gita-chapter-11-en

{ "title": "Chapter 11: Viśhwarūp Darśhan Yog", "chapterIntro": "To nurture and intensify Arjun’s devotion, Shree Krishna had described His divine vibhūtis (opulence) in the previous chapter. Towards the end, He had mentioned that all the beauty, glory, and power is just a spark of His immeasurable splendor. Hearing this, Arjun became curious.\nIn this chapter, he requests the Lord to show him His viśhwarūp, or the infinite cosmic form. Shree Krishna grants Arjun divine vision to see His infinite-form that comprises all the universes. Arjun sees the entire creation in the body of the God of gods with unlimited arms, faces, and stomachs. It has no beginning or end and extends immeasurably in all directions. His radiance is similar to a thousand suns blazing together in the sky. The sight dazzles Arjun, and his hair stands on end. He witnesses the three worlds trembling with fear of God’s laws and the celestial gods taking His shelter. He can see several sages offering prayers and singing hymns exalting God. Then Arjun sees the Kauravas, along with their allies, rushing into the mouth of this formidable form, who look like moths rushing with great speed toward the fire to perish.\nBeholding this universal form, Arjun confesses that his heart and mind are unstable with fear. Although petrified by the appearance, Arjun wants to know the identity of this breath-taking form of God, who has no resemblance to his teacher and friend Shree Krishna. The Lord declares that in the form of Time, He is the destroyer of the three worlds. He has already destroyed the Kaurava warriors, and the Pandavas’ victory is certain. Therefore, Arjun should not be fearful anymore. He should just get up and fight.\nOverwhelmed, Arjun starts praising the Lord who, in His infinite forms, pervades the entire universe and offers several salutations to His majestic form. He also begs for forgiveness to Shree Krishna for any offenses or acts of disrespect he may have committed in ignorance, considering Him to be a mere human. Arjun then pleads the Lord for His grace and requests Him to take a pleasing form.\nShree Krishna then manifests into His four-armed form, carrying a mace, disc, conch shell, and lotus flower in each arm. Soon after, He resumes His gentle and loving two-armed form of the charming Shree Krishna. He then tells Arjun that before Him, no one has ever seen God in this primeval cosmic form. Even those who study the Vedas, do severe penance, charity or fire sacrifices, etc., do not get this opportunity. Only with unalloyed devotion similar to Arjun can one see God, get to know Him, and attain Yog or union with Him.", "verseList": [ { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.1", "verse": "1", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nमदनुग्रहाय परमं गुह्यमध्यात्मसञ्ज्ञितम् |\nयत्त्वयोक्तं वचस्तेन मोहोऽयं विगतो मम || 1||", "text": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nमदनुग्रहाय परमं गुह्यमध्यात्मसञ्ज्ञितम् |\nयत्त्वयोक्तं वचस्तेन मोहोऽयं विगतो मम || 1||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_001.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Arjun said: Having heard the supremely confidential spiritual knowledge, which You have revealed out of compassion for me, my illusion is now dispelled.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-01.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.1.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun has rejoiced upon hearing Shree Krishna’s vibhūtis, as well as knowledge about the Supreme Personality, and he feels that his illusion is now dispelled. He has accepted that Shree Krishna is not merely his best friend, but also the Supreme Divine Personality, who is the source of all opulence in the world. Now in this chapter, he begins by gratefully acknowledging Shree Krishna’s compassion in revealing such invaluable knowledge." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.2", "verse": "2", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "भवाप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशो मया |\nत्वत्त: कमलपत्राक्ष माहात्म्यमपि चाव्ययम् || 2||", "text": "भवाप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशो मया |\nत्वत्त: कमलपत्राक्ष माहात्म्यमपि चाव्ययम् || 2||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_002.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of all living beings, O Lotus-eyed One, and also about Your eternal magnificence.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-02.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.2.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun continues his appreciation of Lord Krishna’s glories by confirming his paramount position as the source of the appearance and disappearance of the entire material manifestation. He addresses Shree Krishna in the vocative with the words kamala-patrākṣha, meaning “whose eyes are like the lotus flower, which is large, soft, and beautiful, and endowed with the attributes of sweetness and gentleness.”\nBy the above verse, Arjun implies, “O Shree Krishna, I have heard from you about your imperishable majestic glories. Although you are present within all, you are untainted by their imperfections. Although you are the supreme controller, yet you are the non-doer and are not responsible for our actions. Although you bestow the results of our karmas, you are impartial and equal to all. You are the supreme witness and the dispenser of the results of our actions. I thus conclude that you are the object of adoration of all beings.”" }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.3", "verse": "3", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वमात्मानं परमेश्वर |\nद्रष्टुमिच्छामि ते रूपमैश्वरं पुरुषोत्तम || 3||", "text": "एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वमात्मानं परमेश्वर |\nद्रष्टुमिच्छामि ते रूपमैश्वरं पुरुषोत्तम || 3||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_003.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Supreme Lord, You are precisely what You declare yourself to be. Now I desire to see Your divine cosmic form, O Greatest of persons.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-03.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.3.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun addresses Shree Krishna as the best person because no other personality is equal to him. Often scholars, basing their opinion upon dry intellectual analysis, have difficulty in accepting the concept of God as a person. They wish to perceive God as only an impersonal light, without attributes, virtues, qualities, and pastimes. However, when we tiny souls possess a personality, then why should we deny a personality to the Supreme Lord? Not only can he have a personality, but he also has the best personality, and therefore he is the Supreme Divine Personality. The difference between our personality and God’s personality is that he is not only a perfect person; he also has his impersonal all-pervading aspect, which is devoid of attributes and form.\nArjun declares that he accepts the reality of Shree Krishna’s divine personality, precisely as has been described to him. He has complete faith in his personal form, and yet, he desires to see Shree Krishna’s viśhwarūp, or universal form, replete with all opulences. He wishes to view it with his own eyes." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.4", "verse": "4", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो |\nयोगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् || 4||", "text": "मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो |\nयोगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् || 4||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_004.