देव रूपं प्रसीद देव-ईश जगत्-निवास ॥
adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṃ hṛṣitaḥ asmi dṛṣṭvā bhayena ca pravyathitaṃ manaḥ me | tat eva me darśaya deva rūpaṃ prasīda deva-īśa jagat-nivāsa ||
√दृश् caus. (causative) impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
show, cause to see
देव
deva
देव (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular)
O Divine One
रूपम्
rūpam
रूप (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)
form
प्रसीद
prasīda
प्र + √सद् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
be gracious
Purport
Arjuna is always in confidence with Kṛṣṇa because he is a very dear friend, and as a dear friend is gladdened by his friend’s opulence, Arjuna is very joyful to see that his friend Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can show such a wonderful universal form. But at the same time, after seeing that universal form, he is afraid that he has committed so many offenses to Kṛṣṇa out of his unalloyed friendship. Thus his mind is disturbed out of fear, although he had no reason to fear. Arjuna therefore is asking Kṛṣṇa to show His Nārāyaṇa form, because He can assume any form. This universal form is material and temporary, as the material world is temporary. But in the Vaikuṇṭha planets He has His transcendental form with four hands as Nārāyaṇa. There are innumerable planets in the spiritual sky, and in each of them Kṛṣṇa is present by His plenary manifestations of different names. Thus Arjuna desired to see one of the forms manifest in the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Of course in each Vaikuṇṭha planet the form of Nārāyaṇa is four-handed, but the four hands hold different arrangements of symbols – the conchshell, mace, lotus and disc. According to the different hands these four things are held in, the Nārāyaṇas are variously named. All of these forms are one with Kṛṣṇa; therefore Arjuna requests to see His four-handed feature.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
45. I am delighted, having seen what was unseen before, but at the same time my mind is greatly troubled with fear. O Lord, show me that pleasing form of Yours. Be kind to me, O lord of the devas, the resting place of the universe at destruction.
Commentary
Though I am delighted, having seen Your body composed of the form of the universe which has not been previously seen, my mind is distressed with fear because of its ferocity. Therefore, show me that form (tad eva rūpa), the form of the son of Vasudeva, the form of sweetness, which is millions of times dearer to my life. Show favor to me—do not display to me that form of great power any longer. I have now seen You as the Lord of the devatās (deveśa), the resting place of the universe (jagan-nivāsaḥ). It should be understood that Arjuna did not see the body of Kṛṣṇa in human form which was the origin of all the forms seen by Arjuna when Kṛṣṇa displayed the universal form, because his vision was covered by yoga māyā.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
45. I am delighted, having seen what was unseen before, but at the same time my mind is greatly troubled with fear. O Lord, show me Your pleasing form. Be kind to me, O lord of the devas, the resting place of the universe.
Commentary
“What are you saying? What do you want?”
“Having seen this form of power which I have understood factually to exist in You, I am overjoyed. I am happy that my friend has such an extraordinary form. But my mind is agitated with fear arising from seeing its ferocious nature. Therefore I make a request. I have now witnessed that You are the Supreme Lord—the container of everything (jagan nivāsa) and the controller of all the devas (deveśa). Next, placing that form within Yourself, show me Your form as Kṛṣna (deva rūpam), the form which I hold dear.”
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Arjuna is glad and fearful at the same time.
The example given to show how this is possible: when one may see a snake whose fangs are already removed, he may feel fear because of seeing a snake, but glad also because its fangs have been removed. So, both sentiments are possible, simultaneously.
Arjuna's curiosity, by this time, after seeing the universal form, has been satisfyed and he wants Krsna to take away of close up His universal form and show again His beautiful form as Krsna.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.45 Asmi, I am; hrsitah, delighted; drstva, by seeing; adrsta-purvam, something not seen heretofore-by seeing this Cosmic form of Yours which has never been seen before by me or others. And me, my; manah, mind; is pravyathitam, stricken; bhayena, with fear. Therefore, deva, O Lord; darsaya, show; me, to me; tat eva, that very; rupam, form, which is of my friend. Devesa, O supreme God; jagan-nivasa, Abode of the Universe; prasida, be gracious!
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.45 Seeing Your form, never seen before, extremely marvellous and awe-inspiring, I am delighted, transported with love. But my mind is also troubled with awe. Hence reveal to me only Your most gracious form. Be gracious, O Lord of all gods! O Abode of the universe! Show me that form, O gracious Lord of all the gods headed by Brahma, and the foundation of the entire universe!
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.45 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.45 I am delighted, having seen what has never been seen before; and yet my mind is distressed with fear. Show me that (previous) form only, O God; have mercy, O God of gods, O Abode of the universe.
Commentary
11.45 अदृष्टपूर्वम् what was never seen before? हृषितः delighted? अस्मि (I) am? दृष्ट्वा having seen? भयेन with fear? च and? प्रव्यथितम् is distressed? मनः mind? मे my? तत् that? एव only? मे to me? दर्शय show? देव O God? रूपम् form? प्रसीद have mercy? देवेश O Lord of the gods? जगन्निवास O Aboe of the universe.Commentary For an ordinary man the Cosmic Form (Vision) is overwhelming and terrifying but for a Yogi it is encouraging? strengthening and soulelevating.Arjuna says The Cosmic Form was never before seen by me. Show me only that form which Thou wearest as my friend.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.45 I am delighted by seeing something not seen heretofore, and my mind is stricken with fear. O Lord, show me that very form; O supreme God, O Abode of the Universe, be gracious!
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.45 I rejoice that I have seen what never man saw before; yet, O Lord! I am overwhelmed with fear. Please take again the Form I know. Be merciful, O Lord! thou Who are the Home of the whole universe.
Having seen what was never seen before, my heart trembles with delight — yet my mind is disturbed by fear; please show again Your familiar form.
Practical Applications
Honor the tension: spiritual encounter brings both joy and unsettling.
Don't choose only the comfortable form.
Make peace with both the awesome and the familiar.
Reflection Questions
Have I only sought the comforting form of Kṛṣṇa?
What awesome form have I avoided?
Analogy
After a clap of thunder one is both alive and deafened — grateful for the sky's voice and longing for ordinary silence. Arjuna is both — hṛṣitaḥ (gladdened) and pravyathitam (perturbed). He asks for the lightning to return to a lamp.
Stories
Aśvatthāmā Begging the Withdrawal of the Brahmāstra
When the brahmāstra had been fired and could not be recalled (Mahābhārata, Sauptika-parva 14–16), Aśvatthāmā realised the magnitude of what he had unleashed and asked Vyāsa to mediate. The weapon was too vast for any subsequent existence to contain.
Arjuna in 11.45 is making a milder version of the same plea: not for the destruction of the form but for its withdrawal. Some manifestations of the divine are meant to be brief; their staying open would not be a kindness.
kirīṭinam—with helmetgadinam—with clubcakra - hastam—disc in handicchāmi—I wishtvām—Youdraṣṭum—to seeaham—Itathā eva—in that positiontena eva—in thatrūpeṇa—formcatuḥ - bhujena—four-handedsahasra - bāho—O thousand-handed onebhava—just becomeviśva - mūrte—O universal form .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakra-hastam
kirīṭinam
with helmet
gadinam
with club
cakra - hastam
disc in hand
icchāmi tvāṁ draṣṭum ahaṁ tathaiva
icchāmi
I wish
tvām
You
draṣṭum
to see
aham
I
tathā eva
in that position
tenaiva rūpeṇa catur-bhujena
tena eva
in that
rūpeṇa
form
catuḥ - bhujena
four-handed
sahasra-bāho bhava viśva-mūrte
sahasra - bāho
O thousand-handed one
bhava
just become
viśva - mūrte
O universal form .
Important Words
kirīṭinam—crowned
Accusative of kirīṭin. The crown identifies royal majesty without cosmic dissolution-fire. Arjuna is asking for the royal Viṣṇu, not the kāla-anala Viṣṇu.
gadinam—with mace
Accusative of gadin. The Kaumodakī mace — the standard implement of Viṣṇu's right lower hand. Iconographically precise.
cakra - hastam—with disc in hand
Compound: cakra (disc) + hasta (hand). The Sudarśana on the right upper hand. Arjuna is enumerating the four implements in their canonical order.
catuḥ - bhujena—with four arms
Compound: catur (four) + bhuja (arm). Instrumental — the form is qualified by its four-armedness. Asks specifically for the catur-bhuja Nārāyaṇa, not for the viśva-rūpa.
sahasra - bāho—O thousand-armed
Vocative compound — sahasra (thousand) + bāhu (arm). Arjuna addresses the thousand-armed form while asking for the four-armed. The contrast is the verse's quiet humour.
viśva - mūrte—O universal form
Vocative compound: viśva (universe) + mūrti (embodiment). Same as viśva-rūpa, but with mūrti suggesting 'embodied image.' Arjuna names what he is asking to transcend.
O universal form, O thousand-armed Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna names his preferred form: the standard Viṣṇu icon — kirīṭa, gadā, cakra (and conch implied), four-armed. He asks the infinite to become the recognizable. The two paradoxical vocatives 'thousand-armed' and 'universal-form' acknowledge what he is now leaving behind.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse asks for upasaṁhāra of the viśvarūpa back into the catur-bhuja Viṣṇu form. This is the intermediate step: Kṛṣṇa first withdraws to four-armed, then to the original two-armed form (11.50). The icons named (kirīṭa, gadā, cakra) anchor the four-armed Viṣṇu iconography Arjuna recognizes.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे सहस्र-बाहो! हे विश्व-मूर्ते! किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्र-हस्तं त्वाम् अहं तथा एव द्रष्टुम् इच्छामि; तेन एव चतुर्-भुजेन रूपेण भव ।
he sahasra-bāho! he viśva-mūrte! kirīṭinaṃ gadinaṃ cakra-hastaṃ tvām ahaṃ tathā eva draṣṭum icchāmi; tena eva catur-bhujena rūpeṇa bhava |
O thousand-armed one, O universal-formed! I wish to see You just so — crowned, mace-bearing, discus-in-hand — in that same four-armed form, be (visible to me).
विश्व (n.) + मूर्ति (f.) voc.sg. (vocative singular), bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound)
O one whose form is the universe
Purport
In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.39) it is stated, rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan: the Lord is eternally situated in hundreds and thousands of forms, and the main forms are those like Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Nārāyaṇa, etc. There are innumerable forms. But Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead assuming His temporary universal form. He is now asking to see the form of Nārāyaṇa, a spiritual form. This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead and all other features originate from Him. He is not different from His plenary expansions, and He is God in any of His innumerable forms. In all of these forms He is fresh like a young man. That is the constant feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who knows Kṛṣṇa becomes free at once from all contamination of the material world.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
46. I wish to see You wearing a crown, holding a club and cakra. O thousand-armed one, form of the universe, appear with that four-armed form.
Commentary
Moreover, when you show Your form with power, show that powerful form filled with the highest rasa, which gives joy to the mind and eyes of people like us, which we saw before, in the form of the son of Vasudeva for performing human like pastimes— and not the majestic form which is distasteful to our mind and eye, revealed as the universal form, related to pastimes with the devatās, which was never seen before. With this intention Arjuna speaks.
I desire to see that same form with a crown of valuable jewels (tathā eva) which we saw previously sometimes, and which Your parents saw when You were born. O form of the universe, now having thousands of hands, withdraw that form and appear (bhava) in that form with four hands.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
46. I wish to see You wearing a crown, holding a club and cakra. O thousand armed one, form of the universe, appear with that four-armed form.
Commentary
In this verse Arjuna specifies that form he wants to see. O thousand armed Lord! O form of the universe! This is Your form at present. Internalizing that form, manifest Your form with four hands, like an divine actor.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
COMMON THEME: Arjuna prays in faltering voice
In which mood – as a devotee in the mood of ‘wonder’ (11.35)
PLEASE NOTE: The mains points refer to Arjuna’s Prayers. The subpoints include all points of the purports; as such
there are no individual ‘Focus of Learning’ sections for these verses.
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS
(a) Arjuna recognizes Krishna’s action as All-good for everyone after hearing from Krishna the outcome of
battlefield and observing Universal form and response of demigods and demons (11.36)
The world becomes joyful on hearing Your name and everyone becomes attached to You
You are worshiped by great souls and demons are afraid and flee away
(b) Krishna is worshipable by everyone – “You rightly deserve the obeisances of everyone” (11.37)
because:
You are the God of all the Gods, the original creator, especially even greater than Brahma, secondary creator
Invincible source of all and cause of all causes
Transcendental to material manifestations
‘Aksaram’ – not perishable like material creation)
‘Mahatma’ – Most magnanimous and unlimited
‘Ananta’ – Nothing is not covered by Lord’s influence and energy
‘Devesa’ – He is the controller of demigods and is above them all
(c) You are the ultimate rest of everything and all knowledge (11.38)
‘Nidhanam’ – Ultimate rest even from Brahman.
Knower of everything in this world and You are all that is knowable
Object of all knowledge because You are All pervading
(d) You are the essence of everything (11.39)
You are air (Air being all-pervasive is the most important representation of the demigods)
You are fire, water, moon
You are Brahma (Pitamaha) / You are Prapitamaha (because He is the father of Brahmaji)
You are the Supreme controller
(e) I offer you obeisances from front, behind and from all sides (11.40)
Arjuna is offering obeisances out of loving ecstasy, accepting that ‘’He is the master of limitless power’’ and ‘’He is far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield’’ (Ref. Visnu Purana – All have been created by you, any demigod or anyone)
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION IV
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. He is simultaneously
involved in an intimate relationship of love with His pure devotees
ARJUNA’S PRAYERS continued…
(f) Begs forgiveness for treating Krishna, the Infallible One, as an ordinary friend (11.41* – 11.42*)
Not knowing Krishna’s glories, Arjuna feels that he has offended Krishna in ‘madness’ or in ‘love’, and begs to be excused for many informal gestures like,
Called Krishna as Yadava or Krishna or dishonoured him many times.
Jesting as we relaxed
Lay on the same bed / sat / ate together
Never knew Krishna could accept such a Universal form
Cannot forget the relationship of a friend – The relationship between a living-entity and Krishna is fixed eternally, it cannot be forgotten, as evident from Arjuna’s behaviour
(g) You are the supreme father (11.43)
Supreme spiritual master – Gave this knowledge to Brahma / Arjuna
You are the greatest – No-one is greater than or equal to You nor can anyone be one with You. References for Lord’s Supreme greatness:
No difference between Krishna’s body and self (Ref. Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8)
Senses are interchangeable
Birth and activities are transcendental (Bg. 4.9)
Krishna is one God – All the living entities are His servants, no-one can deny His order (Ref. CC “ekale ishvara...”)
Cause of all causes (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.1)
(h) Falls to the ground and begs for mercy – Requests Him to tolerate all wrong-doings (11.44) just like –
Analogies:
Father – Tolerates the impudence of his son
Friend – Impertinence of a friend
“Krishna – Arjuna” relationship is that of friendship
Wife – Familiarity of her partner
(i) Requests to withdraw the fearsome Form and reveal the form as Personality of Godhead (11.45)
Indicates Arjuna is ‘afraid’ and ‘joyful’ simultaneously
Afraid because of so many offenses committed
Joyful because He is gladdened by knowing his Friend’s opulence as Supreme Personality of Godhead and His ability to show the Universal Form
It proves that Krishna can assume any form, as He is asked here to show His Narayana Form
Universal Form is a temporary Form; but Vaikuntha form is transcendental, four-handed and eternal.
Different Narayanas are named according to the different configurations of the four hands
Arjuna’s request to see the four-handed form indicates that All the forms are one with Krishna
(j) Wants to see the four-handed form (11.46)
Texts 11.45 & 11.46 indicate that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is the source of all forms and incarnations (Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.39)
This verse establishes without any doubt the statement of Srimad Bhagavatam that Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead
Constant feature in these forms – He is always fresh like a young man
He is non-different from His plenary expansions
He is God in any of His innumerable forms
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.46
Aham, I; icchami, want; drastum, to see; tvam, You; kiritinam, wearing a crown; as also gadinam, wielding a mace; and cakra-hastam, holding a disc in hand; i.e., tatha eva, just as before. Since this is so, therefore, sahasra-baho, O You with a thousand arms-in Your present Cosmic form; visva-murte, O you of Cosmic form; bhava, apeear; tena eva rupena, with that very form-with the form of the son of Vasudeva; caturbhujena, with four hands. The idea is: withdrawing the Cosmic form, appear in that very form as the son of Vasudeva.
Noticing Arjuna to have become afraid, and withdrawing the Cosmic form, reassuring him with sweet words-
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.46 I wish to see You thus, as before, with a crown, and with a mace and discus in hand. Hence assume again that four-armed shape, shown to me before, O thousand-armed one of Universal Form! Assume that shape in place of what You have now revealed with thousand arms and a cosmic body. Such is the meaning.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.46 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.46 I desire to see Thee as before, crowned, bearing a mace, with the discus in hand, in Thy former form only, having four arms, O thousand-armed, Cosmic Form (Being).
