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Bhagavad-gītā 11.52

श्रीभगवानुवाच सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम । देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्‍‍क्षिण: ॥ ५२ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
[shree-bhagavaan uvaacha]
su-durdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ
[su-durdarsham idam roopam]
dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama
[drishtavaan asi yan mama]
devā apy asya rūpasya
[devaa apy asya roopasya]
nityaṁ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ
[nityam darshana-kaankshinah]
Word-for-word
śrī - bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said su - durdarśam — very difficult to see idam — this rūpam — form dṛṣṭavān asi — as you have seen yat — which mama — of Mine devāḥ — the demigods api — also asya — this rūpasya — form nityam — eternally darśana - 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.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
मम इदं रूपं यत् दृष्टवान् असि (तत्) सु-दुर्दर्शम्; देवाः अपि अस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शन-काङ्क्षिणः ।
mama idaṃ rūpaṃ yat dṛṣṭavān asi (tat) su-durdarśam; devāḥ api asya rūpasya nityaṃ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ |
This form of Mine which you have just seen is very hard to see; even the gods are ever longing for a sight of this form.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
श्री-भगवान् उवाच
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
सु-दुर्दर्शम् इदं रूपं दृष्टवान् असि यत् मम । देवाः अपि अस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शन-काङ्क्षिणः ॥
su-durdarśam idaṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭavān asi yat mama | devāḥ api asya rūpasya nityaṃ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
सु-दुर्दर्शम् su-durdarśam सु (ind. (indeclinable), intensive) + दुर् (ind. (indeclinable)) + दर्श (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. very hard to see
इदम् idam इदम् (dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. this
रूपम् rūpam रूप (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) form
दृष्टवान् dṛṣṭavān √दृश् perf. (perfect) act. part. nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. (you who have) seen
असि asi √अस् pres. (present) 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) you are
यत् yat rel. pron. (pronoun) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. which
मम mama अस्मद् (pron. (pronoun)) gen.sg. (genitive singular) My
देवाः devāḥ देव (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) the gods
अपि api ind. (indeclinable) even
अस्य asya इदम् (dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun)) gen.sg. (genitive singular)n. of this
रूपस्य rūpasya रूप (n.) gen.sg. (genitive singular) of the form
नित्यम् nityam ind. (indeclinable), adv. ever, always
दर्शन-काङ्क्षिणः darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ दर्शन (n.) + काङ्क्षिन् (adj.) nom.pl. (nominative plural)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) desirous of seeing
Purport

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.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)
Related verses
BG 11.53 BG 7.3 BG 11.54 SB 10.9.21 SB 10.13.15 SB 3.2.21 CC Madhya 21.101 CC Madhya 23.43 CC Ādi 3.8 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.7Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.20
Concepts
Maya
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
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.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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