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Lord of all mystic powers, if You think I am strong enough to behold It, then kindly reveal that imperishable cosmic form to me.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-04.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.4.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "In the previous verse, Arjun desired to see the cosmic form of the Supreme Divine Personality. He now seeks his approval. “O Yogeshwar, I have expressed my wish. If you consider me worthy of it, then by your grace, please reveal your cosmic form to me, and show me your Yog-aiśhwarya (mystic opulence).” Yog is the science of uniting the individual soul with the Supreme soul, and those who practice this science are called yogis. The word Yogeśhwar also means “Lord of all yogis.” Since the object of attainment for all yogis is the Supreme Lord, Shree Krishna is consequently the Lord of all yogis. Previously, in verse 10.17, Arjun had addressed the Lord as “Yogi,” implying “Master of yog.” But he has now changed it to “Yogeshwar” because of his increased respect for Shree Krishna." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.5", "verse": "5", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nपश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रश: |\nनानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च || 5||", "text": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nपश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रश: |\nनानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च || 5||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_005.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "The Supreme Lord said: Behold, O Parth, My hundreds and thousands of wonderful forms of various shapes, sizes, and colors.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-05.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.5.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "After listening to Arjun’s prayers, Shree Krishna now asks him to have a vision of his viśhwarūp, or universal form. He uses the word paśhya, meaning “behold” to indicate that Arjun must pay attention. Although the form is one, it has unlimited features, and contains innumerable personalities of multitude shapes and variegated colors. Shree Krishna uses the phrase śhataśho ’tha sahasraśhaḥ to indicate they exist in innumerable fashions and multitude ways.\nHaving asked Arjun to behold his universal form with infinite shapes and colors, Shree Krishna now asks Arjun to observe the celestial gods and other wonders in that cosmic form." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.6", "verse": "6", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "पश्यादित्यान्वसून् रुद्रानश्विनौ मरुतस्तथा |\nबहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणि पश्याश्चर्याणि भारत || 6||", "text": "पश्यादित्यान्वसून् रुद्रानश्विनौ मरुतस्तथा |\nबहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणि पश्याश्चर्याणि भारत || 6||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_006.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Behold in Me, O scion of the Bharatas, the (twelve) sons of Aditi, the (eight) vasus, the (eleven) rudras, the (twin) Ashwini Kumars, as well as the (forty-nine) maruts and many more marvels never revealed before.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-06.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.6.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "The universal form of the Lord not only contains marvels that exist on earth but also marvels that exist in the higher planetary systems, never before seen together in this manner. He further reveals that the celestial gods are all tiny fragments of his divine form; he shows the twelve adityas, eight vasus, eleven rudras, two Ashwini Kumars, as well as the forty-nine maruts within himself.\nThe twelve sons of Aditi are: Dhata, Mitra, Aryama, Shakra, Varun, Amsha, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusha, Savita, Tvashta, Vaman. The eight Vasus are: Dara, Dhruv, Soma, Ahah, Anila, Anala, Pratyush, Prabhas.\nThe eleven rudras are: Hara, Bahurupa, Tryambaka, Aparajita, Vrisakapi, Shambhu, Kapardi, Raivata, Mrigavyadha, Sarva, Kapali. The two Ashwini Kumars are the twin-born physicians of the gods.\nThe forty-nine maruts (wind gods) are: Sattvajyoti, Aditya, Satyajyoti, Tiryagjyoti, Sajyoti, Jyotishman, Harita, Ritajit, Satyajit, Sushena, Senajit, Satyamitra, Abhimitra, Harimitra, Krita, Satya, Dhruv, Dharta, Vidharta, Vidharaya, Dhvanta, Dhuni, Ugra, Bhima, Abhiyu, Sakshipa, Idrik, Anyadrik, Yadrik, Pratikrit, Rik, Samiti, Samrambha, Idriksha, Purusha, Anyadriksha, Chetasa, Samita, Samidriksha, Pratidriksha, Maruti, Sarata, Deva, Disha, Yajuh, Anudrik, Sama, Manusha, and Vish." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.7", "verse": "7", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "इहैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं पश्याद्य सचराचरम् |\nमम देहे गुडाकेश यच्चान्यद्द्रष्टुमिच्छसि || 7||", "text": "इहैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं पश्याद्य सचराचरम् |\nमम देहे गुडाकेश यच्चान्यद्द्रष्टुमिच्छसि || 7||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_007.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Behold now, Arjun, the entire universe, with everything moving and non-moving, assembled together in My universal form. Whatever else you wish to see, observe it all within this universal form.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-07.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.7.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "After hearing Shree Krishna’s instructions to behold his form, Arjun wonders where to see it. So Shree Krishna states that it is within the body of the Supreme Divine Personality. There, he will see infinite universes with all their moving and non-moving entities. Every entity exists in the universal form, and so do the events of the past and the future. Arjun will thus be able to see the victory of the Pandavas and the defeat of the Kauravas as an event that is a part of the unfoldment of the cosmic plan for the universe." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.8", "verse": "8", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुमनेनैव स्वचक्षुषा |\nदिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षु: पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् || 8||", "text": "न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुमनेनैव स्वचक्षुषा |\nदिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षु: पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् || 8||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_008.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "But you cannot see My cosmic form with these physical eyes of yours. Therefore, I grant you divine vision. Behold My majestic opulence!", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-08.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.8.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "When the Supreme Lord descends in the world, he has two kinds of forms—one is the material form that can be seen with material eyes, and the other is his divine form that can only be seen with divine vision. Thus, human beings do see him during his descension upon the earth, but they see only his material form. His divine form is not visible to their material eyes. That is the reason why souls in this material world cannot recognize God when he takes an Avatār on earth. Shree Krishna mentioned this in the ninth chapter, verse 11: “When I descend in My personal form deluded persons are unable to recognize Me. They do not know the divinity of My personality, as the Supreme Lord of all beings.” What people see is only the material form of the divine descension.