FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 11.1

అర్జున ఉవాచ మదనుగ్రహాయ పరమం గుహ్యమధ్యాత్మసంజ్ఞితమ్ । యత్త్వయోక్తం వచస్తేన మోహోఽయం విగతో మమ ॥ ౧ ॥
arjuna uvāca
[arjuna uvaacha]
mad-anugrahāya paramaṁ
[mad-anugrahaaya paramam]
guhyam adhyātma-saṁjñitam
[guhyam adhyaatma-samjnitam]
yat tvayoktaṁ vacas tena
[yat tvayoktam vachas tena]
moho ’yaṁ vigato mama
[moho ’yam vigato mama]
Word-for-word
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said mat - anugrahāya — just to show me favor paramam — supreme guhyam — confidential subject adhyātma — spiritual saṁjñitam — in the matter of yat — what tvayā — by You uktam — said vacaḥ — words tena — by that mohaḥ — illusion ayam — this vigataḥ — is removed mama — 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.
Purport

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 (saṁjṣitam) 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.
Related values & verses
Related values
Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 10.1 BG 18.72 BG 2.7 SB 1.7.7 SB 11.2.37 SB 2.1.5 CC Madhya 20.122 CC Madhya 22.87 CC Ādi 1.50 Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.13Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
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.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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