Commentary
11.46 किरीटिनम् wearing crown? गदिनम् bearing a mace? चक्रहस्तम् with a discus in the hand? इच्छामि (I) desire? त्वाम् Thee? द्रष्टुम् to see? अहम् I? तथैव as before? तेनैव that same? रूपेण of form? चतुर्भुजेन (by) fourarmed? सहस्रबाहो O thousandarmed? भव be? विश्वमूर्ते O Universal Form.Commentary Arjuna says O Lord in the Cosmic Form I do not know where to turn and to whom to address myself. I am frightened. I am longing to see Thee with conch? discus? mace and lotus. Withdraw Thy Cosmic Form. Assume that same fourarmed form as before.Spiritual aspirants are ofen impatient to have the highest spiritual experiences immediately they begin their Sadhana. This is wrong. They will not be able to withstand the great power that will,surge into them. Be patientO thousandarmed refers to the Cosmic Form.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.46 I want to see You just as before, wearing a crown, wielding a mace, and holding a disc in hand. O You with thousand arms, O You of Cosmic form, appear with that very form with four hands.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.46 I long to see Thee as thou wert before, with the crown, the sceptre and the discus in Thy hands; in Thy other Form, with Thy four hands, O Thou Whose arms are countless and Whose forms are infinite.
I want to see You with crown, with mace, with disc, in Your four-armed form — please assume that form for me.
Practical Applications
Honor the specific request: a personal, concrete form.
Approach Kṛṣṇa with concrete imagination, not abstraction.
Use deity-form (mūrti) as legitimate concretization.
Reflection Questions
What concrete form of Kṛṣṇa most calls me?
Have I cultivated relationship with that specific form?
Analogy
After looking at the sun all afternoon, one asks for the moon. Arjuna does not deny the sun — he says, please, give me the form I can carry home. The four-armed Viṣṇu is the moon to the universal form's sun: the same body, scaled to be lived with.
Stories
Akrūra's Wish to Behold Viṣṇu
When Akrūra bathed in the Yamunā on the way to Mathurā (SB 10.39), he was granted the four-armed form of Lord Viṣṇu, complete with crown, club, disc, and conch — exactly the form Arjuna asks for here. Akrūra, having beheld, then returned to the chariot to find Kṛṣṇa still seated beside him, two-armed, smiling.
Arjuna's request in 11.46 — kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakra-hastam — asks for Akrūra's vision. The four-armed form is the canonical mediator between the cosmic and the human Kṛṣṇa.
śrī - bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead saidmayā—by Meprasannena—happilytava—unto youarjuna—O Arjunaidam—thisrūpam—formparam—transcendentaldarśitam—shownātma - yogāt—by My internal potencytejaḥ - mayam—full of effulgenceviśvam—the entire universeanantam—unlimitedādyam—originalyat—that whichme—Mytvat anyena—besides youna dṛṣṭa - pūrvam—no one has previously seen .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ
mayā
by Me
prasannena
happily
tava
unto you
arjuna
O Arjuna
idam
this
rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt
rūpam
form
param
transcendental
darśitam
shown
ātma - yogāt
by My internal potency
tejo-mayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ
tejaḥ - mayam
full of effulgence
viśvam
the entire universe
anantam
unlimited
ādyam
original
yan me tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam
yat
that which
me
My
tvat anyena
besides you
na dṛṣṭa - pūrvam
no one has previously seen .
Important Words
prasannena—(by Me) being pleased
Instrumental of prasanna — 'pleased.' Kṛṣṇa names the precondition: the showing is by Kṛṣṇa-when-pleased, not by Kṛṣṇa-as-mechanism. Devotional access is governed by the Lord's pleasure.
darśitam—shown
Past participle of dṛś (causative) — 'caused to be seen.' The verb of bestowed vision. Arjuna did not achieve the seeing; Kṛṣṇa enacted the showing.
ātma - yogāt—by My own internal energy
Ablative compound: ātma (self) + yoga (mystic power). The Lord's internal yoga, not external — yoga-māyā, the same potency that hides Kṛṣṇa from non-devotees in Vraja. The chapter's epistemic claim: only the internal energy can reveal the highest forms.
tejaḥ - mayam—made of effulgence
Compound: tejas (radiance) + maya (consisting of). The form's substance is radiance, not flesh. Re-emphasises 11.12 and 11.17.
ādyam—primal
Accusative of ādya. The same word Arjuna used in 11.31 — 'the primal.' Now Kṛṣṇa accepts the title for the form He has shown.
na dṛṣṭa - pūrvam—never before seen
Compound: na (not) + dṛṣṭa (seen) + pūrva (before). Arjuna's privilege is unique. The grammar of singularity is preserved by negation.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you, by My internal potency, this supreme universal form within the material world. No one before you has ever seen this primal form, unlimited and full of glaring effulgence.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa concedes the request but first underscores the uniqueness of what He has given. The viśvarūpa was not granted because of Arjuna's qualifications but because of Kṛṣṇa's prasāda — and no one before Arjuna had received it. The gift is acknowledged before it is rolled back.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
'Mayā prasannena' is the doctrinal point: revelation is from prasāda, not earned by tapas (next verse). 'Tvad-anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam' elevates Arjuna's privilege above all prior visions in scripture — even the ṛṣis listed in ch. 10. Reread alongside Sañjaya (11.9), who also sees it by Vyāsa's grace; the privilege is grace-mediated.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे अर्जुन! प्रसन्नेन मया आत्म-योगात् इदं परं तेजः-मयम् अनन्तम् आद्यं विश्वं रूपं तव दर्शितम्; यत् मे (रूपं) त्वत्-अन्येन न दृष्ट-पूर्वम् ।
he arjuna! prasannena mayā ātma-yogāt idaṃ paraṃ tejaḥ-mayam anantam ādyaṃ viśvaṃ rūpaṃ tava darśitam; yat me (rūpaṃ) tvat-anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam |
O Arjuna, being well-pleased, I have shown you, by My own yoga, this supreme form — luminous, universal, infinite, primal — which form of Mine has never before been seen by anyone other than you.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्री-भगवान् उवाच
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
मया प्रसन्नेन तव अर्जुन इदं रूपं परं दर्शितम् आत्म-योगात् । तेजः-मयं विश्वम् अनन्तम् आद्यं यत् मे त्वत्-अन्येन न दृष्ट-पूर्वम् ॥
mayā prasannena tava arjuna idaṃ rūpaṃ paraṃ darśitam ātma-yogāt | tejaḥ-mayaṃ viśvam anantam ādyaṃ yat me tvat-anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam ||
Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of the Supreme Lord, so Lord Kṛṣṇa, out of His mercy upon His devotee Arjuna, showed His universal form, full of effulgence and opulence. This form was glaring like the sun, and its many faces were rapidly changing. Kṛṣṇa showed this form just to satisfy the desire of His friend Arjuna. This form was manifested by Kṛṣṇa through His internal potency, which is inconceivable by human speculation. No one had seen this universal form of the Lord before Arjuna, but because the form was shown to Arjuna, other devotees in the heavenly planets and in other planets in outer space could also see it. They had not seen it before, but because of Arjuna they were also able to see it. In other words, all the disciplic devotees of the Lord could see the universal form which was shown to Arjuna by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Someone has commented that this form was shown to Duryodhana also when Kṛṣṇa went to Duryodhana to negotiate for peace. Unfortunately, Duryodhana did not accept the peace offer, but at that time Kṛṣṇa manifested some of His universal forms. But those forms are different from this one shown to Arjuna. It is clearly said that no one had ever seen this form before.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
47. The Lord said: Being pleased with You, I have shown this supreme, brilliant, infinite, original form of the universe, which has not ever been seen by any except you, by My own yoga-māyā.
Commentary
“O Arjuna, you have said that you desired to see My majestic form (verse 3) and by your request, I have shown the form of the universe which is one of My parts. Why has your mind become disturbed on seeing it? Is it not astonishing that you plead with Me, wanting now to see My human form?” Thus the Lord speaks this verse.
Being pleased with you, I have shown this form to you (tava) alone, and not to anyone else, since it has not been seen previously by anyone. In spite of that, do you not want to see that form?
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
47. The Lord said: Being pleased with you, I have shown this supreme, brilliant, infinite, original universal form, which has never been seen by anyone accept you, by My own yoga māyā.
Commentary
Requested in this way, the Lord spoke.
O Arjuna! You requested to see this form. Being pleased with you, by My own inconceivable powers (ātma yogāt) I have shown this brilliant form of supreme power, which is situated within Me, your object of love, who am like an actor, or the vaidūrya stone, capable of showing many forms and colors. This form of Mine has not previously been seen by anyone except you. Now however, but not being the main objects of mercy, the devas and others, also have seen this form. I have shown this form which can be seen by devotion to you because you are My devotee. And I have shown it to the devas and others who also are devotional, in order that there be many witnesses to what I have shown you. The universal form that Duryodhana and others saw at Hastināpura was not of this type. [Note: When Kṛṣṇa attempted to persuade Duryodhana from war, Duryodhana tried to capture Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa at that time showed his universal form.] This has not been seen till now by anyone except you.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Krishna says “I have shown you this Universal form which no-one else has ever seen before”
By ‘My’ internal potency
Happily by ‘My’ desire
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.47 Prasannena, out of grace-grace means the intention of favouring you; O Arjuna, idam, this; param, supreme; tejomayam, abundantly radiant; visvam, Cosmic, all-comprehensive; anantam, infinite, limitless; adyam, primeval-that which existed in the beginning; rupam, form, the Cosmic form; yat which form; me, of Mine; na drsta-purvam, has not been seen before; tvat-anyena, by anyone other than you; daristam, has been shown; tava, to you; maya, by Me-who am racious, being possessed of that (intention of favouring you); atma-yogat, through the power of My own Yoga, through the power of My own Godhood.
'You have certainly got all your ends accomplished by the vision of the form of Mine who am the Self [The word atmanah (who am the Self) does not occur in some editions.-Tr.] .' Saying so, He eulogizes that (vision):
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.47 The Lord said The 'luminous' form of Mine is a mass of luminosity. It is 'universal' i.e., constitutes the Self of the universe. It is 'infinite', endless. This is illustrated by describing it as having no beginning, middle or end. It is 'primeval,' namely, it constitutes the foundation of all beings other than Myself. It has nevr been seen before by any one other than you. Such a form is now revealed to you, who are My devotee, by Me who am gracious, by My own Yoga, namely, by the power of willing the truth associated with Me.
Sri Krsna proceeds to say, 'It is not possible that I can be realised as I am, through any means except exclusive Bhakti.'
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.47 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.47 The Blessed Lord said O Arjuna, this Cosmic Form has graciously been shown to thee by Me by My own Yogic power; full of splendour, primeval, and infinite, this Cosmic Form of Mine has never been seen before by anyone other than thyself.
Commentary
11.47 मया by Me? प्रसन्नेन gracious? तव to thee? अर्जुन O Arjuna? इदम् this? रूपम् form? परम् supreme? दर्शितम् has been shown? आत्मयोगात् by My own Yogic power? तेजोमयम् full of splendour? विश्वम् universal? अनन्तम् endless? आद्यम् primeval? यत् which? मे of Me? त्वत् from thee? अन्येन by another? न not? दृष्टपूर्वम् seen before.Commentary Lord Krishna eulogises the Cosmic Form because Arjuna should be regarded to have achieved all his ends by seeing this Cosmic Form.It is also an inducement to all spiritual aspirants to strive to attain this sublime vision. What they should do is explained by the Lord in verse 53 to 55.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.47 The Blessed Lord said Out of grace, O Arjuna, this supreme, radiant, Cosmic, infinite, primeval form-which (form) of Mine has not been seen before by anyone other than you, has been shown to you by Me through the power of My own Yoga.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.47 Lord Shri Krishna replied: My beloved friend! It is only through My grace and power that thou hast been able to see this vision of splendour, the Universal, the Infinite, the Original. Never has it been seen by any but thee.
I, satisfied with you, have shown you by My internal energy this universal form — never seen before by any other.
Practical Applications
Recognize personal vision as Kṛṣṇa's specific gift.
Treat your own glimpses as gifts, not productions.
Don't envy others' visions; receive your own.
Reflection Questions
What glimpse have I received that I treat as ordinary?
What does treating it as gift change?
Analogy
A king opens the royal vault for one trusted minister at one trusted hour — not because the vault is small but because the showing is precise. Kṛṣṇa says: I showed you what no one before you has been shown, and I showed it as a kindness, by My own internal energy, not by some impersonal cosmic display.
Stories
The Privilege of Devotee-Seeing
In the Bhāgavatam (SB 10.14.34–35), Brahmā prays that even the demigods cannot see the form Kṛṣṇa shows to His devotees in Vraja — the realm of internal energy (yoga-māyā) is closed to those who approach through external means.
Kṛṣṇa's words to Arjuna in 11.47 — mayā prasannena... ātma-yogāt — establish the same principle: this form was shown by Kṛṣṇa's own internal yoga, as a favour to one whose surrender qualified him to receive it. The seeing is not a feat of Arjuna's; it is a gift, conditional on the giver's pleasure.
न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै-
र्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रै: ।
एवंरूप:शक्यअहंनृलोके
द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर ॥ ४८ ॥
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair
[na veda-yajnaadhyayanair na daanair]
na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ
[na cha kriyaabhir na tapobhir ugraih]
evaṁ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛ-loke
[evam-roopah shakya aham nri-loke]
draṣṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra
[drashtum tvad anyena kuru-praveera]
Word-for-word
na—neverveda - yajña—by sacrificeadhyayanaiḥ—or Vedic studyna—neverdānaiḥ—by charityna—neverca—alsokriyābhiḥ—by pious activitiesna—nevertapobhiḥ—by serious penancesugraiḥ—severeevam - rūpaḥ—in this formśakyaḥ—canaham—Inṛ - loke—in this material worlddraṣṭum—be seentvat—than youanyena—by anotherkuru - pravīra—O best among the Kuru warriors .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair
na
never
veda - yajña
by sacrifice
adhyayanaiḥ
or Vedic study
na
never
dānaiḥ
by charity
na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ
na
never
ca
also
kriyābhiḥ
by pious activities
na
never
tapobhiḥ
by serious penances
ugraiḥ
severe
evaṁ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛ-loke
evam - rūpaḥ
in this form
śakyaḥ
can
aham
I
nṛ - loke
in this material world
draṣṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra
draṣṭum
be seen
tvat
than you
anyena
by another
kuru - pravīra
O best among the Kuru warriors .
Important Words
veda - yajña—Vedic sacrifice
Compound. The two pillars of Vedic religion. Neither is sufficient for this darśana — a sharp claim against ritualism.
dānaiḥ—by charity
Instrumental plural of dāna. Charity, one of the most highly praised Vedic activities, is ruled out as sufficient cause.
kriyābhiḥ—by rituals
Instrumental plural of kriyā — 'ceremonial action.' The general category of religious works. Insufficient.
tapobhiḥ—by penances
Instrumental plural of tapas — 'austerity.' Even severe austerity — the very means by which the great sages attained their stations — is ruled out.
ugraiḥ—severe
Instrumental adjective qualifying tapas. Not just any austerity — even severe austerity does not suffice. The intensifier closes the last loophole.
kuru - pravīra—O best of the Kuru warriors
Vocative compound. Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna by his clan's highest title precisely when telling him no warrior-quality earned this vision — the title is honored, but the giving is not on account of the title.
O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by pious activities, nor by severe penances can I be seen in this form in the material world.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa enumerates the standard means of religious access — Veda-study, sacrifice, gifts, rites, severe tapas — and dismisses them all as inadequate. The viśvarūpa is not attainable by works; the next verses will name what does grant access (11.54 — bhakti).
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The negation-list (na … na … na … na …) is a stotra-style apophasis. Cross-reference 11.53 which repeats the same negations and 11.54 which delivers the affirmative: bhaktyā tv ananyayā. The structural argument of the chapter's closing arc: prasāda (47) → inaccessibility by works (48, 53) → accessibility by ananya-bhakti (54-55).