\nThe same theory applies to his cosmic form. In the previous two verses, Shree Krishna asked Arjun to see the cosmic form, but Arjun could see nothing because he had material eyes. The physical eyes are insufficient to see that universal form and the ordinary intellect is unequipped to comprehend it. Thus, Shree Krishna now says that he will grant the divine vision with which it will become possible to behold the universal form with all its majesty.\nThe granting of spiritual vision is an act of grace by the Supreme Lord. By his grace, God adds his divine eyes to the soul’s material eyes; he adds his divine mind to the soul’s material mind; he adds his divine intellect to the soul’s material intellect. Then, equipped with the divine senses, mind, and intellect of God, the soul can see his divine form, think of it, and comprehend it." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.9", "verse": "9", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "सञ्जय उवाच |\nएवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरि: |\nदर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम् || 9||", "text": "सञ्जय उवाच |\nएवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरि: |\nदर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम् || 9||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_009.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Sanjay said: O King, having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord of Yog, Shree Krishna, displayed his divine and opulent form to Arjun.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-09.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.9.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun had referred to Shree Krishna as “Yogeshwar” in verse 11.4. Now, Sanjay refers to him as “Maha-Yogeshwar,” adding the superlative “great” to the address “Lord of all yogis.” Sanjay was bestowed with the gift of far-sighted vision by his Guru, Ved Vyas. So he also beheld the Lord’s cosmic form in the same manner as Arjun saw it. In the next four verses, Sanjay describes to Dhritarashtra what Arjun saw. The word aiśhwarya means “opulence.” The cosmic form of God is replete with the manifestation of his opulences, and it invokes fear, awe, and reverence in the beholder." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.10 – 11.11", "verse": "10-11", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अनेकवक्त्रनयनमनेकाद्भुतदर्शनम् |\nअनेकदिव्याभरणं दिव्यानेकोद्यतायुधम् || 10||\nदिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरं दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनम् |\nसर्वाश्चर्यमयं देवमनन्तं विश्वतोमुखम् || 11||", "text": "अनेकवक्त्रनयनमनेकाद्भुतदर्शनम् |\nअनेकदिव्याभरणं दिव्यानेकोद्यतायुधम् || 10||\nदिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरं दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनम् |\nसर्वाश्चर्यमयं देवमनन्तं विश्वतोमुखम् || 11||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_010-011.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "In that cosmic form, Arjun saw unlimited faces and eyes, decorated with many celestial ornaments and wielding many kinds of divine weapons. He wore many garlands on His body and was anointed with many sweet-smelling heavenly fragrances. He revealed Himself as the wonderful and infinite Lord whose face is everywhere.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-10.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-11.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.10.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.11.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Sanjay elaborates upon Shree Krishna’s divine universal form with the words aneka (many) and anant (unlimited). The entire creation is the body of God’s cosmic form, and therefore it contains countless faces, eyes, mouths, shapes, colors, and forms. The human intellect is habituated to grasping things within the limited kernel of time, space, and form. The cosmic form of God revealed unusual wonders, marvels, and miracles in all directions, transcending the limitations of space and time, and thus it could be aptly termed as wondrous." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.12", "verse": "12", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता |\nयदि भा: सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मन: || 12||", "text": "दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता |\nयदि भा: सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मन: || 12||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_012.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "If a thousand suns were to blaze forth together in the sky, they would not match the splendor of that great form.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-12.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.12.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Sanjay now describes the effulgence of the universal form. To give an idea of its dazzling radiance, he compares it to thousands of suns blazing simultaneously in the midday sky. Actually, God’s effulgence is unlimited; it cannot be quantified in terms of the effulgence of the sun. However, narrators often describe the unknown by extrapolating from the known. The simile of a thousand suns expressed Sanjay’s perception that the splendor of the cosmic form had no parallels." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.13", "verse": "13", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा |\nअपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा || 13||", "text": "तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा |\nअपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा || 13||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_013.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "There Arjun could see the totality of the entire universe established in one place, in that body of the God of gods.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-13.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.13.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "After describing wondrous spectacles in the cosmic form, Sanjay states that it encompassed the entire universe. Even more amazingly, Arjun saw the totality of existence in the locality of Shree Krishna’s body. He beheld the entire creation of infinite universes, with their manifold divisions of galaxies and planetary systems in a mere fraction of the body of the Supreme Lord.\nDuring his childhood pastimes, Shree Krishna had also revealed the cosmic form to his mother, Yashoda. The Supreme Lord had hidden his mystic opulences and was playing the role of a little child for the pleasure of his devotees. Thinking of Shree Krishna as her son, Yashoda chastised him severely one day, for eating mud despite her constant admonitions, and asked him to open his mouth so that she may see what was in it. However, to her immense wonder, when Shree Krishna opened his mouth, he revealed within it a vision of his cosmic form by his Yogmaya power. Yashoda was bewildered to see such unlimited wonders in the mouth of her little child. She was so overcome by the spectacle that she came on the verge of swooning, when Shree Krishna touched her and brought her back to normalcy.\nThe same cosmic form that the Lord revealed to his mother, Yashoda, he is now revealing to his friend, Arjun. Now, Sanjay describes Arjun’s response to the vision of the cosmic form." