FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 11.46

కిరీటినం గదినం చక్రహస్త- మిచ్ఛామి త్వాం ద్రష్టుమహం తథైవ । తేనైవ రూపేణ చతుర్భుజేన సహస్రబాహో భవ విశ్వమూర్తే ॥ ౪౬ ॥
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakra-hastam
[kireetinam gadinam chakra-hastam]
icchāmi tvāṁ draṣṭum ahaṁ tathaiva
[ichchaami tvaam drashtum aham tathaiva]
tenaiva rūpeṇa catur-bhujena
[tenaiva roopena chatur-bhujena]
sahasra-bāho bhava viśva-mūrte
[sahasra-baaho bhava vishva-moorte]
Word-for-word
kirīṭinam — with helmet gadinam — with club cakra - hastam — disc in hand icchāmi — I wish tvām — You draṣṭum — to see aham — I tathā eva — in that position tena eva — in that rūpeṇa — form catuḥ - bhujena — four-handed sahasra - bāho — O thousand-handed one bhava — just become viśva - 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.
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.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 11.50 BG 11.17 BG 11.51 SB 3.15.41 SB 2.2.8 SB 10.3.9 CC Madhya 20.205 CC Madhya 21.79 CC Madhya 20.393 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.16Īśa Upaniṣad 15
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
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.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 11