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे कुरु-प्रवीर! एवं-रूपः अहं नृ-लोके वेद-यज्ञ-अध्ययनैः न, दानैः न, क्रियाभिः न च, उग्रैः तपोभिः न — त्वत्-अन्येन द्रष्टुं शक्यः ।
he kuru-pravīra! evaṃ-rūpaḥ ahaṃ nṛ-loke veda-yajña-adhyayanaiḥ na, dānaiḥ na, kriyābhiḥ na ca, ugraiḥ tapobhiḥ na — tvat-anyena draṣṭuṃ śakyaḥ |
O foremost of the Kurus, I — in this form — am in the human world not possible to be seen by another than you, not by Vedic-sacrificial studies, not by gifts, not by rituals, not by severe austerities.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
न वेद-यज्ञ-अध्ययनैः न दानैः न च क्रियाभिः न तपोभिः उग्रैः । एवं-रूपः शक्यः अहं नृ-लोके द्रष्टुं त्वत्-अन्येन कुरु-प्रवीर ॥
na veda-yajña-adhyayanaiḥ na dānaiḥ na ca kriyābhiḥ na tapobhiḥ ugraiḥ | evaṃ-rūpaḥ śakyaḥ ahaṃ nṛ-loke draṣṭuṃ tvat-anyena kuru-pravīra ||
The divine vision in this connection should be clearly understood. Who can have divine vision? Divine means godly. Unless one attains the status of divinity as a demigod, he cannot have divine vision. And what is a demigod? It is stated in the Vedic scriptures that those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu are demigods ( viṣṇu-bhaktaḥ smṛto daivaḥ ). Those who are atheistic, i.e., who do not believe in Viṣṇu, or who recognize only the impersonal part of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, cannot have the divine vision. It is not possible to decry Kṛṣṇa and at the same time have the divine vision. One cannot have the divine vision without becoming divine. In other words, those who have divine vision can also see like Arjuna. The Bhagavad-gītā gives the description of the universal form. Although this description was unknown to everyone before Arjuna, now one can have some idea of the viśva-rūpa after this incident. Those who are actually divine can see the universal form of the Lord. But one cannot be divine without being a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The devotees, however, who are actually in the divine nature and who have divine vision, are not very much interested in seeing the universal form of the Lord. As described in the previous verse, Arjuna desired to see the four-handed form of Lord Kṛṣṇa as Viṣṇu, and he was actually afraid of the universal form. In this verse there are some significant words, just like veda-yajñādhyayanaiḥ, which refers to studying Vedic literature and the subject matter of sacrificial regulations. Veda refers to all kinds of Vedic literature, such as the four Vedas ( Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva ) and the eighteen Purāṇas, the Upaniṣads and the Vedānta-sūtra. One can study these at home or anywhere else. Similarly, there are sūtras – Kalpa-sūtras and Mīmāṁsā-sūtras – for studying the method of sacrifice. Dānaiḥ refers to charity which is offered to a suitable party, such as those who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord – the brāhmaṇas and the Vaiṣṇavas. Similarly, “pious activities” refers to the agni-hotra and the prescribed duties of the different castes. And the voluntary acceptance of some bodily pains is called tapasya. So one can perform all these – can accept bodily penances, give charity, study the Vedas, etc. – but unless he is a devotee like Arjuna, it is not possible to see that universal form. Those who are impersonalists are also imagining that they are seeing the universal form of the Lord, but from Bhagavad-gītā we understand that the impersonalists are not devotees. Therefore they are unable to see the universal form of the Lord. There are many persons who create incarnations. They falsely claim an ordinary human to be an incarnation, but this is all foolishness. We should follow the principles of Bhagavad-gītā, otherwise there is no possibility of attaining perfect spiritual knowledge. Although Bhagavad-gītā is considered the preliminary study of the science of God, still it is so perfect that it enables one to distinguish what is what. The followers of a pseudo incarnation may say that they have also seen the transcendental incarnation of God, the universal form, but that is unacceptable because it is clearly stated here that unless one becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa one cannot see the universal form of God. So one first of all has to become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa; then he can claim that he can show the universal form of what he has seen. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa cannot accept false incarnations or followers of false incarnations.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
48. Not by study of the Vedas, by sacrifice, by recital of the scriptures, by charities, by rituals, or by severe austerities can this form been seen in this world by anyone except you, O hero of the Kurus.
Commentary
This form which I have shown to you is rarely seen even by those who study the Vedas and follow other processes. I cannot be seen in this form (evam rūpaḥ) by anyone except you. The absence of visarga and consequent sandhi to form śakyo’ ham instead of śakya aham in this verse is poetic license.
Therefore considering this, that you have attained something which is not attainable by others, fix your mind on this form, difficult to see for everyone—a form which is certainly the Lord. Having seen that form, you should forget about the human form you are again desiring to see.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
48. Not by study of the Vedas, by sacrifice, by recital of the scriptures, by charities, by rituals, or by severe austerities can this form been seen in this world. It cannot be seen by anyone except you, O hero of the Kurus.
Commentary
The Lord shows in this verse how the universal form is the goal of life. Not by reciting the Vedas (veda-adhyayanaiḥ), not by considering the meaning of sacrifice by studying the kalpa sutras and mimāṁsā scriptures (yajña-adhyayanaiḥ), not by offering articles to qualified persons (danaiḥ), not by actions of agnihotra sacrifice and other rituals (kriyābhiḥ), not by creating difficulties for the body (tapobhiḥ), drying it up with intense vratas, has any person listed above seen this form. Other than you, endowed with bhakti, no one has seen it. Without bhakti, none of these methods allow any person to see My form.
dharmaḥ satyādayopeto vidyā vā tapasānvitā
mad-bhaktyāpetam ātmānaṁ na samyak prapunāti hi
Neither religious activities endowed with honesty and mercy nor knowledge obtained with great penance can completely purify one’s consciousness if they are bereft of loving service to Me. SB 11.14.22
I am visible to you because you have devotion, and to the devatās because they have devotion.
The visarga of śakyaḥ has been dropped without the sandhi which should have become śakyo’ham for poetic reasons. Repetition of the negative na in this verse is to emphasizes the impossibility for others to see by other methods. It is not possible for humans of this planet (nṛ loke) other than you to see it. This means however that it is possible for the many devas who are bhaktas to see that form, since they are not on this planet.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "Although Bhagavad‑ gita is considered the preliminary study of the science of God, still it is so perfect that it enables one to distinguish what is what. The followers of a pseudo incarnation may say that they have also seen the transcendental incarnation of God, the universal form, but that is unacceptable because it is clearly stated here that unless one becomes a devotee of Krsna one cannot see the universal form of God. So one first of all has to become a pure devotee of Krsna; then he can claim that he can show the universal form of what he has seen. A devotee of Krsna cannot accept false incarnations or followers of false incarnations."
Arjuna is saying:" My dear Lord, I accept what I saw and I don't want to see the universal form any longer but You are again and again telling me to see it. (Krsna keeps saying: "Behold this universal form. And He is glorifying that universal form). My limbs are pained and disturbed and I'm becoming unconscious. I will never request You to show me this universal form again. Please forgive me. I wish to see that beautiful form from which nectar comes!" (note from the commentators)
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Glorifies ‘bhakti’ by negation – This Universal form cannot be seen by personal efforts like studying
the Vedas, performing sacrifices, charity, pious activities or penances
Focus of Learning
(a) Who can have this divine vision – Only godly souls
(b) Who is a Godly person (Status like a demigod) – ‘Only devotees’ can have such divinity (Ref. Vedic
scriptures)
Other qualifications are insufficient – By methods like ‘charity’ / ‘penance’ / ‘Veda-yajnadhyayanaih’ (Vedic study and sacrificial regulations), one cannot qualify to have that divine vision. These methods include:
‘Vedas’ – Four Vedas, eighteen Puranas, Upanishads, Vedanta-sutra
‘Sutras’ – (Kalpa-sutra, Mimamsa-sutra) – for studying the method of sacrifice
‘Pious activities’ – Agnihotra sacrifice and prescribed duties for different caste
‘Tapasya’ – Voluntary acceptance of some bodily pains
‘Charity’ (‘Danaih’) – Charity to suitable party who is engaged in transcendental loving service (brahmanas and vaisnavas)
Even the Impersonalists who are imagining seeing the Universal form – Are unable to see because Bhagavad-gita explains that Impersonalists are not devotees.
(a) By ‘My’ internal potency – because inconceivable by human speculation
(b) Happily by ‘My’ desire because ‘no-one has ever seen this before’
All disciplic devotees of the Lord could see the form which was shown to Arjuna by Krishna’s mercy (e.g. other devotees in planets in outer space and in heavenly planets)
Forms shown to Duryodhana were ‘not’ the complete forms and were different from this Universal Form
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION V
The most intimate feature of the Absolute Truth is two-armed form of Sri Krishna. This Form is
only known through devotional service
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.48 Na veda-yajna-adhyayanaih, not by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, (i.e.) not by the methodical study of even the four Vedas and the study of the sacrifices-since the study of the sacrifices is achieved by the very study of the Vedas, the separate mention of the study of sacrifices is for suggesting detailed knowledge of sacrifices; [This separate mention of the study of sacrifices is necessary because the ancients understood the study of Vedas to mean learing them by rote.] so also, na danaih, not by gifts-in such forms as distributing wealth eal to the weight of the giver; na ca kriyabhih, not even by rituals-by Vedic and other rituals like Agnihotra etc.; nor even ugraih tapobhih, by severe austerities such a Candrayana [A religious observance or expiatory penance regulated by the moon's phases. In it the daily antity of food, which consists of fifteen mouthfuls at the full-moon, is curtailed by one mouthful during the dark fornight till it is reduced to nothing at the new moon; and it is increased in a like manner during the bright fortnight.-V.S.A.] etc. which are frightful; sakyah aham, can I; evam rupam, in this form-possessing the Cosmic form as was shown; drastum, be perceived; nrloke, in the human world; tvad-anyena, by anyone other than you; kuru-pravira, O most valiant among the Kurus.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.48 In this form, which represents My real nature, I cannot be realised by such means as study of the Vedas, sacrifices etc., by anyone who is bereft of exclusive Bhakti towards Me or by any one other than yourself who has complete devotion towards Me.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.48 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.48 Neither by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, nor by gifts nor by rituals nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than thyself, O great hero of the Kurus (Arjuna).
Commentary
11.48 न not? वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैः by the study of the Vedas and of Yajnas? न not? दानैः by gifts? न not? च and? क्रियाभिः by rituals? न not? तपोभिः by austerities? उग्रैः severe? एवंरूपः in such form? शक्यः (am) possible? अहम् I? नृलोके in the world of men? द्रष्टुम् to be seen? त्वत् than thee? अन्येन by another? कुरुप्रवीर O great hero of the Kurus.Commentary Mere cramming of the texts of the Vedas without knowing the meaning will not do. A study of the sacrifices also is necessary. One should know the meaning of these? also.Dana Charity such as a Tula Purusha (gift of gold eal in weight of a man) Kanyadana (gift of ones daughther in marriage)? gift of a cow? rice? etc.Kriya Rituals such as Agnihotra.Tapas Such as the Chandrayana Vrata. (This is a kind of Vrata or observance. The daily consumption of food is reduced by one mouthful every day for the dark half of the month beginning with the fullmoon. Then the food is increased by one mouthful every day during the bright fortnight during the increase of the moon. This Vrata (observance) is a great purifier of the mind. It destroys sins.)
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.48 Not by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, not by gifts, not even by rituals, not by severe austerities can I, in this form, be perceived in the human world by anyone ['By anyone who has not received My grace'. other than you, O most valiant among the Kurus.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.48 Not by study of the scriptures, not by sacrifice or gift, not by ritual or rigorous austerity, is it possible for man on earth to see what thou hast seen, O thou foremost hero of the Kuru-clan!
Not by Vedic study, not by sacrifice, charity, ritual, or severe penance can I be seen in this form — only you have been so favored.
Practical Applications
Recognize that no technique compels this vision.
Don't try to manufacture vision through technique.
Trust that grace, not technique, opens the form.
Reflection Questions
Where have I tried to manufacture spiritual experience?
What does pure invitation-to-grace look like?
Analogy
A library full of priceless manuscripts can be entered only by one with the right key; sacrifice, study, charity, austerity all gather coins of merit, but the key is given by the Lord to those He chooses. Kṛṣṇa says: this room could not have been entered with any of the usual currencies.
Stories
Even the Demigods Did Not See
The Bhāgavatam (especially SB 1.8 and 10.14) repeatedly notes that even Brahmā, Śiva, and the great sages have not beheld certain forms of Kṛṣṇa — not for lack of austerity but because such darśana is granted only through bhakti.
Kṛṣṇa's verse in 11.48 — na veda-yajña-adhyayanaiḥ — affirms that no quantum of Vedic study, sacrifice, charity, or tapas produces the universal-form vision. Arjuna received it as an act of grace responding to his surrender. The verse will be echoed by 11.53 in even sharper form.
mā—let it not bete—unto youvyathā—troublemā—let it not beca—alsovimūḍha - bhāvaḥ—bewildermentdṛṣṭvā—by seeingrūpam—formghoram—horribleīdṛk—as it ismama—Myidam—thisvyapeta - bhīḥ—free from all fearprīta - manāḥ—pleased in mindpunaḥ—againtvam—youtat—thateva—thusme—Myrūpam—formidam—thisprapaśya—just see .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍha-bhāvo
mā
let it not be
te
unto you
vyathā
trouble
mā
let it not be
ca
also
vimūḍha - bhāvaḥ
bewilderment
dṛṣṭvā rūpaṁ ghoram īdṛṅ mamedam
dṛṣṭvā
by seeing
rūpam
form
ghoram
horrible
īdṛk
as it is
mama
My
vyapeta-bhīḥ prīta-manāḥ punas tvaṁ
tad eva me rūpam idaṁ prapaśya
idam
this
vyapeta - bhīḥ
free from all fear
prīta - manāḥ
pleased in mind
punaḥ
again
tvam
you
tat
that
eva
thus
me
My
rūpam
form
idam
this
prapaśya
just see .
Important Words
vyathā—fear, distress
Nominative, paired with prohibitive mā in the line. The construction is gentle — no harsh command, only a wish that the vyathā cease. The same root as pravyathita in 11.20, 11.23, 11.24.
vimūḍha - bhāvaḥ—bewildered state
Compound: vi-mūḍha (utterly bewildered) + bhāva (state). Kṛṣṇa names the precise condition He is dispelling — not just fear but the bewilderment that fear produces.
ghoram—horrible
Adjective qualifying rūpam. The Lord Himself uses the word ghora for the form He has just shown — He does not pretend the vision was pleasant.
vyapeta - bhīḥ—free from fear
Compound: vi-apa-ita (gone-away) + bhīḥ (fear). The fear must depart before the form Arjuna asked for can be re-shown.
prīta - manāḥ—with pleased mind
Compound: prīta (pleased) + manas (mind). Kṛṣṇa specifies the receptive condition — the mind must be both fearless and pleased, not merely fearless.
prapaśya—behold
Imperative of pra-paśya — 'see fully.' Pra intensifies; not glance but behold. The same verb opening verse 5; the chapter ends its visionary arc with the verb that began it.
You have been perturbed and bewildered by seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free again from all disturbances. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Tender consolation. Kṛṣṇa explicitly grants what Arjuna asked for in 11.45-46 — the familiar form. The double prohibition (no vyathā, no vimūḍha-bhāva) directly addresses both layers of Arjuna's collapse: bodily trembling and mental disorientation.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The tone shifts to soothing — note the imperative 'prapaśya' (behold) paired with 'prīta-manāḥ' (delighted-minded), in pointed contrast to 11.24's 'pravyathita-antar-ātmā.' Cf. Bhāgavata 10.8.43 (Yaśodā) — the deity's terror is dissolved by motherly reversal. Here Kṛṣṇa restores the friend-form because love is the relationship He prefers with Arjuna.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
मम इदम् ईदृक् घोरं रूपं दृष्ट्वा ते व्यथा मा (भवतु); विमूढ-भावः च मा (अस्तु); व्यपेत-भीः प्रीत-मनाः सन् त्वं पुनः मे तत् एव इदं रूपं प्रपश्य ।
mama idam īdṛk ghoraṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā te vyathā mā (bhavatu); vimūḍha-bhāvaḥ ca mā (astu); vyapeta-bhīḥ prīta-manāḥ san tvaṃ punaḥ me tat eva idaṃ rūpaṃ prapaśya |
Let there be no agitation for you, and no bewildered state, on seeing this dreadful form of Mine such as this. With fear gone, with delighted mind, behold once more this — that very (familiar) form of Mine.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढ-भावः दृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरम् ईदृक् मम इदम् । व्यपेत-भीः प्रीत-मनाः पुनः त्वं तत् एव मे रूपम् इदं प्रपश्य ॥
mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍha-bhāvaḥ dṛṣṭvā rūpaṃ ghoram īdṛk mama idam | vyapeta-bhīḥ prīta-manāḥ punaḥ tvaṃ tat eva me rūpam idaṃ prapaśya ||
प्र + √दृश् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
behold
Purport
In the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna was worried about killing Bhīṣma and Droṇa, his worshipful grandfather and master. But Kṛṣṇa said that he need not be afraid of killing his grandfather. When the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra tried to disrobe Draupadī in the assembly of the Kurus, Bhīṣma and Droṇa were silent, and for such negligence of duty they should be killed. Kṛṣṇa showed His universal form to Arjuna just to show him that these people were already killed for their unlawful action. That scene was shown to Arjuna because devotees are always peaceful and they cannot perform such horrible actions. The purpose of the revelation of the universal form was shown; now Arjuna wanted to see the four-armed form, and Kṛṣṇa showed him. A devotee is not much interested in the universal form, for it does not enable one to reciprocate loving feelings. Either a devotee wants to offer his respectful worshipful feelings, or he wants to see the two-handed Kṛṣṇa form so that he can reciprocate in loving service with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
49. Do not be fearful, do not be bewildered, having seen that terrifying form of Mine. Devoid of fear, pleased in mind, see again this form of Mine.
Commentary
“O Supreme Lord, why do You not understand me? You are forcibly giving me something which I do not want. Seeing this form of Yours, my limbs are distressed, my mind is pained. Constantly, I am fainting. Let me offer my respects again and again to that majestic form from far away. I will never again pray to see that form. Forgive me, forgive me. Show to me that human form with moon-like face, covered in showers of nectar through the sweetest smiles. Please show that to me.”
The Lord then speaks this verse in a comforting mood to Arjuna who is distressed in the above manner.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
49. Do not be disturbed, do not be bewildered, on having seen that terrifying form of Mine. Devoid of fear, pleased in mind, see again this form of Mine that you have requested to see.