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.14", "verse": "14", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "तत: स विस्मयाविष्टो हृष्टरोमा धनञ्जय: |\nप्रणम्य शिरसा देवं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत || 14||", "text": "तत: स विस्मयाविष्टो हृष्टरोमा धनञ्जय: |\nप्रणम्य शिरसा देवं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत || 14||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_014.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Then, Arjun, full of wonder and with hair standing on end, bowed his head before the Lord and addressed Him, with folded hands.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-14.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.14.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun was struck with amazement and deep reverence on seeing that breathtaking spectacle. It struck devotional chords in his heart that evoked paroxysms of delight. The elation experienced through devotional sentiments occasionally finds expression in physical symptoms. The bhakti scriptures describe eight such symptoms, or the aṣhṭa sāttvic bhāv, that sometimes manifests in devotees when their heart gets thrilled in devotion:\nstambha swedo ’ tha romāñchaḥ svarabhedo ’tha vepathuḥ\nvaivarṇyamaśhru pralaya ityaṣhṭau sātvikāḥ smṛitāḥ\n(Bhakti Rasāmṛit Sindhu)[v1]\n“Becoming stupefied, sweating, horripilation, choking of the voice, trembling, complexion becoming ashen, shedding tears, and fainting—these are the physical symptoms by which intense love in the heart sometimes manifests.” That is what Arjun experienced as his hair began standing on end. Bowing down in reverence with folded hands, he uttered the words that follow. What Arjun said is now described in the next seventeen verses." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.15", "verse": "15", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nपश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे\nसर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान् |\nब्रह्माणमीशं कमलासनस्थ-\nमृषींश्च सर्वानुरगांश्च दिव्यान् || 15||", "text": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nपश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे\nसर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान् |\nब्रह्माणमीशं कमलासनस्थ-\nमृषींश्च सर्वानुरगांश्च दिव्यान् || 15||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_015.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Arjun said: O Shree Krishna, I behold within Your body all the gods and hosts of different beings. I see Brahma seated on the lotus flower; I see Shiv, all the sages, and the celestial serpents.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-15.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.15.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun exclaimed that he was beholding multitudes of beings from all the three worlds, including the gods of the celestial abodes. The words kamalāsanasatham refer to Lord Brahma, who sits at the lotus whorl of the universe. Lord Shiv, sages like Vishwamitra, and serpents such as Vasuki were all visible within the cosmic form." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.16", "verse": "16", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं\nपश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् |\nनान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं\nपश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप || 16||", "text": "अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं\nपश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् |\nनान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं\nपश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप || 16||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_016.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "I see Your infinite form in every direction, with countless arms, stomachs, faces, and eyes. O Lord of the universe, whose form is the universe itself, I do not see in You any beginning, middle, or end.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-16.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.16.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun uses two vocatives—viśhweśhwar, meaning “controller of the universe” and viśhwarūp, meaning “universal form.” He implies, “O Shree Krishna, the universe is nothing but your manifestation and you are also its supreme master.” Further, he expresses the vastness of the form he is experiencing, by saying that from whichever angle he looks, Arjun cannot discern any end to his manifestations. When he searches for the beginning, he is unable to find it. When he tries to see its middle, he again gets no success, and when he searches for the end, he can find no limit to the panorama manifesting before him." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.17", "verse": "17", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च\nतेजोराशिं सर्वतो दीप्तिमन्तम् |\nपश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ताद्\nदीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् || 17||", "text": "किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च\nतेजोराशिं सर्वतो दीप्तिमन्तम् |\nपश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ताद्\nदीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् || 17||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_017.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "I see Your form, adorned with a crown, and armed with the club and disc, shining everywhere as the abode of splendor. It is hard to look upon You in the blazing fire of Your effulgence, which is radiating like the sun in all directions.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-17.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.17.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Physical eyes get blinded upon seeing something very bright. The cosmic form before Arjun had a brilliance that exceeded thousands of blazing suns. As the sun dazzles the eyes, the universal form was immensely stunning to the eyes. He was able to behold it only because he had received divine eyes from the Lord.\nWithin the universal form, Arjun also perceived the four-armed Vishnu form of the Lord, with the four famous emblems—mace, conch, disc, and lotus flower." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.18", "verse": "18", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं\nत्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् |\nत्वमव्यय: शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता\nसनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे || 18||", "text": "त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं\nत्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् |\nत्वमव्यय: शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता\nसनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे || 18||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_018.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "I recognize You as the supreme imperishable being, the Ultimate Truth to be known by the scriptures. You are the support of all creation; You are the eternal protector of Sanātan Dharma (the Eternal Religion); and You are the everlasting Supreme Divine Personality.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-18.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.18.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun announced that he recognized the sovereignty of Shree Krishna’s position as the Supreme Lord, who is the support of all creation, and who is to be known through all the scriptures. The Kaṭhopaniṣhad states:\nsarve vedā yat padamāmananti (1.2.15)[v2]\n“The aim of all the Vedic mantras is to take us in the direction of God. He is the object of the study of the Vedas.” The Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam states:\nvāsudeva-parā vedā vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ (1.2.28)[v3]\n“The goal of cultivating Vedic knowledge is to reach God. All sacrifices are also meant for pleasing him.” In his tribute to Shree Krishna, Arjun expressed his realization that the personal form of the Lord, standing before him, was the same supreme absolute truth that is the object of all Vedic knowledge." