FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.77

तच्च‍ संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं हरे: । विस्मयो मे महान्‍राजन्हृष्यामि च पुन: पुन: ॥ ७७ ॥
tac ca saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya
[tach cha samsmritya samsmritya]
rūpam aty-adbhutaṁ hareḥ
[roopam aty-adbhutam hareh]
vismayo me mahān rājan
[vismayo me mahaan raajan]
hṛṣyāmi ca punaḥ punaḥ
[hrishyaami cha punah punah]
tat — that ca — also saṁsmṛtya — remembering saṁsmṛtya — remembering rūpam — form ati — greatly adbhutam — wonderful hareḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa vismayaḥ — wonder me — my mahān — great rājan — O King hṛṣyāmi — I am enjoying ca — also punaḥ punaḥ — repeatedly .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tac ca saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya
tat
that
ca
also
saṁsmṛtya
remembering
saṁsmṛtya
remembering
rūpam aty-adbhutaṁ hareḥ
rūpam
form
ati
greatly
adbhutam
wonderful
hareḥ
of Lord Kṛṣṇa
vismayo me mahān rājan
vismayaḥ
wonder
me
my
mahān
great
rājan
O King
hṛṣyāmi ca punaḥ punaḥ
hṛṣyāmi
I am enjoying
ca
also
punaḥ punaḥ
repeatedly .
  • rūpam — form
    Sañjaya is remembering not just the conversation but specifically Kṛṣṇa's universal form (chapter 11). The verse qualifies this rūpam with ati and adbhutam — exceedingly wonderful.
  • hareḥ — of Lord Kṛṣṇa
    Genitive. Hari — He who removes (sins, suffering, illusion). A name used here with full devotional weight.
  • vismayaḥ — wonder
    Sañjaya's self-report — *my wonder is great*. Vismaya — astonishment. The same response Arjuna gave at the universal form, now in Sañjaya's repeated experience.
  • punaḥ punaḥ — repeatedly
    Reduplicated adverb from the synonyms list. Echoes muhuḥ muhuḥ from the previous verse. Sañjaya is constructing a litany of repetition — the Gītā keeps producing fresh response, perpetually.
  • hṛṣyāmi — I rejoice
    First person. Same verb as verse 76. Sañjaya keeps rejoicing — the Gītā is for him a continually flowing source of bliss, not a one-time event.
O King, as I remember the wonderful form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am struck with wonder more and more, and I rejoice again and again.
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)
Beyond the dialogue, Sañjaya keeps recalling Kṛṣṇa's exceedingly wondrous form — almost certainly the viśva-rūpa of chapter 11. The cosmic vision haunts him with delight.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The viśva-rūpa of ch. 11 is named obliquely as 'tad rūpam aty-adbhutam.' Sañjaya, granted divya-cakṣus, has seen what no mortal except Arjuna saw; the memory remains vivid. Vismaya (awe) and harṣa (joy) — the canonical bhakti rasas of adbhuta and hāsya — characterize his ongoing devotional state.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे राजन्! हरेः तत् अति-अद्भुतं रूपं च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य मे महान् विस्मयः, पुनः पुनः च हृष्यामि ।
he rājan! hareḥ tat ati-adbhutaṃ rūpaṃ ca saṃsmṛtya saṃsmṛtya me mahān vismayaḥ, punaḥ punaḥ ca hṛṣyāmi |
And remembering and remembering that extraordinarily wondrous form of Hari, O King, my wonder is great — and I rejoice again and again.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
तत् च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपम् अति-अद्भुतं हरेः । विस्मयः मे महान् राजन् हृष्यामि च पुनः पुनः ॥
tat ca saṃsmṛtya saṃsmṛtya rūpam ati-adbhutaṃ hareḥ | vismayaḥ me mahān rājan hṛṣyāmi ca punaḥ punaḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
तत् tat तद् (pron. (pronoun)) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. that
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
संस्मृत्य saṃsmṛtya सम् + √स्मृ abs. (absolutive) remembering
रूपम् rūpam रूप (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) form
अति-अद्भुतम् ati-adbhutam karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. exceedingly wondrous
हरेः hareḥ हरि (m.) gen.sg. (genitive singular) of Hari
विस्मयः vismayaḥ विस्मय (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) wonder
मे me अस्मद् (pron. (pronoun)) gen.sg. (genitive singular) of me
महान् mahān महत् (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. great
राजन् rājan राजन् (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) O King
हृष्यामि hṛṣyāmi √हृष् pres. (present) 1sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) I rejoice
पुनः पुनः punaḥ punaḥ ind. (indeclinable), reduplicated again and again