Commentary
I have shown you the destruction of all these people within My form, to make you understand that all of these, even Bhīsma and others, who stood silent on seeing the defiling of Draupadī, will be killed by Me out of anger at that act. It is not your burden to kill them. So you should not be disturbed (mā te vyathā). Now see this four-handed form which you requested to see.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "In the beginning of Bhagavad‑gita Arjuna was worried about killing Bhisma and Drona, his worshipful grandfather and master. But Krsna said that he need not be afraid of killing his grandfather. When the sons of Dhrtarastra tried to disrobe Draupadi in the assembly of the Kurus, Bhisma and Drona were silent, and for such negligence of duty they should be killed. Krsna showed His universal form to Arjuna just to show him that these people were already killed for their unlawful action. That scene was shown to Arjuna because devotees are always peaceful and they cannot perform such horrible actions. The purpose of the revelation o universal form was shown; now Arjuna wanted to see the four‑armed form, and Krsna showed him. A devotee is not much interested in the universal form, for it does not enable o reciprocate loving feelings. Either a devotee wants to offe respectful worshipful feelings, or he wants to see the two‑handed Krsna form so that he can reciprocate in loving service with the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
‘Let this vision be over’ – Krishna says, “This fearsome form has disturbed your mind, therefore let
this vision be over”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.49 Ma te vyatha, may you have no fear; and ma vimudha-bhavah, may not there be bewilderment of the mind; drstva, by seeing, perceiving; idam, this rupam,
form; mama, of Mine; idrk ghoram, so terrible, as was revealed. Vyapetabhih, becoming free from fear; and becoming prita-manah, gladdened in mind; punah, again; prapasya, see; idam, this; eva, very; tat, earlier; rupam, form; me, of Mine, with four hands, holding a conch, a discus and a mace, which is dear to you.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.49 Whatever fear and whatever perlexity have been caused to you by seeing My terrible form, may it cease now. I shall show you the benign form to which you were accustomed before. Behold now that form of Mine.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.49 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.49 Be not afraid, nor bewildered on seeing such a teriible form of Mine as this; with thy fear dispelled and with a gladdened heart, now behold again this former form of Mine.
Commentary
11.49 मा not? ते thee? व्यथा fear? मा not? च and? विमूढभावः bewildered state? दृष्ट्वा having seen? रूपम् form? घोरम् terrible? ईदृक् such? मम My? इदम् this? व्यपेतभीः with (thy) fear dispelled? प्रीतमनाः with gladdened heart? पुनः again? त्वम् thou? तत् that? एव even? मे My? रूपम् form? इदम् this? प्रपश्य behold.Commentary Former form is the form with four hands with conch? discus? club or mace and lotus.The Lord was Arjuna in a state of terror. Therefore? He withdrew the Cosmic Form and assumed His usual gentle form. He consoled Arjuna and spoke sweet? loving words.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.49 May you have no fear, and may not there be bewilderment by seeing this form of Mine so terrible Becoming free from fear and gladdened in mind again, see this very earlier form of Mine.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.49 Be not afraid or bewildered by the terrible vision. Put away thy fear and, with joyful mind, see Me once again in My usual Form."
Be not afraid of My terrible form; with peaceful heart, behold again My familiar form.
Practical Applications
Trust that Kṛṣṇa returns to His sweet form.
Don't get stuck in fear-modes of relationship.
Cultivate the sweet form as the resting-place.
Reflection Questions
Where am I stuck in a fearful mode of relationship?
How would the sweet form restore me?
Analogy
A mother sees her child has been frightened in the dark and at once lights a lamp — not because the dark was hostile but because the child needs the gentler light to recover. Kṛṣṇa, having shown the cosmic dark, hands Arjuna the familiar lamp.
Stories
Lord Nṛsiṁha Pacified for Prahlāda
After slaying Hiraṇyakaśipu, Lord Nṛsiṁha sat in His full ferocity until the boy Prahlāda was brought before Him (SB 7.9). At Prahlāda's prayers, the Lord's anger subsided and He turned a gentle face to His devotee, blessing him.
Kṛṣṇa's words in 11.49 — mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍha-bhāvaḥ — perform the same pacification. The terrible form is set down, the devotee's fear is dismissed, and the loving register is restored. Arjuna is, like Prahlāda, the small one to whom the Lord adjusts His own scale.
सञ्जयउवाच
इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा
स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूय: ।
आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं
भूत्वा पुन: सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा ॥ ५० ॥
sañjaya uvāca
[sanjaya uvaacha]
ity arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā
[ity arjunam vaasudevas tathoktvaa]
svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayām āsa bhūyaḥ
[svakam roopam darshayaam aasa bhooyah]
āśvāsayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ
[aashvaasayaam aasa cha bheetam enam]
bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur mahātmā
[bhootvaa punah saumya-vapur mahaatmaa]
Word-for-word
sañjayaḥ uvāca—Sañjaya saiditi—thusarjunam—unto Arjunavāsudevaḥ—Kṛṣṇatathā—in that wayuktvā—speakingsvakam—His ownrūpam—formdarśayām āsa—showedbhūyaḥ—againāśvāsayām āsa—encouragedca—alsobhītam—fearfulenam—himbhūtvā—becomingpunaḥ—againsaumya - vapuḥ—the beautiful formmahā - ātmā—the great one .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sañjaya uvāca
sañjayaḥ uvāca
Sañjaya said
ity arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā
iti
thus
arjunam
unto Arjuna
vāsudevaḥ
Kṛṣṇa
tathā
in that way
uktvā
speaking
svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayām āsa bhūyaḥ
svakam
His own
rūpam
form
darśayām āsa
showed
bhūyaḥ
again
āśvāsayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ
āśvāsayām āsa
encouraged
ca
also
bhītam
fearful
enam
him
bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur mahātmā
bhūtvā
becoming
punaḥ
again
saumya - vapuḥ
the beautiful form
mahā - ātmā
the great one .
Important Words
vāsudevaḥ—the son of Vasudeva
Nominative — Kṛṣṇa as Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, the human-historical name. Sañjaya uses this name precisely when describing the return to the two-armed human form.
svakam—His own
Adjective qualifying rūpam — 'His own form.' Not a borrowed disguise — the four-armed and two-armed forms are equally Kṛṣṇa's own.
darśayām āsa—displayed
Causative perfect of dṛś. Same construction as 11.9 — Sañjaya frames the chapter with the same verb at its opening and at its closing.
āśvāsayām āsa—consoled
Causative perfect of ā-śvas, 'to breathe again.' The literal sense: caused-to-breathe-again. Arjuna had been trembling and breathless; Kṛṣṇa returns his breath.
saumya - vapuḥ—gentle-bodied
Compound: saumya (gentle, lunar) + vapus (body). The term used in the Bhāgavatam for Kṛṣṇa's pleasant human form. The last word-image of the chapter's visionary arc — the cosmic gives way to the gentle.
mahā - ātmā—great Self
Compound: mahā (great) + ātman (self). Even when reduced to the saumya-vapus, Kṛṣṇa remains mahātmā. The grandeur is not in the form but in the Person.
Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, having spoken thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form and at last showed His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sañjaya narrates the withdrawal: the viśvarūpa folds back into Vāsudeva's familiar 'svaka rūpa.' The verb āśvāsayām āsa (reassured, literally 'caused to breathe again') restores Arjuna's vital balance. The chapter has crested; the resolution begins.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The Gauḍīya reading interprets 'svakaṁ rūpam' as the original two-armed Kṛṣṇa form — preferred over even the four-armed Viṣṇu — since Kṛṣṇa's svarūpa is Govinda. 'Saumya-vapuḥ' (gentle body) closes the chiastic structure: ugra-rūpa (11.31) → kāla (11.32) → soothing (11.49) → saumya (11.50). The narrator's frame closes off the vision.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
इति अर्जुनं वासुदेवः तथा उक्त्वा भूयः स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास; महा-आत्मा च पुनः सौम्य-वपुः भूत्वा भीतम् एनम् आश्वासयामास ।
iti arjunaṃ vāsudevaḥ tathā uktvā bhūyaḥ svakaṃ rūpaṃ darśayāmāsa; mahā-ātmā ca punaḥ saumya-vapuḥ bhūtvā bhītam enam āśvāsayāmāsa |
Having thus spoken to Arjuna in this way, Vāsudeva showed again His own form; and the great Self, becoming once more of gentle body, reassured this frightened one.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
सञ्जयः उवाच
sañjayaḥ uvāca
इति अर्जुनं वासुदेवः तथा उक्त्वा स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः । आश्वासयामास च भीतम् एनं भूत्वा पुनः सौम्य-वपुः महा-आत्मा ॥
When Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, He first of all appeared as four-armed Nārāyaṇa, but when He was requested by His parents, He transformed Himself into an ordinary child in appearance. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa knew that Arjuna was not interested in seeing a four-handed form, but since Arjuna asked to see this four-handed form, Kṛṣṇa also showed him this form again and then showed Himself in His two-handed form. The word saumya-vapuḥ is very significant. Saumya-vapuḥ is a very beautiful form; it is known as the most beautiful form. When He was present, everyone was attracted simply by Kṛṣṇa’s form, and because Kṛṣṇa is the director of the universe, He just banished the fear of Arjuna, His devotee, and showed him again His beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa. In the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38) it is stated, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena: only a person whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
50. Having spoken to Arjuna thus, Vāsudeva showed him His personal four-handed form again. Then again, appearing in His pleasant two-handed form, the great soul gave comfort to the fearful Arjuna.
Commentary
Just as the Lord has showed the very ferocious form, which arose from just one of his parts, He again showed His own, very sweet personal form (svakaṁ rūpam) with four hands, crown, club, cakra and other ornaments, which was requested by Arjuna, and which was a mixture of sweetness and grandeur. Then again that great soul became the two handed, pleasant form (saumya-vapuḥ), wearing bracelets, earrings turban and yellow cloth, and comforted the fearful Arjuna.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
50. Having spoken to Arjuna thus, Vāsudeva showed him His personal four-handed form again. Appearing in His pleasant form, the generous Lord again gave cheer to the fearful Arjuna.
Commentary
Sañjaya then relates what happened next. Vāsudeva having spoken to Arjuna, then by His will, showed His own (svakam) form—the four-handed form as the son of Devakī, with qualities such as having the complexion of a blue lotus, just as by His will He had showed Arjuna His thousand-headed form. And being of magnanimous mind (mahātma), Kṛsṇa, by becoming that beautiful form (saumya vapuḥ), again cheered the frightened Arjuna (bhītam enam).
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
Here is said 'svakam rupam darsayam asa bhuyah'. 'Bhuyah' means 'again'. This means that Krsna had probably shown already in the universal form, His four‑armed form.
Then Krsna shown up that beautiful form (saumya vapur). 'Saumya' means "pleasing like the moon".
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Then Krishna shows transcendental four-armed form, then two-armed form (Saumya-vapuh)
Focus of Learning
(a) Similar example of change of forms – Krishna appears to Vasudeva and Devaki as four-handed
Narayana form and then transformed into an ordinary child
(b) ‘Saumya-vapuh’ –
Indicates a very beautiful form – Krishna’s form is the most beautiful form
Who can see this form – Ref. Brahma Samhita 5.38 “premanjana...” – Only one whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see this beautiful form
Krishna shows this form because He knows Arjuna’s ultimate interest is not even the four-handed form
(a) One of the purposes of the Universal form – Krishna wanted to show that Bhisma, Drona etc. have
already been killed by Him
Because they were silent when Draupadi was disrobed (Thus they deserve to be killed)
Also, this was shown to Arjuna because devotees are always peaceful and cannot perform such horrible action
(b) Why are devotees not interested in the Universal form
Because it does not allow them to reciprocate loving feelings
A devotee either wants to offer respectful worshipful feelings or
Reciprocate in loving service to Supreme Personality of Godhead in two-handed form
(c) ‘Atheist’ in contrast to Godly persons – Atheists cannot have such divinity, therefore they cannot
have the vision to see the Lord
They do not believe in Vishnu
Or recognize only the impersonal part of Krishna as Supreme
(d) Devotees do not want to see the Universal Form, although they are qualified to see
(e) Practical application: Text 11.48 helps to refute pseudo incarnations
Followers of a pseudo incarnation may say that they have also seen the Universal Form
But without becoming a devotee of ‘Krishna’ one cannot see the Universal Form of God
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.50 Iti, thus; uktva, having spoken; arjunam, to Arjuna; tatha, in that manner, the words as stated above; Vasudeva darsayamasa, showed; svakam, His own; rupam, form, as was born in the house of Vasudeva; bhuyah, again. And the mahatma, exalted One; asvasayamasa, reassured; enam, this; bhitam, terrified one; bhutva, by becoming; punah, again; saumya-vapuh, serene in form, graceful in body.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.50 Sanjaya said Having spoken thus to Arjuna, the Lord, the son of Vasudeva, revealed His own four-armed form. And the Mahatman, i.e., one whose resolves are always treu, reassured him who was terror-stricken on seeing ann unfamiliar form, by resuming the familiar pleasant form. Possession of His own four-armed form alone is proper to this Lord of all, the Supreme Person, the Supreme Brahman, when he has assumed the human form for blessing this world as the son of Vasudeva. But in answer to the prayer of Vasudeva, who was terrified by Kamsa, the two extra arms were withdrawn till the destruction of Kamsa. These became manifest again. For He was prayed to thus: 'You are born, O Lord, O Lord of gods, withdraw this form bearing conch, discus and mace out of grace ৷৷. withdraw this form of four arms, O Self of all' (V. P., 5.3.10 and 13). Even to Sisupala, who hated Him, this form of four arms of Sri Krsna was the object of constant thought, as described in: 'Him who is of four long and robust arms, bearing the conch, discus and the mace' (V. P., 4.15.10). Hence Arjuna also exclaimed here; 'Assume again that four-armed shape' (11.46).
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.51 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.50 Sanjaya said Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Krishna again showed His own form and the great Soul (Krishna), assuming His gentle form, consoled him (Arjuna) who was terrified.
Commentary
11.50 इति thus? अर्जुनम् to Arjuna? वासुदेवः Vaasudeva? तथा so? उक्त्वा having spoken? स्वकम् His own? रूपम् form? दर्शयामास showed? भूयः again? आश्वासयामास consoled? च and? भीतम् who was terrified? एनम् him? भूत्वा having become? पुनः again? सौम्यवपुः of gentle form? महात्मा the greatsouled One.Commentary His own form His form as the son of Vasudeva.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.50 Sanjaya said Thus, having spoken to Arjuna in that manner, Vasudeva showed His own form again. And He, the exalted One, reassured this terrified one by again becoming serene in form.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.50 Sanjaya continued: "Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Lord Shri Krishna showed Himself again in His accustomed form; and the Mighty Lord, in gentle tones, softly consoled him who lately trembled with fear.
Sañjaya describes: Kṛṣṇa, having spoken thus, displayed His four-armed form, then His two-armed human form, comforting the fearful Arjuna.
Practical Applications
Recognize the gradation: cosmic to four-armed to human.
Honor each form as legitimate.
Cultivate intimacy with the human form Kṛṣṇa took for us.
Reflection Questions
Which form do I most relate to?
Which is my next deepening?
Analogy
A great instrument is dropped from forte to mezzo-piano to pianissimo over a few bars, so that the listener can keep listening. Kṛṣṇa modulates from universal form to four-armed Viṣṇu to two-armed Pārtha-sārathi — three registers, descending, until Arjuna's mind can rest.
Stories
Akrūra Re-Seeing the Two-Armed Kṛṣṇa
After his vision of the four-armed form in the Yamunā (SB 10.39), Akrūra returned to find Kṛṣṇa still seated on the chariot in His two-armed beauty, holding the reins. The Bhāgavatam emphasises that the saumya-vapuḥ — the gentle form — is the one in which the Lord properly resides for His devotees, even though the four-armed form is also His.
Sañjaya's report in 11.50 mirrors this exactly: Kṛṣṇa first shows the four-armed form, then the two-armed gentle form, comforting the fearful one. The descent from cosmic to human is the chapter's downward grace.
arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna saiddṛṣṭvā—seeingidam—thismānuṣam—humanrūpam—formtava—Yoursaumyam—very beautifuljanārdana—O chastiser of the enemiesidānīm—nowasmi—I amsaṁvṛttaḥ—settledsa - cetāḥ—in my consciousnessprakṛtim—to my own naturegataḥ—returned .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
arjuna uvāca
arjunaḥ uvāca
Arjuna said
dṛṣṭvedaṁ mānuṣaṁ rūpaṁ
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
tava saumyaṁ janārdana
idānīm asmi saṁvṛttaḥ
idam
this
mānuṣam
human
rūpam
form
tava
Your
sa-cetāḥ prakṛtiṁ gataḥ
saumyam
very beautiful
janārdana
O chastiser of the enemies
idānīm
now
asmi
I am
saṁvṛttaḥ
settled
sa - cetāḥ
in my consciousness
prakṛtim
to my own nature
gataḥ
returned .
Important Words
mānuṣam—humanlike
Adjective from manuṣya — 'of human kind.' Arjuna calls the form mānuṣa, recognising both its accessibility and its irreducibly personal character. The Caitanya-tradition will read mānuṣam here as the highest form, not the lowest.
saumyam—gentle
Adjective. Same word as in 11.50's saumya-vapus. Arjuna confirms the description Sañjaya offered.
janārdana—O agitator of people
Vocative — Kṛṣṇa as 'one who stirs people up.' A slightly humorous name to use at this moment: Arjuna has just been thoroughly stirred up, and is now thanking the stirrer for stopping.
saṁvṛttaḥ—have become
Past participle of sam-vṛt — 'to come together, become.' Arjuna has 'come together' — his scattered faculties have re-collected.
sa - cetāḥ—with mind regained
Compound: sa (with) + cetas (consciousness, mind). 'Re-minded.' The mind that fled in 11.24 has returned.
prakṛtim—to (my own) nature
Accusative. Arjuna is back in his prakṛti — his proper, characteristic state. Paired with the verse's gataḥ, the phrase 'prakṛtim gataḥ' (gone to one's nature) is one of the chapter's most quiet and important: returning to one's prakṛti is what bhakti does.