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.19", "verse": "19", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य-\nमनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् |\nपश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रं-", "text": "अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य-\nमनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् |\nपश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रं-", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_019.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "You are without beginning, middle, or end; Your power has no limits. Your arms are infinite; the sun and the moon are like Your eyes, and fire is like Your mouth. I see you warming the entire creation by Your radiance.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-19.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.19.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "In the sixteenth verse, Arjun had said that the form of the Lord is without beginning, middle, or end. He repeats this after just three verses, out of his excitement over what he is seeing. If a statement is uttered repeatedly in amazement, it is taken as an expression of wonder and not considered a literary flaw. For example, on seeing a snake, one may scream, “Look, a snake! A snake! A snake!” Similarly, Arjun repeats his words in amazement.\nGod is indeed without a beginning and end. That is because space, time, and causation are within him. So he is beyond the measure of their limits. He cannot be encompassed either by space, time, or causation. Further, the sun, moon, and stars receive their energy from the Lord. Thus, it is he who provides warmth to the universe through these entities." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.20", "verse": "20", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि\nव्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वा: |\nदृष्ट्वाद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं\nलोकत्रयं प्रव्यथितं महात्मन् || 20||", "text": "द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि\nव्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वा: |\nदृष्ट्वाद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं\nलोकत्रयं प्रव्यथितं महात्मन् || 20||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_020.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "The space between heaven and earth and all the directions is pervaded by You alone. Seeing Your wondrous and terrible form, I see the three worlds trembling in fear, O Greatest of all beings.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-20.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.20.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun says, “O Omnipresent Lord, you are pervading in all ten directions, the whole earth, the sky above, and the space in-between. All living beings are shuddering in fear of you.” Why should the three worlds shudder before the universal form when they have not even seen it? Arjun implies that everyone is functioning in fear of God’s laws. His edicts are in place, and everyone is obliged to submit to them.\nkarama pradhāna bisva kari rākhā, jo jasa karai so tasa phala chākhā (Ramayan)[v4]\n“The world functions according to the law of karma. Whatever we do, we will have to reap the karmic results.” Like the law of karma, there are innumerable laws in existence. Many scientists make a living out of discovering and theorizing the physical laws of nature, but they can never make the laws. God is the supreme law-maker, and everyone is subject to the dominion of his laws." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.21", "verse": "21", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घा विशन्ति\nकेचिद्भीता: प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति |\nस्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घा:\nस्तुवन्ति त्वां स्तुतिभि: पुष्कलाभि: || 21||", "text": "अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घा विशन्ति\nकेचिद्भीता: प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति |\nस्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घा:\nस्तुवन्ति त्वां स्तुतिभि: पुष्कलाभि: || 21||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_021.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "All the celestial gods are taking Your shelter by entering into You. In awe, some are praising You with folded hands. The great sages and perfected beings are extolling You with auspicious hymns and profuse prayers.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-21.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.21.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun is seeing here the kāla rūp of Shree Krishna, i.e. his form as all-devouring time. The marching onslaught of time consumes even the greatest of personalities, including the celestial gods. Arjun sees them entering the universal form, with folded hands, in subservience to the kāla rūp of God. At the same time, he sees the sages and perfected souls, extolling the Lord with their thoughts, words, and deeds." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.22", "verse": "22", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्या\n विश्वेऽश्विनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च |\nगन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा\nवीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे || 22||", "text": "रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्या\n विश्वेऽश्विनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च |\nगन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा\nवीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे || 22||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_022.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "The rudras, adityas, vasus, sadhyas, vishvadevas, Ashwini Kumars, maruts, ancestors, gandharvas, yakshas, asuras, and siddhas are all beholding You in wonder.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-22.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.22.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "All these personalities receive their positions by the power of God and they discharge their respective duties in reverence to the Laws of Creation. Thus, they are all mentioned as beholding the cosmic form of God with wonder." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.23", "verse": "23", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं\nमहाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् |\nबहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं\nदृष्ट्वा लोका: प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् || 23||", "text": "रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं\nमहाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् |\nबहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं\nदृष्ट्वा लोका: प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् || 23||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_023.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O mighty Lord, in veneration of Your magnificent form with its many mouths, eyes, arms, thighs, legs, stomachs, and terrifying teeth, all the worlds are terror-stricken, and so am I.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-23.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.23.