It appears that Sañjaya also, by the grace of Vyāsa, could see the universal form Kṛṣṇa exhibited to Arjuna. It is, of course, said that Lord Kṛṣṇa had never exhibited such a form before. It was exhibited to Arjuna only, yet some great devotees could also see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa when it was shown to Arjuna, and Vyāsa was one of them. He is one of the great devotees of the Lord, and he is considered to be a powerful incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Vyāsa disclosed this to his disciple Sañjaya, who remembered that wonderful form of Kṛṣṇa exhibited to Arjuna and enjoyed it repeatedly.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
77. O King, remembering again and again that amazing form of Hari, I am filled with wonder, and rejoice again and again.
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
77. O King, remembering also, again and again, that amazing form of Hari, the universal form, I am filled with wonder, and my hairs stand on end again and again.
Commentary

Tat here refers to the universal form which was shown to Arjuna.

Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Further experiences of Sanjaya: Remembering the wonderful form of Krishna he becomes struck with

wonder more and more and rejoices again and again

Focus of Learning

(a) It appears that Sanjaya also saw the universal form

Some great devotees could also see the Universal Form when it was shown to Arjuna
And Vyasa is one of them who disclosed this to Sanjaya

(a) Transcendental position of spiritual life

Understanding of Bhagavad-gita is so transcendental that anyone who becomes conversant with the topics of Bhagavad-gita becomes righteous and cannot forget such talks

(b) How one develops such understanding – This comes from hearing from the right source and leads

to full Krishna consciousness

(c) Result of Krishna consciousness

One becomes increasingly enlightened
Enjoys life with a thrill, not only for some time, but at every moment
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.77 And, rajan, O King; samsmrtya samsmrtya, repeatedly recollecting; tat, that; ati-adbhutam, greatly extraordinary; rupam, form, the Cosmic form; hareh, of Hari; mahan vismayah me, I am struck with great wonder. And hrsyami, I rejoice; punah punah, again and again.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.77 Great amazement is caused in me, stirred by joy born of the repeated remembrance of that most marvellous and sovereign form of the Lord revealed to Arjuna and directly witnessed by me. I rejoice again and again. Why say more?
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.77 See Comment under 18.78
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.77 And, remembering again and again, also that most wonderful form of Hari, great is my wonder, O King; and I rejoice again and again.
Commentary

18.77 तत् that? च and? संस्मृत्य having remembered? संस्मृत्य having remembered? रूपम् the form? अत्यद्भुतम् the most wonderful? हरेः of Hari? विस्मयः wonder? मे my? महान् great? राजन् O King? हृष्यामि (I) rejoice? च and? पुनः again? पुनः again.Commentary Form The Cosmic Form. (Cf.XI)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.77 O king, repeatedly recollecting that greatly extraordinary form of Hari, I am struck with wonder. And I rejoice again and again.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.77 As memory recalls again and again the exceeding beauty of the Lord, I am filled with amazement and happiness.
Related verses
Recalling the wonderful form of Kṛṣṇa, my wonder is great — and I rejoice continually.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate ongoing wonder, not initial enthusiasm only.
  • Use the universal form vision as an anchor for wonder.
  • Refuse to let wonder fade.
Reflection Questions
  • When did wonder last fade for me?
  • What restored it?

The viewer of an extraordinary sunset who finds the same scene more wondrous the longer he looks. Sañjaya saw the universal form through Kṛṣṇa's gift, and even the *memory* of that form keeps producing fresh wonder.

📝 My note

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