When Arjuna thus saw Kṛṣṇa in His original form, he said: O Janārdana, seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, I am now composed in mind, and I am restored to my original nature.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Arjuna registers the relief. He sees Kṛṣṇa's 'human' form and reports the return of his composure. 'Prakṛtiṁ gataḥ' is the moment of restoration — he is back to himself, the friend in front of his friend, the metre dropping from Triṣṭubh back to Anuṣṭubh.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The metre indeed shifts back to Anuṣṭubh from 11.51, signaling return to ordinary discourse after the high stotra-section. 'Mānuṣa rūpa' is theologically loaded for Vaiṣṇavas: in Gauḍīya thought, Kṛṣṇa's two-armed humanlike form is the source-form, not a concession (Bhāgavata 1.3.28, 'kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam'). Arjuna's preference is the rasika's preference.
Here the words mānuṣaṁ rūpam clearly indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be originally two-handed. Those who deride Kṛṣṇa as if He were an ordinary person are shown here to be ignorant of His divine nature. If Kṛṣṇa is like an ordinary human being, then how is it possible for Him to show the universal form and again to show the four-handed Nārāyaṇa form? So it is very clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā that one who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary person and who misguides the reader by claiming that it is the impersonal Brahman within Kṛṣṇa speaking is doing the greatest injustice. Kṛṣṇa has actually shown His universal form and His four-handed Viṣṇu form. So how can He be an ordinary human being? A pure devotee is not confused by misguiding commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā because he knows what is what. The original verses of Bhagavad-gītā are as clear as the sun; they do not require lamplight from foolish commentators.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
51. Arjuna said: O Janārdana, seeing this pleasant human form of Yours, I have regained my consciousness and have gained composure.
Commentary
Then Arjuna, seeing the very sweet form of Kṛṣṇa, bathing in an ocean of bliss, spoke. “O Janārdana, now I have regained my consciousness (sa-cetāḥ saṁvṛttaḥ), and have gained composure (prakṛtiṁ gataḥ).”
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
51. Arjuna said: O Janārdana, seeing Your pleasant human form, I have regained my consciousness and have gained composure.
Commentary
Becoming peaceful and pleased, Arjuna spoke. O Janārdana, seeing Your attractive (saumyam) four-armed form, I have now become happy in mind (sa cetaḥ): I have attained (saṁvṛttaḥ) a healthy state without fear (prakṛtim). What type of form is this? It is a human form. But Kṛṣṇa is also a form of knowledge and bliss, as will be shown by later quotations from the śṛutis and smṛtis (in verse 54 commentary). Among the Yadu family and among the Pāṇḍavas, He sometimes appears with two arms and sometimes with four arms. In these two forms He is called human because of the human-like form and human-like activities. His designation as “human” has been previously discussed.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Arjuna is pacified – Arjuna’s mind is pacified and restored on seeing Krishna’s two-handed form
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.51 O Janardana, drstva, having seen; idam, this; saumyam, serene; manusam, human; rupam, form; tava, of Yours-gracious, as of my friend; asmi, I have; idanim, now; samvrttah, become;-what?-sacetah, calm in mind; and gatah, restored; prakrtim, to my own nature.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.51 Arjuna said Having beheld this pleasing and unie form of Yours, human in configuration, endowed with grace, tenderness, beauty etc., the excellence of which is infinite, I have now become composed, and I am restored to my normal nature.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.51 Drstva etc. At the end of the act of withdrawing all, the Brahman assumes the highly tranil stage of the tattva. Hence at the stage of withdrawl, gentleness is in the Bhagavat.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.51 Arjuna said Having seen this Thy gentle human form, O Krishna, now I am composed and am restored to my own nature.
Commentary
11.51 दृष्ट्वा having seen? इदम् this? मानुषम् human? रूपम् form? तव Thy? सौम्यम् gentle? जनार्दन O Krishna? इदानीम् now? अस्मि (I) am? संवृत्तः composed? सचेताः with mind? प्रकृतिम् to nature? गतः restored.Commentary Arjuna says to Lord Krishna O Lord? I now behold Thy human form. Now my thoughts are collected and I am serene. I can speak. My senses perform their proper functions. My fear has vanished. Thou hast treated me as a mother would treat her erring child whom she embraces and nurses. Just as the calf rejoices when it beholds its mother who was missing for some days? so also I rejoice now when I behold Thy gentle form. I have drunk the nectar. Now I am alive.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.51 Arjuna said O Janardana, having seen this serene human form of Yours, I have now become calm in mind and restored to my own nature.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.51 Arjuna said: Seeing Thee in Thy gentle human form, my Lord, I am myself again, calm once more.
Arjuna says: seeing Your gentle human form, my mind is composed; I am again in my normal nature.
Practical Applications
Honor the return to normalcy after spiritual encounter.
Don't deny the integration phase.
Use the human form as the steady anchor.
Reflection Questions
When have I returned to 'normal' after spiritual encounter?
What integration was needed?
Analogy
A child, after a long nightmare, opens his eyes and sees his mother's face by the bedside, and at once the world returns to its measured size. Arjuna sees Kṛṣṇa's mānuṣa-rūpa and is restored to prakṛti — his proper nature.
Stories
The Devotees' Preference for the Two-Armed Form
Throughout the Gauḍīya hagiographies — Caitanya-caritāmṛta especially (Madhya 9, 21) — Lord Caitanya emphasised that the two-armed form of Kṛṣṇa with flute, the mādhurya-vigraha, is the highest object of love for the devotee. The four-armed Viṣṇu evokes reverence; the two-armed Kṛṣṇa evokes intimacy.
Arjuna's relief in 11.51 — sa-cetāḥ prakṛtiṁ gataḥ — restored to his own nature on seeing the mānuṣa form — is the very preference the Bhakti-tradition will systematise. The two-armed Kṛṣṇa is the form in which the soul can stand.
śrī - bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead saidsu - durdarśam—very difficult to seeidam—thisrūpam—formdṛṣṭavān asi—as you have seenyat—whichmama—of Minedevāḥ—the demigodsapi—alsoasya—thisrūpasya—formnityam—eternallydarśana - kāṅkṣiṇaḥ—aspiring to see .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
śrī - bhagavān uvāca
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
su-durdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ
su - durdarśam
very difficult to see
idam
this
rūpam
form
dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama
dṛṣṭavān asi
as you have seen
yat
which
mama
of Mine
devā apy asya rūpasya
devāḥ
the demigods
api
also
asya
this
rūpasya
form
nityaṁ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
nityam
eternally
darśana - kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
aspiring to see .
Important Words
su - durdarśam—very difficult to behold
Compound: su (very) + duḥ (difficult) + darśana (seeing). The intensifier su stacks on duḥ — 'very-very-hard.' Sanskrit's economy is given over to insisting on the rarity.
dṛṣṭavān asi—you have seen
Past active participle + verb 'are' — periphrastic perfect, second-person singular. Arjuna has actively seen. The verb's voice (active) credits Arjuna with the seeing, even as 11.47 reminded him the showing was Kṛṣṇa's.
devāḥ—the demigods
Nominative plural. Even the devas — those Arjuna sometimes worships, those who fold their hands in 11.21 — have not seen what Arjuna has just seen.
nityam—always, perpetually
Adverb. Their hunger is not a passing wish; it is nitya — perpetual. The desire to behold the highest form is ongoing, not satiated by any partial vision.
darśana - kāṅkṣiṇaḥ—desirous of seeing
Compound: darśana (sight) + kāṅkṣin (desirous). Nominative plural. The grammar gives the devas the standing not of seers but of aspirants — a humbling re-positioning.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, this form of Mine you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa underlines the privilege: the gods themselves long perpetually for the very form Arjuna just saw — the gentle two-armed form, not (per Gauḍīya reading) the viśvarūpa. The rare gift is intimacy itself.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Crucial doctrinal verse. 'Idam rūpam' refers to the form he saw in 11.51, i.e. the original Kṛṣṇa form. The viśvarūpa was unprecedented (11.47); this human-like form is unceasingly desired by the devas. Gauḍīya commentators (Viśvanātha, etc.) read this as elevating Kṛṣṇa's two-armed svarūpa above the catur-bhuja Viṣṇu — devas can see Viṣṇu, but Govinda is rarer.
In the forty-eighth verse of this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa concluded revealing His universal form and informed Arjuna that this form is not possible to be seen by so many pious activities, sacrifices, etc. Now here the word su-durdarśam is used, indicating that Kṛṣṇa’s two-handed form is still more confidential. One may be able to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa by adding a little tinge of devotional service to various activities like penances, Vedic study and philosophical speculation. It may be possible, but without a tinge of bhakti one cannot see; that has already been explained. Still, beyond that universal form, the form of Kṛṣṇa with two hands is still more difficult to see, even for demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva. They desire to see Him, and we have evidence in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when He was supposed to be in the womb of His mother, Devakī, all the demigods from heaven came to see the marvel of Kṛṣṇa, and they offered nice prayers to the Lord, although He was not at that time visible to them. They waited to see Him. A foolish person may deride Him, thinking Him an ordinary person, and may offer respect not to Him but to the impersonal “something” within Him, but these are all nonsensical postures. Kṛṣṇa in His two-armed form is actually desired to be seen by demigods like Brahmā and Śiva. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.11) it is also confirmed, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: He is not visible to the foolish persons who deride Him. Kṛṣṇa’s body, as confirmed by Brahma-saṁhitā and confirmed by Kṛṣṇa Himself in Bhagavad-gītā, is completely spiritual and full of bliss and eternality. His body is never like a material body. But for some who make a study of Kṛṣṇa by reading Bhagavad-gītā or similar Vedic scriptures, Kṛṣṇa is a problem. For one using a material process, Kṛṣṇa is considered to be a great historical personality and very learned philosopher, but He is an ordinary man, and even though He was so powerful He had to accept a material body. Ultimately they think that the Absolute Truth is impersonal; therefore they think that from His impersonal feature He assumed a personal feature attached to material nature. This is a materialistic calculation of the Supreme Lord. Another calculation is speculative. Those who are in search of knowledge also speculate on Kṛṣṇa and consider Him to be less important than the universal form of the Supreme. Thus some think that the universal form of Kṛṣṇa which was manifested to Arjuna is more important than His personal form. According to them, the personal form of the Supreme is something imaginary. They believe that in the ultimate issue, the Absolute Truth is not a person. But the transcendental process is described in Bhagavad-gītā, Chapter Four: to hear about Kṛṣṇa from authorities. That is the actual Vedic process, and those who are actually in the Vedic line hear about Kṛṣṇa from authority, and by repeated hearing about Him, Kṛṣṇa becomes dear. As we have several times discussed, Kṛṣṇa is covered by His yoga-māyā potency. He is not to be seen or revealed to anyone and everyone. Only by one to whom He reveals Himself can He be seen. This is confirmed in the Vedic literature; for one who is a surrendered soul, the Absolute Truth can actually be understood. The transcendentalist, by continuous Kṛṣṇa consciousness and by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, can have his spiritual eyes opened and can see Kṛṣṇa by revelation. Such a revelation is not possible even for the demigods; therefore it is difficult even for the demigods to understand Kṛṣṇa, and the advanced demigods are always in hope of seeing Kṛṣṇa in His two-handed form. The conclusion is that although to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa is very, very difficult and not possible for anyone and everyone, it is still more difficult to understand His personal form as Śyāmasundara.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
52. The Lord said: This form of Mine which you have seen is very difficult to see. Even the devas are always eager to see this form.
Commentary
Here the Lord glorifies in three verses His viśvarupa which He showed. The devatās desire to see the viśvarūpa, but cannot see it. But you do not desire that form at all. How can your two eyes, which continually taste the great sweetness of My human form, which is the original form, enjoy that universal form? Therefore, I gave you divya eyes to see it: divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ. But though I gave divya (heavenly) eyes, I did not give you a divya mind. Thus, by those divya eyes alone you cannot enjoy completely that form, because your mind relishes only the great sweetness of My human form. If I had given you a divya mind, then you would have relished that svarūpa of the puruṣa as the universal form just as devatās do.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
52. The Lord said: This human form of Mine which you are seeing is very difficult to see. Even the devas are always longing to see this form.
Commentary
“My friend Arjuna, having faith in My form with a thousand heads which I showed and praised as being unavailable to anyone but him, should not slacken his love for Me as Kṛṣṇa with a human form.” With that thought in mind, the Lord teaches that this human form is the highest goal.
This form with a thousand heads is certainly difficult to see. But My form as Kṛṣṇa is even more difficult to see. This is understood from Kṛṣṇa’s previous words nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya: I am not visible to all people. (BG 7.25)
“How do I prove to you that this form that You have been seeing for such a long time is so rare? It is a form which even the devatās long to see.” This is also well known from scripture, such the Tenth Canto of Bhagavatam, where the devatās praise the Lord in the womb of Devakī.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Two-handed form is more difficult to see than the Universal Form (indicated by the word ‘Su-
durdarsam’) – even demigods desire to see this form which is so dear
Focus of Learning
(a) Tinge of bhakti is enough for Universal Form –
Universal Form may be seen by adding a tinge of bhakti to activities like Vedic sacrifices, penances, Vedic study, jnana etc.
Without a tinge of Bhakti it is not possible
(b) Krishna’s two-handed form is still more difficult to see
Even for demigods like Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma
e.g. Demigods were eager to see Krishna in the womb of Devaki
Foolish mentality (Ref. Bg. 9.11)
They deride Him as ordinary
May offer respect not to Him but to the impersonal “something” within Him, but these are all non-sensical postures
Krishna’s body is described in ‘Brahma Samhita’ and the ‘Bhagavad-gita’ as completely spiritual
His body is never like material body
(a) ‘Manusam-rupam’ – Indicates Lord to be two-armed, but not an ordinary person
(b) This verse refutes the following argument:
Arguments:
“Krishna is an ordinary human” and
“It is impersonal Brahman within Krishna who is speaking”
Refutation: To think so, is the greatest injustice. How can an ordinary human show the Universal form and again the four-handed form
(c) Analogy: Gita verses are like sun and does not need any lamplight
Therefore pure devotees are not confused by misguided commentaries
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.52 Idam, this; rupam, form; mama, of Mine; yat, which; drstavan, asi, you have seen is; sudur-darsam, very difficult to see. Api, even; the devah, gods; are nityam, ever; darsana-kanksinah, desirous of a vision; asya, of this; rupasya, form of Mine. The idea is that though they want to see, they have not seen in the way you have, nor will they see!
Why so?
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.52 The Lord said This form of Mine which you have seen, and which has the whole universe under control, which is the foundation of all and which forms the origin of all - this cannot be beheld by any one. Even the gods ever long to see this form; but they have not seen it.
Why? Sri Krsna says:
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.52 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.52 The Blessed Lord said Very hard indeed it is to see this form of Mine which thou hast seen. Even the gods are ever longing to behold it.
Commentary
11.52 सुदुर्दर्शम् very hard to see? इदम् this? रूपम् form? दृष्टवानसि thou hast seen? यत् which? मम My? देवाः gods? अपि also? अस्य (of) this? रूपस्य of form? नित्यम् ever? दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः (are) desrious to behold.Commentary Lord Krishna says to Arjuna Though the gods long to behold the Cosmic Form yet they have not seen it as you have done. THey can never behold it.Just as the Chataka (a bird) longs for a drop of rain? eagerly turning its eyes towards the clouds? so also do gods yearn to behold the Cosmic Form but their wishes have not been gratified even in their dreams. Such is that marvellous vision which thou hast easily seen.
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.52 The Blessed Lord said This form of Mine which you have seen is very difficult to see; even the gods are ever desirous of a vision of this form.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.52 Lord Shri Krishna replied: It is hard to see this vision of Me that thou hast seen. Even the most powerful have longed for it in vain.
Kṛṣṇa says: this form is very difficult to behold; even demigods aspire to see this form.
Practical Applications
Recognize the rarity of the human form's accessibility.
Don't take the human Kṛṣṇa for granted.
Treat hearing about Him as the rare gift demigods envy.
Reflection Questions
Have I taken Kṛṣṇa's human form for granted?
What does demigod-envy of this teach?
Analogy
A jewel that even the museum's senior curators have not been allowed to handle is in your palm for a moment. The privilege is named so that you understand what has just passed through your hand. Kṛṣṇa names the rareness so Arjuna will not forget what he has seen.
Stories
Brahmā Aspiring to See the Vraja-Kṛṣṇa
After his bewilderment in Vraja, Brahmā confessed (SB 10.14.30) that even the senior demigods, with all their austerities, have not seen the form of Kṛṣṇa that the cowherd boys see daily. He prayed for the birth of a blade of grass in Vraja so he might glimpse what they so casually behold.
Kṛṣṇa's words in 11.52 — devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ — formalise Brahmā's confession: even the gods, perpetually, hunger for this darśana. Arjuna has, in a single afternoon, been given what the demigods spend ages aspiring toward.