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "The numerous hands, legs, faces, and stomach of God are everywhere. The Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad states:\nsahasraśhīrṣhā puruṣhaḥ sahasrākṣhaḥ sahasrapāt\nsa bhūmiṁ viśhwato vṛitvātyatiṣhṭhaddaśhāṅgulam (3.14)[v5]\n“The Supreme Entity has thousands of heads, thousands of eyes, and thousands of feet. He envelopes the universe, but is transcendental to it. He resides in all humans, about ten fingers above the navel, in the lotus of the heart.” Those who are beholding and those who are being beheld, the terrified and the terrifying, are all within the universal form of the Lord. Again, the Kaṭhopaniṣhad states:\nbhayādasyāgnistapati bhayāt tapati sūryaḥ\nbhayādindraśhcha vāyuśhcha mṛityurdhāvati pañchamaḥ (2.3.3)[v6]\n“It is from the fear of God that the fire burns and the sun shines. It is out of fear of him that the wind blows and Indra causes the rain to fall. Even Yamraj, the god of death, trembles before him.”" }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.24", "verse": "24", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "नभ:स्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं\nव्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् |\nदृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा\nधृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो || 24||", "text": "नभ:स्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं\nव्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् |\nदृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा\nधृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो || 24||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_024.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Lord Vishnu, seeing Your form touching the sky, effulgent in many colors, with mouths wide open and enormous blazing eyes, my heart is trembling with fear. I have lost all courage and peace of mind.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-24.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.24.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Seeing the cosmic form of God changed the nature of Arjun’s relationship with Shree Krishna. Earlier, he had looked upon him as an intimate friend and interacted in a manner befitting a close associate. He was aware in the back of his head that Shree Krishna was God, but the love overflowing in his heart would make him forget the almighty aspect of Shree Krishna’s personality. All he would remember was that he loved his friend Shree Krishna more than anything in the world.\nThat is the nature of love. It absorbs the mind so deeply that the devotee forgets the formal position of his Beloved Lord. And if formality is retained, then love is unable to manifest in its fullness. For example, a wife loves her husband deeply. Though he may be the governor of the state, the wife only looks upon him as her husband, and that is how she is able to interact intimately with him. If she keeps this knowledge in her head that her husband is the governor, then each time he comes by, she will be inclined to stand on her feet and pay a more ceremonial respect for him. So, the knowledge of the official position of the beloved gets immersed in the loving sentiments. The same phenomenon takes place in devotion to God.\nThe cowherds of Braj merely viewed Shree Krishna as their bosom buddy. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj describes their pastimes with Shree Krishna very sweetly:\ndekho dekho rī, gwāla bālana yārī\nrijhavata khela jitāya sakhana ko, ghoṛā bani bani banawārī\n(Prem Ras Madirā, Rasiyā Mādhuri, Pada 7)[v7]\n“Look at the sweetness of the loving interactions between Shree Krishna and his cowherd friends! They play games together, and when Shree Krishna loses the game, he becomes a horse by sitting on all fours and his friend rides on his back.” If the cowherd friends remembered that Shree Krishna was God, they would never have the gumption to do such a thing. And the Lord too relishes the intimacy of such interactions with his devotees in which they relate with him as a dear friend.\nShree Krishna enacted the famous Goverdhan leela pastime upon the earth, in which he lifted the Goverdhan Hill on the little finger of his left hand, to protect the residents of the land of Braj from the rain caused by Indra, the king of heaven and the celestial god of rain. However, Krishna’s little cowherd associates were not impressed. In their eyes, Krishna was merely a loveable friend, and so they did not believe he could lift the hill. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj states in continuation to the verse above:\nnakha dhāryo goverdhana-giri jaba, sakhana kahyo hama giridhārī\n(Prem Ras Madirā, Rasiyā Mādhurī, Pada 7)[v8]\n“When Shree Krishna lifted the Goverdhan Hill, his cowherd friends applied their sticks to the bottom of the hill, thinking that they were the actual lifters of the hill.” At the end, Indra accepted defeat and came seated on his white elephant. He apologized for having sent the torrential rain, without realizing Shree Krishna’s supreme position.\nNow, when the cowherd boys saw Indra, the King of heaven, coming and offering obeisance to their friend Krishna, they realized that Krishna is God. So, they began looking at him fearfully from a distance. Seeing their devotional sentiment change from friendship to awe and reverence, Shree Krishna lamented, “That loving exchange we were enjoying has vanished. They are now thinking I am God.” So by his Yogmaya power, he made them forget the significance of what they had seen, and they again felt that Shree Krishna was nothing more than their friend.\nArjun was also a devotee of Shree Krishna in sakhya bhāv. He was used to relating to Shree Krishna as his friend. That is why he had agreed to having Shree Krishna as his chariot driver. If his devotion had been motivated by the fact that Shree Krishna was the Supreme Lord of all creation, Arjun would never have allowed him to do such a demeaning service. But now, seeing his infinite splendor and inconceivable opulences, his fraternal sentiment toward Shree Krishna was replaced by fear." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.25", "verse": "25", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि\nदृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि |\nदिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म\nप्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास || 25||", "text": "दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि\nदृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि |\nदिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म\nप्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास || 25||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_025.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Having seen Your many mouths bearing Your terrible teeth, resembling the raging fire at the time of annihilation, I forget where I am and do not know where to go. O Lord of lords, You are the shelter of the universe; please have mercy on me.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-25.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.25.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "The universal form that Arjun beholds is just another aspect of Shree Krishna’s personality and is non-different from him. And yet, the vision of it has dried up the camaraderie that Arjun was previously experiencing toward Shree Krishna, and he is overcome with fear. Seeing the many wondrous and amazingly frightful manifestations of the Lord, Arjun is now scared, and thinks that Shree Krishna is angry with him. So he asks for mercy." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.26 – 11.27", "verse": "26-27", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रा:\nसर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घै: |\nभीष्मो द्रोण: सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ\nसहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यै: || 26||\nवक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति\nदंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि |\nकेचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु\nसन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गै: || 27||", "text": "अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रा:\nसर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घै: |\nभीष्मो द्रोण: सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ\nसहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यै: || 26||\nवक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति\nदंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि |\nकेचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु\nसन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गै: || 27||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_026-027.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "I see all the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with their allied kings, including Bheeshma, Dronacharya, Karn, and also the generals from our side, rushing headlong into Your fearsome mouths. I see some with their heads smashed between Your terrible teeth.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-26.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-27.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.26.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.27.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "What are the teeth of God that Arjun is referring to? He mentioned them in the previous verse as well. We use our teeth to grind our food. God’s teeth are his force of destruction that grinds everyone to death with the passage of time. The American poet, H.W. Longfellow wrote:\nThough the mills of God grind slowly,\nYet they grind exceeding small;\nThough with patience he stands waiting,\nWith exactness grinds he all [v9]\nArjun sees the great Kaurava generals—Bheeshma, Dronacharya, and Karn—and also many of the Pandava generals rushing headlong into the mouth of the Lord, to be ground between his teeth. He is beholding the imminent future in the cosmic form of God. Since God is beyond the limits of time, so the past, present, and future are visible within him in the present.\nBheeshma, the grandsire of the Kauravas and the Pandavas, was the son of Shantanu and Ganga. To facilitate his father’s wish for remarriage, Bheeshma renounced his right to the throne, and also took a lifelong vow of celibacy. However, Bheeshma had continued to support Duryodhan, despite knowing very well that he was evil and was usurping the right of the Pandavas. Thus, he was destined to die in this war of goodness versus evil. The Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam describes Bheeshma’s prayer to the Lord, when he lay on the bed of arrows at the end of his life:\nsapadi sakhi-vacho niśhamya madhye nija-parayor balayo rathaṁ niveśhya\nsthitavati para-sainikāyur akṣhṇā hṛitavati pārtha-sakhe ratir mamāstu (1.9.35)[v10]\n“Let my mind meditate upon Arjun’s dear pal, Shree Krishna, who obeyed his friend’s command to drive the chariot to the center of the two armies, and while there, he shortened the lifespan of the opposing generals by his mere glance.” So, Bheeshma himself was aware that the consequence of fighting against the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna would be death.\nDronacharya was the guru of martial arts for both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He was so impartial that he taught more about military science to Arjun than even to his son, Ashwatthama. However, he felt obliged to help Duryodhan because he was financially dependent upon him for his maintenance. Thus, Dronacharya too was destined to die in the war. Yet, his heroism could be judged from the fact that when the Pandavas were unable to slay him by any means and approached him for help, he told them the way in which he could be killed.\nKarn was the bosom friend of Duryodhan and so he fought from the side of the Kauravas. He too had heroic qualities. When Shree Krishna disclosed to him he was the eldest son of Kunti and the Pandavas were actually his brothers, he asked Shree Krishna not to disclose this secret to Yudhisthir, or else he would stop trying to kill Karn and would lose the war. Since Karn had taken the side of Duryodhan in the war, he too was destined to die." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.28 – 11.29", "verse": "28-29", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगा:\nसमुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति |\nतथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा\nविशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति || 28||\nयथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा\nविशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगा: |\nतथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोका-\nस्तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगा: || 29||", "text": "यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगा:\nसमुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति |\nतथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा\nविशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति || 28||\nयथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा\nविशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगा: |\nतथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोका-\nस्तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगा: || 29||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_028-029.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "As many waves of the rivers flowing rapidly into the ocean, so are all these great warriors entering into Your blazing mouths. As moths rush with great speed into the fire to perish, so are all these armies entering with great speed into Your mouths.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-28.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-29.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.28.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.29.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "There were many noble kings and warriors in the war, who fought as their duty and laid down their lives on the battlefield. Arjun compares them to river waves willingly merging into the ocean. There were also many others, who fought out of greed and self-interest. Arjun compares them with moths being lured ignorantly into the incinerating fire. But in both cases, they are marching rapidly toward their imminent death." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.30", "verse": "30", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमान: समन्ता-\nल्लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भि: |\nतेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं\nभासस्तवोग्रा: प्रतपन्ति विष्णो || 30||", "text": "लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमान: समन्ता-\nल्लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भि: |\nतेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं\nभासस्तवोग्रा: प्रतपन्ति विष्णो || 30||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_030.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "With Your fiery tongues You are licking up the hosts of living beings on all sides and devouring them with Your blazing mouths. O Vishnu, You are scorching the entire universe with the fierce, all-pervading rays of Your effulgence.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-30.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.30.