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया ।
शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा ॥ ५३ ॥
nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā
[naaham vedair na tapasaa]
na dānena na cejyayā
[na daanena na chejyayaa]
śakya evaṁ-vidho draṣṭuṁ
[shakya evam-vidho drashtum]
dṛṣṭavān asi māṁ yathā
[drishtavaan asi maam yathaa]
Word-for-word
na—neveraham—Ivedaiḥ—by study of the Vedasna—nevertapasā—by serious penancesna—neverdānena—by charityna—neverca—alsoijyayā—by worshipśakyaḥ—it is possibleevam - vidhaḥ—like thisdraṣṭum—to seedṛṣṭavān—seeingasi—you aremām—Meyathā—as .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā
na
never
aham
I
vedaiḥ
by study of the Vedas
na
never
tapasā
by serious penances
na dānena na cejyayā
na
never
dānena
by charity
na
never
ca
also
ijyayā
by worship
śakya evaṁ-vidho draṣṭuṁ
śakyaḥ
it is possible
evam - vidhaḥ
like this
draṣṭum
to see
dṛṣṭavān asi māṁ yathā
dṛṣṭavān
seeing
asi
you are
mām
Me
yathā
as .
Important Words
vedaiḥ—by Vedas
Instrumental plural of veda. Not even by the Vedas themselves — the highest scriptural means is named first and ruled out as sufficient.
tapasā—by austerity
Instrumental singular of tapas. Same word as 11.48; the repetition concentrates the negation.
dānena—by charity
Instrumental singular of dāna. Charity, the householder's chief route to merit, ruled out.
ijyayā—by worship
Instrumental singular of ijyā — 'sacrificial worship.' Yajña under another name; the verse closes the ritual category from a second angle.
evam - vidhaḥ—of this kind
Adjective — 'of such-a-form.' Refers specifically to the universal form just withdrawn. The negation is precise: not this form, by these means.
yathā—as
Indeclinable — 'in the way that.' Arjuna has seen 'as I am' — yathā mām. The qualifier is the verse's quiet centre: not just any sight, but sight as the Lord actually is.
The form you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Kṛṣṇa rules out the standard religious paths as routes to this darśana: the Vedas, tapas, dāna, ijyā. Four routes named, four denials issued — preparing the lone affirmation that follows in 11.54.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Repeats and tightens 11.48's negations. The list is the canonical pañca-mahā-yajña inventory (here in compressed form). The rhetorical 'na … na … na … na …' creates the suspense resolved by 'bhaktyā tu' in 11.54. The structural couplet 53-54 is the Gītā's clearest statement that bhakti, not karma or jñāna alone, is the means to personal darśana.
Kṛṣṇa first appeared before His parents Devakī and Vasudeva in a four-handed form, and then He transformed Himself into the two-handed form. This mystery is very difficult to understand for those who are atheists or who are devoid of devotional service. For scholars who have simply studied Vedic literature by way of grammatical knowledge or mere academic qualifications, Kṛṣṇa is not possible to understand. Nor is He to be understood by persons who officially go to the temple to offer worship. They make their visit, but they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through the path of devotional service, as explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the next verse.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
53. Not through the Vedas, not through austerities, not through charities, nor through performance of sacrifice, is it possible to see Me as you have seen Me.
Commentary
Moreover, please understand that others—who desire as the goal of their lives that svarūpa which is not desired by you— cannot see that form or know that form even by such practices as study of the Vedas.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
53. Not through the Vedas, not through austerities, not through charities, nor through performance of worship, is it possible to see Me as you have seen Me.
Commentary
This form is rare to see. I, your friend with four arms, the son of Devakī, cannot be seen by anyone devoid of bhakti, by any method whatever, even by studying the Vedas, by charities, by austerities or by worship, in the way that you are seeing Me.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
All those were negative ways that one can try as much as he likes but one cannot see this form of Krsna. No matter how one tries through Vedas, austerities, etc, etc,,charity, worship, penances ‑ one can still not see this form of the Lord. Why?
Because,
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
Text 53 indirectly glorifies bhakti by using negatives. Kṛṣṇa here mentions that the paths He has dis-
cussed in Chapters One through Six will not provide us the means by which we can truly see Him
in His most confidential, two-armed form. What, then, is the method by which we can see Kṛṣṇa?
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.53 Na vedaih, not through the Vedas, not even through the four Vedas-Rk, Yajus, Sama and Atharvan; na tapasa, not by austerity, not by severe austerities like the Candrayana; not danena, by gifts, by gifts of cattle, land, gold, etc.; na ca, nor even; ijyaya, by sacrifices or worship; sakyah aham, can I; drastum, be seen evamvidhah, in this form, in the manner as was shown; yatha, as; drstavan asi, you have seen mam, Me.
'How again, can You be seen? This is being answered:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.53 - 11.54 Sri Krsna says By Vedas, i.e., by mere study, teaching etc., of these sacred texts, it is not possible to know Me truly. It is also not possible through meditation, sacrifices, gifts and austerities, destitute of devotion towards Me. But by single-minded devotion i.e., by devotion characterised by extreme ardour and intensity, it is possible to know Me in reality through scriptures, to behold Me directly in reality, and enter into Me in reality. So describes a Sruti passage: 'This Self cannot be obtained by instruction, nor by intellect nor by much hearing. Whomsoever He chooses, by him alone is He obtained. To such a one He reveals His own form' (Ka. U., 2.2.23) and (Mun. U., 3.2.3).
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.53 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.53 Neither by the Vedas nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as thou hast seen Me (so easily).
Commentary
11.53 न not? अहम् I? वेदैः by the Vedas? न not? तपसा by austerity? न not? दानेन by gift? न not? च and? इज्यया by sacrifice? शक्यः (am) possible? एवंविधः like this? द्रष्टुम् to be seen? दृष्टवानसि (thou) hast seen? माम् Me? यथा as.Commentary This Cosmic Form which thou hast seen so easily cannot be obtained either by the study of the Vedas and the six modes of philosophy? nor by the practice of manifold austerities (penances)? nor by charity? nor by sacrifices of various kinds.Arjuna was indeed very fortunate in seeing the Cosmic Form.How can the Lord be seen Listen The heart must be overflowing with true devotion to Him. (Cf.XI.48)
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.53 Not through the Vedas, not by austerity, not by gifts, nor even by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.53 Not by study of the scriptures, or by austerities, not by gifts or sacrifices, is it possible to see Me as thou hast done.
Not by Vedas, not by penance, not by gifts, not by sacrifice — can I be seen as you have seen Me.
Practical Applications
Recognize that vision is by grace alone.
Don't bargain with Kṛṣṇa for vision.
Cultivate the dispositions that invite grace, not the techniques that compel it.
Reflection Questions
Where have I been bargaining?
What does invitational practice look like instead?
Analogy
A locked door cannot be opened by counting the keys in your pocket. Veda, tapas, dāna, ijyā — four good keys; none of them fits. The chapter's mounting list of insufficient means is not a critique of those practices; it is a clearing of the path for the one practice (verse 54) that does fit.
Stories
The Sages Who Did Not See
The Bhāgavatam (SB 1.2 and 1.18) repeatedly describes great sages — Bhṛgu, Vasiṣṭha, Atri — who, despite vast tapas and yajña, did not behold the highest form of the Lord until they took to the path of devotional hearing and chanting. Sūta Gosvāmī before the assembly of Naimiṣāraṇya formalises the principle: bhaktyā śravaṇa-kīrtanāt.
Kṛṣṇa's verse in 11.53 — na vedaiḥ, na tapasā, na dānena, na ijyayā — is the negative half of that same principle. The positive half is coming in verse 54: bhaktyā tu ananyayā.
भक्त्यात्वनन्ययाशक्यअहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप ॥ ५४ ॥
bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya
[bhaktyaa tv ananyayaa shakya]
aham evaṁ-vidho ’rjuna
[aham evam-vidho ’rjuna]
jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena
[jnaatum drashtum cha tattvena]
praveṣṭuṁ ca paran-tapa
[praveshtum cha paran-tapa]
Word-for-word
bhaktyā—by devotional servicetu—butananyayā—without being mixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledgeśakyaḥ—possibleaham—Ievam - vidhaḥ—like thisarjuna—O Arjunajñātum—to knowdraṣṭum—to seeca—andtattvena—in factpraveṣṭum—to enter intoca—alsoparam - tapa—O subduer of the enemy .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya
bhaktyā
by devotional service
aham evaṁ-vidho ’rjuna
jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena
tu
but
praveṣṭuṁ ca paran-tapa
ananyayā
without being mixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge
śakyaḥ
possible
aham
I
evam - vidhaḥ
like this
arjuna
O Arjuna
jñātum
to know
draṣṭum
to see
ca
and
tattvena
in fact
praveṣṭum
to enter into
ca
also
param - tapa
O subduer of the enemy .
Important Words
bhaktyā—by devotion
Instrumental singular of bhakti. The single means after all the negations. The construction — bhaktyā tu — places the instrumental in the strongest possible position: 'but by devotion alone.'
ananyayā—undeviating
Compound: an (not) + anya (other) + suffix -yā. 'Without-other.' The technical Gītā term for devotion not mixed with other motives. Repeated by Kṛṣṇa in 9.13 and 9.22. The Caitanya-tradition's foundational adjective.
jñātum—to know
Infinitive of jñā. Bhakti yields jñāna — not the reverse. The Gītā's epistemology of devotion: love-as-knowledge.
draṣṭum—to see
Infinitive of dṛś. Bhakti yields darśana — sight, the chapter's central verb. Knowing and seeing are paired as twin fruits.
tattvena—in truth
Instrumental of tattva — 'in reality.' Not figuratively, not partially, but in tattva. Bhakti does not give a glimpse; it gives the truth of the form.
praveṣṭum—to enter
Infinitive of pra-viś — 'to enter fully.' The third fruit of bhakti, beyond knowing and seeing — entry into the Lord's own being. The verse's climactic verb.
My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The affirmative answer. Only undivided devotion (ananya bhakti) grants three things: jñāna of His tattva, darśana of His form, and praveśa (entry) into Him. Knowing-seeing-entering — three depths of access, all unlocked by one means.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The triple infinitive 'jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṁ ca' is doctrinally compact: it covers epistemology (jñātum), aesthetics (draṣṭum), and union (praveṣṭum). 'Ananyā bhakti' resonates with 9.13, 9.22, 13.10 and prepares 12.6-7. The verse is widely treated as the Gītā's central statement of bhakti-mārga; it concludes the chapter's doctrinal arc.
Prose order(अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे अर्जुन! हे परन्तप! एवं-विधः अहं तु अनन्यया भक्त्या तत्त्वेन ज्ञातुं, द्रष्टुं च, प्रवेष्टुं च शक्यः ।
he arjuna! he parantapa! evaṃ-vidhaḥ ahaṃ tu ananyayā bhaktyā tattvena jñātuṃ, draṣṭuṃ ca, praveṣṭuṃ ca śakyaḥ |
But, O Arjuna, O scorcher of foes, by undivided devotion I — being of such a form — am possible to be known in truth, to be seen, and to be entered into.
Word split(पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
भक्त्या तु अनन्यया शक्यः अहम् एवं-विधः अर्जुन । ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप ॥
bhaktyā tu ananyayā śakyaḥ aham evaṃ-vidhaḥ arjuna | jñātuṃ draṣṭuṃ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṃ ca parantapa ||
Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by the process of undivided devotional service. He explicitly explains this in this verse so that unauthorized commentators, who try to understand Bhagavad-gītā by the speculative process, will know that they are simply wasting their time. No one can understand Kṛṣṇa or how He came from parents in a four-handed form and at once changed Himself into a two-handed form. These things are very difficult to understand by study of the Vedas or by philosophical speculation. Therefore it is clearly stated here that no one can see Him or enter into understanding of these matters. Those who, however, are very experienced students of Vedic literature can learn about Him from the Vedic literature in so many ways. There are so many rules and regulations, and if one at all wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, he must follow the regulative principles described in the authoritative literature. One can perform penance in accordance with those principles. For example, to undergo serious penances one may observe fasting on Janmāṣṭamī, the day on which Kṛṣṇa appeared, and on the two days of Ekādaśī (the eleventh day after the new moon and the eleventh day after the full moon). As far as charity is concerned, it is plain that charity should be given to the devotees of Kṛṣṇa who are engaged in His devotional service to spread the Kṛṣṇa philosophy, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, throughout the world. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a benediction to humanity. Lord Caitanya was appreciated by Rūpa Gosvāmī as the most munificent man of charity because love of Kṛṣṇa, which is very difficult to achieve, was distributed freely by Him. So if one gives some amount of his money to persons involved in distributing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that charity, given to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the greatest charity in the world. And if one worships as prescribed in the temple (in the temples in India there is always some statue, usually of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa), that is a chance to progress by offering worship and respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For the beginners in devotional service to the Lord, temple worship is essential, and this is confirmed in the Vedic literature ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23): yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ One who has unflinching devotion for the Supreme Lord and is directed by the spiritual master, in whom he has similar unflinching faith, can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead by revelation. One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa by mental speculation. For one who does not take personal training under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, it is impossible to even begin to understand Kṛṣṇa. The word tu is specifically used here to indicate that no other process can be used, can be recommended, or can be successful in understanding Kṛṣṇa. The personal forms of Kṛṣṇa, the two-handed form and the four-handed, are described as su-durdarśam , very difficult to see. They are completely different from the temporary universal form shown to Arjuna. The four-handed form of Nārāyaṇa and the two-handed form of Kṛṣṇa are eternal and transcendental, whereas the universal form exhibited to Arjuna is temporary. The words tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam (verse 47) state that before Arjuna, no one had seen that universal form. Also, they suggest that amongst the devotees there was no necessity of showing it. That form was exhibited by Kṛṣṇa at the request of Arjuna so that in the future, when one represents himself as an incarnation of God, people can ask to see his universal form. The word na, used repeatedly in the previous verse, indicates that one should not be very much proud of such credentials as an academic education in Vedic literature. One must take to the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa. Only then can one attempt to write commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā . Kṛṣṇa changes from the universal form to the four-handed form of Nārāyaṇa and then to His own natural form of two hands. This indicates that the four-handed forms and other forms mentioned in Vedic literature are all emanations of the original two-handed Kṛṣṇa. He is the origin of all emanations. Kṛṣṇa is distinct even from these forms, what to speak of the impersonal conception. As far as the four-handed forms of Kṛṣṇa are concerned, it is stated clearly that even the most identical four-handed form of Kṛṣṇa (which is known as Mahā-viṣṇu, who is lying on the cosmic ocean and from whose breathing so many innumerable universes are passing out and entering) is also an expansion of the Supreme Lord. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48) , yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vila-jā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi “The Mahā-viṣṇu, into whom all the innumerable universes enter and from whom they come forth again simply by His breathing process, is a plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore I worship Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, the cause of all causes.” Therefore one should conclusively worship the personal form of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead who has eternal bliss and knowledge. He is the source of all forms of Viṣṇu, He is the source of all forms of incarnation, and He is the original Supreme Personality, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā . In the Vedic literature ( Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.1) the following statement appears: sac-cid-ānanda-rūpāya kṛṣṇāyākliṣṭa-kāriṇe namo vedānta-vedyāya gurave buddhi-sākṣiṇe “I offer my respectful obeisances unto Kṛṣṇa, who has a transcendental form of bliss, eternity and knowledge. I offer my respect to Him, because understanding Him means understanding the Vedas, and He is therefore the supreme spiritual master.” Then it is said, kṛṣṇo vai paramaṁ daivatam: “Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” ( Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.3) Eko vaśī sarva-gaḥ kṛṣṇa īḍyaḥ: “That one Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is worshipable.” Eko ’pi san bahudhā yo ’vabhāti: “Kṛṣṇa is one, but He is manifested in unlimited forms and expanded incarnations.” ( Gopāla-tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.21) The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.1) says, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa, who has a body of eternity, knowledge and bliss. He has no beginning, for He is the beginning of everything. He is the cause of all causes.” Elsewhere it is said, yatrāvatīrṇaṁ kṛṣṇākhyaṁ paraṁ brahma narākṛti: “The Supreme Absolute Truth is a person, His name is Kṛṣṇa, and He sometimes descends on this earth.” Similarly, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we find a description of all kinds of incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in this list the name of Kṛṣṇa also appears. But then it is said that this Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation of God but is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself ( ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam ). Similarly, in Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: “There is nothing superior to My form as the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa.” He also says elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām: “I am the origin of all the demigods.” And after understanding Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna also confirms this in the following words: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, “I now fully understand that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and that You are the refuge of everything.” Therefore the universal form which Kṛṣṇa showed to Arjuna is not the original form of God. The original is the Kṛṣṇa form. The universal form, with its thousands and thousands of heads and hands, is manifest just to draw the attention of those who have no love for God. It is not God’s original form. The universal form is not attractive for pure devotees, who are in love with the Lord in different transcendental relationships. The Supreme Godhead exchanges transcendental love in His original form of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to Arjuna, who was so intimately related with Kṛṣṇa in friendship, this form of the universal manifestation was not pleasing; rather, it was fearful. Arjuna, who was a constant companion of Kṛṣṇa’s, must have had transcendental eyes; he was not an ordinary man. Therefore he was not captivated by the universal form. This form may seem wonderful to persons who are involved in elevating themselves by fruitive activities, but to persons who are engaged in devotional service the two-handed form of Kṛṣṇa is the most dear.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
54. Only by ananyā bhakti it is possible to know Me, see Me, or even merge with Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary
Then, by what practice can this viśvarūpa be attained? By bhakti I can be known and seen. The dropping of visarga (ḥ) without sandhi to form śakyo’ ham, the normal form, instead of śakya aham in the present text, is poetic license.
Even if one desires nirvāṇa-mokṣa, then one can merge (praveṣṭum) with the Brahman (tattvena) only by ananyā bhakti and not by other processes. The guṇī bhūtā bhakti of the jñānīs remains as a small amount of ananyā bhakti after the renunciation of jñāna at the time of death. By that, they attain sāyujya-mukti. I will substantiate that point later with the verse tato mām tattvato jñātvā viśate tad anantaram: Knowing Me as Brahman, they then enter Me. (BG 18.55)
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
54. Only by ananya bhakti is it possible to know Me, see Me, or become connected to Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary
Here the Lord clarifies the fact that only the unalloyed devotee attains the cherished vision of the Lord.
It is possible to know in truth Me, the four-armed son of Devakī, by the Vedas, by charity, by austerity and by worship, [Note: These items have been referred to in the previous verse.] if you have exclusive devotion to Me. Only by this bhakti is it possible to see Me, and to become truly connected with Me (praveṣṭum).
If one says “I enter the town” it is understood that one becomes connected with the town (rather than becoming the town or disappearing completely in the town).
In the sense taken in this verse, study of the Vedas means studying the Gopala Tāpanī Upaniṣad, part of the Vedas, which describes Kṛṣna directly. Austerity refers to fasting on My appearance day and ekādaśi as well as other days. Charity means giving ones own things as gifts to My devotees. Worship (ijyā) means worship of My deity forms.
The śruti also confirms this: yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ: only by devotion to guru similar to devotion to the Lord are the imports of the scriptures revealed. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)
The word tu (but) at the beginning of this verse indicates a different subject matter. This indicates that this form which is difficult to see, mentioned in verse 52 to 54, is not the thousand-headed form, because the previous description in verse 50 and 51, specifically concerning the Lord’s human-like four-armed form, is continuous with this topic, and separate from the topic of the thousand-headed form. Otherwise there would be the fault of redundant statement in verse 53 of what was stated in verse 48 concerning the thousand-headed form, if we were to say that verse 53 was also concerning the thousand-headed form.
To say that the thousand-headed form is superior to the four-handed form because of the bestowal of celestial eyes needed to see it is speaking without thinking. The thousand-headed form [Note: This thousand headed form is equated by Baladeva with Mahā-viṣṇu.] is dependent upon the four-handed form. This is the truth, as stated in the Brahmā Saṁhitā:
yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga-
nidrām ananta-jagad-aṇḍa-saroma-kūpaḥ
ādhāra-śaktim avalambya parāṁ sva-mūrtiṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
I worship the primeval Lord Govinda, who lies down in the Causal Ocean in His plenary portion as Mahā-Viṣṇu, with all the universes generating from the pores of hair on His transcendental body, and who accepts the mystic slumber of eternity. Brahmā Saṁhitā 5.47
It should be understood that the human form of Kṛṣna, full of eternity, knowledge and bliss, known as the conclusion of the Vedas, is the source of all other forms of God.
sac-cid-ānanda-rūpāya kṛṣṇāyākliṣṭa-kāriṇe
namo vedānta-vedyāya gurave buddhi-sākṣiṇe
I offer my respects to the form of eternity knowledge and bliss, to Kṛṣṇa, who never tires, who is to be known by the Vedānta, who is the guru, and witness of intelligence. Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.1
kṛṣṇo vai paramaṁ daivatam
Kṛṣṇa is indeed the supreme form of God. Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.3
eko vaśī sarvagaḥ kṛṣṇa īḍyaḥ
One Kṛṣṇa is situated alone, but pervades everywhere. He is worthy of worship. Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.19
eko’pi san bahudhā yo’vabhāti
He is one, who appears as many forms. Gopāla Tāpanī Upaniṣad 1.19
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ saccidānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
Govinda, Kṛṣṇa, is the cause of all causes. He is the primal cause, and He is the very form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Brahmā Saṁhiṭa 5.1
yador vaṁśaṁ naraḥ śrutvā sarva pāpaiḥ pramucyate
yatrāvatīrṇaṁ kṛṣṇākhyaṁ paraṁ brahma narākṛti
A man, hearing about the dynasty of Yadu in which the para brahma in human form called Kṛṣṇa has appeared attains liberation. Viṣṇū Purāṇa 4.11.2
ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayaṁ
All these incarnations are parts or parts of parts of the Lord. Kṛsṇa however is the original bhagavān. SB 1.3.28
Kṛṣṇa Himself says this in the Gītā as well:
mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
There is no one superior to Me. BG 7.7
aham ādir hi devānāṁ
I am the source of all the devas. BG 10.2
Arjuna also says this:
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma
You are the supreme brahman, the supreme abode. BG 10..12
When Kṛṣṇa changed into the thousand-headed form, Arjuna’s vision also became suitably transformed. Arjuna’s vision which could see the human form of Kṛṣṇa, the ocean of beauty and charm, was not suitable to see the thousand-headed form. Thus it should be understood that Arjuna’s eyes were endowed with powers to see Kṛṣṇa in that thousand-headed form. By fallacious reasoning one should not accept the rationalistic explanation that the form of Kṛṣṇa is inferior to the universal form, nor should one think that Ajruna had material eyes like other men, and therefore needed spiritual eyes to see the universal form. There are many references in the Mahābhārata and other scriptures stating that Arjuna was the avatāra of the Lord called Nara.
The saniṣḥa devotee can see that thousand-headed form by knowledge arising from prescribed duties (karma yoga), but cannot see the human form of Kṛṣṇa. This is seen only by exclusive bhakti. That is why the verse states that this form is sudursarśam.
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
This is the direct definition of bhakti. Because only by devotional service which is undivided, can Krsna actually be understood. 'Ananya bhakti', undeviated devotional service.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
StudyKey verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
This verse directly glorifies Bhakti
THEME: Krishna can be revealed only by pure devotional service
Focus of Learning
(a) Krishna appeared as four-handed before Devaki and Vasudeva and then transformed into His
two–handed form:
This mystery is difficult to understand by atheists and those devoid of devotional service
Neither by scholars who have simply studied by way of
Grammatical knowledge or
Mere academic qualifications
Neither by official visits to Temple to worship
Only by path of Devotional service – This is told in the next verse
(c) Different processes to know Absolute Truth
Materialistic calculation of the Supreme Lord
Consider Krishna to be a great historical personality and a very learned philosopher
But an ordinary man
Even though He was so powerful, but had to accept a material body
Ultimately Absolute Truth is impersonal, therefore they think that from His impersonal feature, He assumed a personal feature attached to material nature
Speculative calculation of the Supreme Lord
Those are in search of knowledge also speculate on Krishna
Consider Him to be less important than Universal form of the Supreme
Think Personal form of the Supreme is something imaginary
Believe, in ultimate issue – Absolute Truth is not a person
Transcendental Process – described in Bg. Chapter 4
Actual Vedic Process – ‘Repeated hearing from authorities’
Also when Krishna reveals by removing yoga-maya
Ref. Vedic Literature: For one who is surrendered soul, Absolute Truth can actually be understood
Spiritual eyes can be opened by ‘continuous Krishna Consciousness’ and ‘devotional service’
▪ Such revelation is not possible even for demigods
▪ Advanced demigods are always hoping to see Krishna in His two-handed form
(a) Speculative process to understand Krishna is a waste of time
(b) Understanding Krishna
What is difficult to understand – That “He came from parents in four-handed form and at once changed to two-handed form”
Which methods make it difficult – Difficult to understand by ‘study of Vedas’ or ‘Philosophical Speculations’
Cannot understand Krishna by mental speculation
Must take personal training under the guidance of bonafide spiritual master, otherwise impossible to even begin to understand Krishna
’tu’ – indicates that ‘no other process’ can be used or recommended, or can be successful in understanding Krishna
Who can learn about Him – “Experienced students of Vedic literature” can learn about Him in so many ways
So many rules and regulation and if one at all wants to understand Krishna, he must follow regulative principles of authoritative scriptures
Perform penance according to those principles – Fasting on Janmashtami and ekadashi
Charity – To devotees of Krishna engaged in His devotional service. Krishna Consciousness is a benediction to humanity, e.g. Lord Chaitanya was called most munificent for the freely distributed charity of ‘Love of God’
Deity Worship in Temples – specially for beginners in devotional service to Lord
(c) Who can write commentaries – The word ‘na’ in Text 53 indicates “One should not be proud of
such credentials (as given in text 53), but must take to devotional service” – only then one can
attempt to write commentaries
(d) All forms come from Krishna –
Indicated by Krishna’s changing forms from Universal form to four-handed and then to two-handed form.
Krishna is distinct from these forms, then what to speak of impersonal conceptions
(e) Knowing Krishna means knowing the Vedas – Knowing Me as Krishna, ‘the Supreme Personality
of Godhead’, implies knowing all the Vedas e.g,
Gopal-Tapani Upanisad
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
He has sac-cid-ananda form
Understanding Him implies understanding the Vedas and He is the Supreme Master
Has unlimited forms and incarnations
Brahma-Samhita 5.1 / 5.48 says Maha-vishnu also comes from krishna
Bg. 7.7 / 10.2 / 10.12 – 10.13: Krishna’s form is the Supreme most
SB 1.3.28 “Ete camsa-kalah...” – All incarnations come from Krishna
(f) Universal Form is not attractive to pure devotees who are in love with the Lord
(g) Universal Form is not the original form – it is only good for persons involved in elevating
themselves by fruitive activities, and to draw attention of those who have no love of God
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.54 Tu, but, O Arjuna; bhaktya, by devotion-. Of what kind? To this the Lord says: Ananyaya, by (that devotion which is ) single-minded. That is called single-minded devotion which does not turn to anything else other than the Lord, and owing to which nothing else but Vasudeva is perceived by all the organs. With that devotion, aham sakyah, am I able; evamvidhah, in this form-in the aspect of the Cosmic form; jnatum, to to known-from the scriptures; not merely to be known from the scriptures, but also drastum, to be seen , to be realized directly; tattvena, in reality; and also pravestum, to be entered into-for attaining Liberation; parantapa, O destroyer of foes.
Now the essential purport of the whole scripture, the Gita, which is meant for Liberation, is being stated by summing it up so that it may be practised:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.53 - 11.54 Sri Krsna says By Vedas, i.e., by mere study, teaching etc., of these sacred texts, it is not possible to know Me truly. It is also not possible through meditation, sacrifices, gifts and austerities, destitute of devotion towards Me. But by single-minded devotion i.e., by devotion characterised by extreme ardour and intensity, it is possible to know Me in reality through scriptures, to behold Me directly in reality, and enter into Me in reality. So describes a Sruti passage: 'This Self cannot be obtained by instruction, nor by intellect nor by much hearing. Whomsoever He chooses, by him alone is He obtained. To such a one He reveals His own form' (Ka. U., 2.2.23) and (Mun. U., 3.2.3).
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.54 See comment under 11.55
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.54 But by single-minded devotion can I, of this Form, be known and seen in reality and also entered into, O Arjuna.
Commentary
11.54 भक्त्या by devotion? तु indeed? अनन्यया singleminded? शक्यः (am) possible? अहम् I? एवंविधः of this form? अर्जुन O Arjuna? ज्ञातुम् to know? दृष्टुम् to see? च and? तत्त्वेन in reality? प्रवेष्टुम् to enter into? च and? परंतप O Parantapa (O scorcher of the foes).Commentary Devotion is the sole means to the realisation of the Cosmic Form.AnanyaBhakti Singleminded devotion. Onepointed unbroken devotion the devotion which does not seek any other object but the Lord alone. In this type of devotion no object other than the Lord is experienced by any of the senses. Egoism and dualism totally vanish.Of this form refers to the Cosmic Form.By singleminded devotion it is possible not only to know Me as declared in the scriptures but also to realise Me? i.e.? to attain liberation. The devotee realises that the Lord is all this and He alone is the ultimate Reality. When he gets this experience of illumination he gets merged in Him. (Cf.VIII.22X.10)
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.54 But, O Arjuna, by single-minded devotion am I-in this form-able to be known and seen in reality, and also be entered into, O destroyer of foes.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.54 Only by tireless devotion can I be seen and known; only thus can a man become one with Me, O Arjuna!
A bird with one wing cannot reach the tree-top; with two it can. Of all the wings the soul tries — veda, yajña, tapas, dāna — only ananyā bhakti is the single working wing for this height. The Gītā has been narrowing the runway for ten chapters; in this verse the runway becomes a single line.
Stories
Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Principle of Ananya Bhakti
Throughout the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (especially Madhya 22 and 25), Lord Caitanya teaches the Six Gosvāmīs and others that bhakti must be ananyā — undeviating, unmixed with karma or jñāna — to bear fruit. Quoting BG 11.54 and 18.55 repeatedly, He establishes that no other path delivers true knowledge, true sight, or true entrance into the Lord's nature.
The verse here is the seed of that whole tradition. Bhaktyā tu ananyayā — three words that the Gauḍīya school spent five centuries unpacking.
mat - karma - kṛt—engaged in doing My workmat - paramaḥ—considering Me the Suprememat - bhaktaḥ—engaged in My devotional servicesaṅga - varjitaḥ—freed from the contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculationnirvairaḥ—without an enemysarva - bhūteṣu—among all living entitiesyaḥ—one whosaḥ—hemām—unto Meeti—comespāṇḍava—O son of Pāṇḍu .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo
mat - karma - kṛt
engaged in doing My work
mat - paramaḥ
considering Me the Supreme
mat - bhaktaḥ
engaged in My devotional service
mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ
saṅga - varjitaḥ
freed from the contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation
nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu
nirvairaḥ
without an enemy
sarva - bhūteṣu
among all living entities
yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava
yaḥ
one who
saḥ
he
mām
unto Me
eti
comes
pāṇḍava
O son of Pāṇḍu .
Important Words
mat - karma - kṛt—who works for Me
Compound: mat (My) + karma (work) + kṛt (doer). The first of the verse's qualifications. Even karma is not abandoned — it is re-directed.
mat - paramaḥ—who makes Me supreme
Compound: mat + parama (supreme). The Lord is held as the highest value. Even good things become subordinate; only Kṛṣṇa is parama.
saṅga - varjitaḥ—free from attachment
Compound: saṅga (attachment) + varjita (forsaken). Saṅga — the same word from 2.47. The chapter's last verse circles back to the karma-yoga of the second chapter; the Gītā's geometry closes.
nirvairaḥ—free from enmity
Compound: nir (without) + vaira (enmity). One of the most beautiful single-word qualifications in the Gītā. The devotee is at war with no one — fitting that the chapter set on the battlefield ends on this word.
sarva - bhūteṣu—toward all beings
Compound locative: sarva (all) + bhūta (being). Universal — no being excluded. The friendliness has no boundary.
eti—he goes, attains
Third-person singular present of i — 'goes (to).' Paired with accusative mām, 'comes to Me.' The verb of arrival. After all the seeing, the chapter ends with going-to. Vision yields to journey; darśana opens into approach.
My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being – he certainly comes to Me.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning(तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The chapter's culminating verse — five compact qualifications gather the whole Gītā so far: work for Me (karmayoga), hold Me as supreme (jñāna-bhakti), be My devotee (śuddha-bhakti), drop attachment, be free of enmity. Such a person 'comes to Me.' Tradition calls this the Gītā's essence.
Further notes(विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Bhaktivedanta Swami highlights 11.55 as the practical summary of the entire Gītā: every limb of the path is named in a single verse. 'Mat-karma-kṛt' answers ch. 3-4 (karmayoga); 'mat-paramaḥ' resolves ch. 7-10 (knowledge of the Supreme); 'mad-bhaktaḥ' anchors ch. 12; 'saṅga-varjitaḥ' completes ch. 2's detachment teaching; 'nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu' enacts ch. 5-6's universal vision. The vision having ended, the path is given.
he pāṇḍava! yaḥ mat-karma-kṛt, mat-paramaḥ, mad-bhaktaḥ, saṅga-varjitaḥ, sarva-bhūteṣu nirvairaḥ — saḥ mām eti |
O son of Pāṇḍu, one who works for My sake, who holds Me as the supreme goal, who is My devotee, who is free of (material) attachment, and who is without enmity toward any being — he comes to Me.
√इ pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice)
comes, goes
पाण्डव
pāṇḍava
पाण्डव (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular)
O son of Pāṇḍu
Purport
Anyone who wants to approach the supreme of all the Personalities of Godhead, on the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky, and be intimately connected with the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, must take this formula, as stated by the Supreme Himself. Therefore, this verse is considered to be the essence of Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is a book directed to the conditioned souls, who are engaged in the material world with the purpose of lording it over nature and who do not know of the real, spiritual life. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant to show how one can understand his spiritual existence and his eternal relationship with the supreme spiritual personality and to teach one how to go back home, back to Godhead. Now here is the verse which clearly explains the process by which one can attain success in his spiritual activity: devotional service. As far as work is concerned, one should transfer his energy entirely to Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. As stated in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.255), anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate No work should be done by any man except in relationship to Kṛṣṇa. This is called kṛṣṇa-karma. One may be engaged in various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of his work; the result should be done only for Him. For example, one may be engaged in business, but to transform that activity into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to do business for Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the business, then Kṛṣṇa should enjoy the profit of the business. If a businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Kṛṣṇa, he can do it. This is work for Kṛṣṇa. Instead of constructing a big building for his sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, and he can install the Deity of Kṛṣṇa and arrange for the Deity’s service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional service. This is all kṛṣṇa-karma. One should not be attached to the result of his work, but the result should be offered to Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept as prasādam the remnants of offerings to Kṛṣṇa. If one constructs a very big building for Kṛṣṇa and installs the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, one is not prohibited from living there, but it is understood that the proprietor of the building is Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Kṛṣṇa, one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Kṛṣṇa; that is also kṛṣṇa-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has land – in India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of land – can utilize that for Kṛṣṇa by growing flowers to offer Him. One can sow tulasī plants, because tulasī leaves are very important and Kṛṣṇa has recommended this in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Kṛṣṇa desires that one offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or fruit, or a little water – and by such an offering He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to the tulasī. So one can sow tulasī and pour water on the plant. Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. These are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for Kṛṣṇa. The word mat-paramaḥ refers to one who considers the association of Kṛṣṇa in His supreme abode to be the highest perfection of life. Such a person does not wish to be elevated to the higher planets such as the moon or sun or heavenly planets, or even the highest planet of this universe, Brahmaloka. He has no attraction for that. He is only attracted to being transferred to the spiritual sky. And even in the spiritual sky he is not satisfied with merging into the glowing brahma-jyotir effulgence, for he wants to enter the highest spiritual planet, namely Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana. He has full knowledge of that planet, and therefore he is not interested in any other. As indicated by the word mad-bhaktaḥ, he fully engages in devotional service, specifically in the nine processes of devotional engagement: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering prayers, carrying out the orders of the Lord, making friends with Him, and surrendering everything to Him. One can engage in all nine devotional processes, or eight, or seven, or at least in one, and that will surely make one perfect. The term saṅga-varjitaḥ is very significant. One should disassociate himself from persons who are against Kṛṣṇa. Not only are the atheistic persons against Kṛṣṇa, but so also are those who are attracted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. Therefore the pure form of devotional service is described in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11) as follows: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī clearly states that if anyone wants to execute unalloyed devotional service, he must be freed from all kinds of material contamination. He must be freed from the association of persons who are addicted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. When, freed from such unwanted association and from the contamination of material desires, one favorably cultivates knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, that is called pure devotional service. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam ( Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.676). One should think of Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably. Kaṁsa was an enemy of Kṛṣṇa’s. From the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa’s birth, Kaṁsa planned in so many ways to kill Him, and because he was always unsuccessful, he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Thus while working, while eating and while sleeping, he was always Kṛṣṇa conscious in every respect, but that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was not favorable, and therefore in spite of his always thinking of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, he was considered a demon, and Kṛṣṇa at last killed him. Of course anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa attains salvation immediately, but that is not the aim of the pure devotee. The pure devotee does not even want salvation. He does not want to be transferred even to the highest planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. His only objective is to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever he may be. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is friendly to everyone. Therefore it is said here that he has no enemy ( nirvairaḥ ). How is this? A devotee situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness knows that only devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can relieve a person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this, and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for spreading God consciousness. Of course, it would be superficial to understand that he was killed. Similarly, in India also there are many examples, such as Ṭhākura Haridāsa and Prahlāda Mahārāja. Why such risk? Because they wanted to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is difficult. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that if a man is suffering it is due to his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one’s neighbor from all material problems. In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Kṛṣṇa is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body. In summary, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time which devours everything, and even the form of Viṣṇu, four-handed, have all been exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Thus Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all these manifestations. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is a manifestation of the original viśva-rūpa, or Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Viṣṇus, but for a devotee no form of Kṛṣṇa is important but the original form, two-handed Śyāmasundara. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that those who are attached to the Śyāmasundara form of Kṛṣṇa in love and devotion can see Him always within the heart and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Kṛṣṇa is essential and supreme. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eleventh Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of the Universal Form.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
Gauḍīya
Translation
55. He who works for Me, who holds Me as supreme, who is devoted to Me, without material attachment, devoid of hatred of any living being, attains Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary
In order to summarize the subject of bhakti, in this verse the Lord speaks about the general characteristics of various types of devotees who were described starting in the seventh chapter. Saṅga-varjitaḥ means devoid of material attachment.
Arjuna understood that his victory on the battle field was dependent on the great power of Kṛṣṇa alone. This is the meaning of this chapter.
Here ends the commentaries on the eleventh chapter of the Gītā for the pleasure of the devotees’ minds, by the mercy of the ācāryas.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa
Gauḍīya
Translation
55. He who does work for Me, who holds Me as supreme, who is devoted to Me, without materialistic association, devoid of hatred of any living being, attains Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary
Having taught that exclusive bhakti is the means of attaining Himself, Kṛṣṇa now concludes.
He who acts for Me (mat karma kṛt), doing such service as building and cleaning My temple, or cleaning the gardens containing My flowers and tulasī, who does not know as his goal (such as svarga) anything except Me (mat paramaḥ), who is engaged as My devotee by performing hearing and the rest of the nine processes of bhakti (mad bhaktaḥ), who does not tolerate associating with those opposed to Me (saṅga varjitaḥ), but who is devoid of enmity to even those opposed to Me (nirvairaḥ sarva bhūteṣu), since he considers that the suffering they cause is brought about by himself alone through his previous karmas –that person attains Me, Kṛsna, in My human form. No one else does.
The eleventh chapter shows that Kṛsṇa is the complete form of God, because He is the source of all avatāras, and He is thus the cause of the victory for His devotees, the sons of Pāṇdu, on the battlefield in Bhārata.
Chapter 12
Bhūrijana Dāsa
Gauḍīya
Commentary
'Mat‑karma‑krn mat‑paramo', "engaged in doing My work, considering Me the Supreme." Not that one serves Krsna and considers the impersonal as the Supreme. That will not reveal the Truth.
Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "In summary, the universal form of Krsna, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time which devours everything, and even the form of Visnu, four‑handed, have all been exhibited by Krsna. Thus Krsna is the origin of all these manifestations. It is not that Krsna is a manifestation of the original visva‑rupa, or Visnu. Krsna is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Visnus, but for a devotee no form of Krsna is important but the original form, two‑handed Syamasundara. In the Brahma‑samhita it is stated that those who are attached to the Syamasundara form of Krsna in love and devotion can see Him always within the heart and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Krsna is essential and supreme."
This also shows that Krsna's devotees will be always victorious.
REVIEW:
In Chapter Seven, Krsna described how He is the Supreme Lord and how one can see Him. How one can see the all universe as just an expansion of His two different energies. Krsna said that.
Then in Chapter Nine, Krsna, more or less said it again, and He explained that everything is coming from Him and everything should be seen in relationship to Him because He is the Supreme Lord.
Then, He described in the end of Chapter Nine, how one should worship Him ‑ with devotion. And He will protect everyone, no matter what their birth is, if they surrender to Him they all will attain Krsna.
Then, in Chapter Ten, Krsna explained all His opulences and described 'aham sarvasya prabhavo...', that everything is emanating from Me'.
Then, He explained in the end of Chapter Ten, 'ekamsena sthito jagat...', 'the all universe is being supported, sustained and pervaded by Me'.
Anyone could repeat all this and just bluff saying that he is God, that everything comes from him, etc, etc,,,. Therefore, after explaining all that confidential knowledge about Himself, Krsna displayed the actual universal form in front of witnesses, including Sanjaya and the demigods. To see the criterion, that anyone who claims to be God has to have the ability to show the universal form to everyone. Therefore Krsna displayed the universal form to show that He was not just talking cheap words, but actually He had the potency to back up those words.
The three aspects of the universal form:
1. Everything was situated in one place.
2. The radiance, the effulgence.
3. 'Kala‑rupa', the form of time (the horrible aspect of it)
This Chapter Eleven is less important then Chapter Ten. In this Chapter it shows 'ekamsena sthito jagat', the form by which the Lord pervades the entire universe. Arjuna had no desire to see it for himself but for others he asked Krsna to display it to prove this point that Krsna is not just talking that He is the Supreme, but He is actually proving it.
THUS ENDS THE STUDY OF CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa
StudyKey verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme
THIS VERSE IS CONSIDERED THE ESSENCE OF BHAGAVAD GITA
Because anyone who wants to approach the Supreme, in Krishnaloka
in the spiritual sky, in intimate connection, must take this formula
THEME: Only most purified devotional service free from Jnana and Karma, executed without envy can bring
one to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead
PLEASE NOTE: Some points of the purports are included as the sub-points; under the characteristics motioned
below. The remaining points of the purport are covered in the ‘Focus of Learning’ box thereafter.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCH DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (ANANYA-BHAKTI) ARE:
1. ‘Mad-bhaktah’ – Engages in My pure devotional service (Nine processes)
Either perform all nine or at least one – That will make life perfect
2. ‘Sanga varjitah’ – Free from contaminations of fruitive acts and mental speculation
Disassociate from persons against Krishna and Bhakti-yoga
Atheists
Fruitive workers
Mental speculators
Definition of pure devotional service – Ref Bhakti-rasamtra-sindhu 1.1.11 – “anya bhilasita...”
Free from all material desires
Free from fruitive acts and mental speculation (Karma and Jnana)
‘Think of Krishna’ and act for Krishna ‘favourably’ – e.g. Not like Kamsa who was always thinking of Krishna, but unfavourably
Accept favourable and reject unfavourable (Hari-Bhakti Vilasa – “anukulasya...”)
A pure devotee does not even want Goloka – only wants to serve Krishna
3. ‘Mat-karma Krt’ – Works for ‘Me’ – without attachment to the results (with mentality of Krishna as
proprietor) –
Krishna-karma – Implies that no work should be done except in relationship with Krishna
e.g. Businessman offering money to Krishna or Constructing a big temple for Krishna
Accept remnants of Krishna’s offering as Prasadam
Even poorest man can perform – e.g. Clean temple / Cultivate garden for flowers and tulasi (Bg. 9.26 – “patram pushpam...”)
4. ‘Mat-paramo’ – Makes ‘Me’ the Supreme Goal of Life
Considers Krishna’s association in Supreme abode as the highest perfection of life
No wish to elevate to Higher planets like Brahmaloka etc.
Not even satisfied with Brahmajyoti but only Krishna loka
Because he has full knowledge of that planet
5. ‘Nirvairah sarva-bhutesu’ – Friendly to all living beings
Because he knows Krishna consciousness as the only solution to all problems
Has personally experienced all this
Therefore wants to introduce Krishna consciousness in human society
Takes all risk to spread e.g. Jesus Christ / Prahlada Maharaja / Haridas Thakur
Krishna Conscious person knows the cause of suffering – “forgetfulness of eternal relationship with Krishna”
Highest benefit is ‘‘to relieve the neighbour from material problems’’
END OF CHAPTER 11
Focus of Learning
(a) About Bhagavad-gita
For whom – For conditioned souls who are engaged in Lording over and do not know real spiritual life
Purpose – To show how to understand spiritual existence and eternal relationship with Supreme Personality of Godhead and how to go Back to Godhead
Process – Given in 11.55 – Work for Krishna (Devotional Service)
How to Work – Transfer all energy entirely to Krishna conscious acts e.g. Yukta-vairagya
(b) The Lord is very merciful to a person engaged according to 11.55 – Such a person reaches the
highest planet
(c) Conclusion / Purport of Chapter 11 –
Form of Krishna is Essential and Supreme
Krishna exhibits ‘Universal Form’ which is temporary
‘Form of Time’ which devours all
Even ‘Vishnu’ form which is four-handed
Thus Krishna is the origin of all
Krishna’s Form can only be understood by ‘His unalloyed devotees’
For a devotee, only two-handed ‘Syamasundara’ form is important
Who can see the Lord? – Eyes anointed with ‘Love of God’ (Brahma Samhita 5.39)
Bhagavad Gita Notes
CHAPTER 11 Appendix
Selected Texts extracted from “Surrender unto Me”
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya
Classical
Translation
11.55 Pandava, O son of Pandu; yah, he who; mat-karma-krt, works for Me: work for Me is mat-karma; one who does it is mat-karma-krt-.
Mat-paramah, who accepts Me as the supreme Goal: A servant does work for his master, but does not accept the master as his own supreme Goal to be attained after death; his one, however, who does work for Me, accepts Me alone as the supreme Goal. Thus he is matparamah-one to whom I am the supreme Goal-.
So also he who is madbhaktah, devoted to me: He adores Me alone in all ways, with his whole being and full enthusiasm. Thus he is madbhaktah-.
Sanga-varjitah, who is devoid of attachment for wealth, sons, friends, wife and relatives, Sanga means fondness, love; devoid of them-.
Nirvairah, who is free from enmity; sarva-bhutesu, towards all beings-berefit of the idea of enmity even towards those engaged in doing unmost harm to him-.
Sah, he who is such a devotee of Mine; eti, attains; mam, Me. I alone am his supreme Goal; he does not attain any other goal. This is the advice for you, given by Me as desired by you.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya
Classical
Translation
11.55 Whosoever performs all acts like the study of the Vedas described above, considering them as several modes of worship, 'he works for Me.' He who 'looks upon Me as the highest,' namely, one to whom I alone am the highest purpose in all his enterprises, has Me as 'the highest end.' He who is 'devoted to me,' i.e., is greatly devoted to me and hence unable to sustain himself without reciting My names, praising Me, meditating upon Me, worshipping Me, saluting Me etc., he who performs these always considering Me as the supreme end - he is My devotee. He is 'free from attachments,' as he is attached to me alone, and is therefore unable to have attachment to any other entity. He who is without hatred towards any being, is one who fulfils all the following conditions: his nature is to feel pleasure or pain solely on account of his union or separation from Me; he considers his own sins to be the cause of his sufferings (and not the work of others); he is confirmed in his faith that all beings are dependent on the Parama-purusa. For all these reasons he has no hatred for any one.
Śrī Abhinavagupta
Classical
Translation
11.54-55 Bhaktya etc. Mat-karma etc. Those, whose devotion, charming by the absence of any other object in it, bursts forth-to the field of realisation of those persons descends the Vasudea - tattva, the Absolute being, without any effort (on their part) just on account of their appreciation of the advice given earlier as 'Having the realisation that Vasudeva is all, one takes refuge in Me. etc.'
Swami Sivananda
Classical
Translation
11.55 He who does all actions for Me, who looks upon Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears enmity towards no creature, he comes to Me, O Arjuna.
Commentary
11.55 मत्कर्मकृत् does actions for Me? मत्परमः looks on Me as the Supreme? मद्भक्तः is devoted to Me? सङ्गवर्जितः is freed from attachment? निर्वैरः without enmity? सर्वभूतेषु towards all creatures? यः who? सः he? माम् to Me? एति goes? पाण्डव O Arjuna.Commentary This is the essence of the whole teaching of the Gita. He who practises this teaching will attain Supreme Bliss and Immortality. This verse contains the summary of the entire philosophy of the Gita.He who performs actions (duties) for the sake of the Lord? who consecrates all his actions to Him? who serves the Lord with his heart and soul? who regards the Lord as his supreme goal? who lives for Him alone? who works for Him alone? who sees the Lord in everything? who sees the whole world as the Cosmic Form of the Lord and therefore cherishes no feeling of hatred or enmity towards any creature even when great injury has been done by others to him? who has no attachment or love to wealth? children? wife? friends and relatives? and who seeks nothing else but the Lord? realises Him and enters into His Being. He becomes one with Him.Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita? the science of the Eternal? the scripture of Yoga? the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna? ends the eleventh discourse entitledThe Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form.,
Swami Gambhīrānanda
Classical
Translation
11.55 O son of Pandu, he who works for Me, accepts Me as the supreme Goal, is devoted to Me, is devoid of attachment and free from enmity towards all beings-he attains Me.
Shri Purohit Swami
Classical
Translation
11.55 He whose every action is done for My sake, to whom I am the final goal, who loves Me only and hates no one - O My dearest son, only he can realize Me!"
He who acts for Me, depends on Me, is My devotee, free from attachment and enmity to all beings — he attains Me, O Pāṇḍava.
Practical Applications
Audit five qualities: act for Me, depend on Me, devotee, no attachment to others, no enmity.
Note any of the five that's weak; address it.
Trust the formula.
Reflection Questions
Which of the five is weakest in me?
What single discipline addresses it?
Analogy
A river that has been narrowed and narrowed by gorges finally opens onto a single delta — every drop arrives at the same sea. The Gītā has narrowed action, knowledge, sacrifice, austerity into the single delta of mat-karma-kṛt mat-paramaḥ mat-bhaktaḥ — to work for Me, to depend on Me, to love Me — and at this delta the soul enters the ocean.
Stories
Ambarīṣa Mahārāja's Life of Bhakti
King Ambarīṣa (SB 9.4) embodied every quality of 11.55. He worked for the Lord (mat-karma-kṛt) — engaging his royal duties in service. He held the Lord as supreme (mat-paramaḥ) — refusing even the sage Durvāsā's siddhis. He was the Lord's devotee (mat-bhaktaḥ). He was free of fruitive attachment (saṅga-varjitaḥ) and friendly to all beings (sarva-bhūteṣu nirvairaḥ).
The Bhāgavatam's portrait of Ambarīṣa is, in effect, a commentary on BG 11.55. Kṛṣṇa's promise in this verse — sa mām eti pāṇḍava, he certainly comes to Me — is the very fruit Ambarīṣa attained, sheltered by the Sudarśana-cakra and welcomed home.