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "The Lord controls the world with grandiose forces of creation, maintenance, and annihilation. At present, he is being perceived by Arjun in this mode as the all-devouring force that is engulfing his friends and allies from all sides. Viewing the apparition of future destined events in the cosmic form of God, Arjun sees his enemies being wiped out in the imminent battle. He also sees many of his allies in the grip of death. Petrified by the spectacle he is seeing, Arjun supplicates before Shree Krishna in the next verse." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.31", "verse": "31", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो\nनमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद |\nविज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं\nन हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् || 31||", "text": "आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो\nनमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद |\nविज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं\nन हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् || 31||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_031.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Tell me who You are, so fierce of form. O God of gods, I bow before You; please bestow Your mercy on me. You, who existed before all creation, I wish to know who You are, for I do not comprehend Your nature and workings.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-31.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.31.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Earlier, Arjun had requested to see the universal form. When Shree Krishna exhibited it, Arjun became bewildered and agitated. Having witnessed an almost unbelievable cosmic spectacle, he now wants to know the very heart of God’s nature and purpose. Hence, he asks the question, “Who are you and what is your purpose?”" }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.32", "verse": "32", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nकालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो\nलोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्त: |\nऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे\nयेऽवस्थिता: प्रत्यनीकेषु योधा: || 32||", "text": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nकालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो\nलोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्त: |\nऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे\nयेऽवस्थिता: प्रत्यनीकेषु योधा: || 32||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_032.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "The Supreme Lord said: I am mighty Time, the source of destruction that comes forth to annihilate the worlds. Even without your participation, the warriors arrayed in the opposing army shall cease to exist.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-32.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.32.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "In response to Arjun’s question regarding who he is, Shree Krishna reveals his nature as all-powerful Time, the destroyer of the universe. The word kāla is derived from kalayati, which is synonymous with gaṇayati, meaning “to take count of.” All events in nature get buried in time. When Oppenheimer, who was a part of the first atom bomb project, witnessed the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he quoted this verse of Shree Krishna in the following manner: “Time…I am the destroyer of all the worlds.” Time counts and controls the lifespan of all beings. It will determine when the great personalities like Bheeshma, Dronacharya, and Karn will meet their end. It will destroy the enemy army arrayed on the battlefield even without Arjun’s participating in the fight, because the Lord wants it to happen as a part of his grand scheme for the world. If the warriors are already as good as dead, then why should Arjun fight? Shree Krishna explains this in the next verse." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.33", "verse": "33", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व\nजित्वा शत्रून्भुङ् क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् |\nमयैवैते निहता: पूर्वमेव\nनिमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् || 33||", "text": "तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व\nजित्वा शत्रून्भुङ् क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् |\nमयैवैते निहता: पूर्वमेव\nनिमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् || 33||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_033.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Therefore, arise and attain honor! Conquer your foes and enjoy prosperous rulership. These warriors stand already slain by Me, and you will only be an instrument of My work, O expert archer.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-33.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.33.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Shree Krishna has revealed to Arjun his will that the Kauravas should perish and the kingdom of Hastinapur should be administered by the Pandavas in accordance with rules of dharma. He has already decided the annihilation of the unrighteous and the victory of the righteous as the outcome of the battle. His grand scheme for the welfare of the world cannot be averted by any means. He now informs Arjun that he wishes him to be the nimitta-mātram, or the instrument of his work. God does not need the help of a human for his work, but humans attain eternal welfare by working to fulfill God’s wish. Opportunities that come our way to accomplish something for the pleasure of the Lord are a very special blessing. It is by taking these opportunities that we attract his special grace, and achieve our permanent position as the servant of God.\nShree Krishna also encourages Arjun to be his instrument by reminding him of the exceptional skills he has received in the art of archery by his grace. Hence, he addresses him with the vocative savya-sāchin, meaning expert archer, since Arjun is admirably ambidextrous and is able to discharge arrows with either hand." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.34", "verse": "34", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च\nकर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् |\nमया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा\nयुध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् || 34||", "text": "द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च\nकर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् |\nमया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा\nयुध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् || 34||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_034.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Dronacharya, Bheeshma, Jayadratha, Karn, and other brave warriors have already been killed by Me. Therefore, slay them without being disturbed. Just fight and you will be victorious over your enemies in battle.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-34.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.34.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Many of the generals on the side of the Kauravas were heretofore undefeated in combat. Jayadrath had the boon that whoever caused his head to fall on the ground would instantly have his own head burst into pieces. Karn had a special weapon called “Śhakti” given to him by Indra, which would slay anyone against whom it was used. But it could only be used once, and so Karn had kept it to take vengeance on Arjun. Dronacharya had received the knowledge of all weapons and how to neutralize them from Parshuram, who was an Avatār of God. Bheeshma had a boon that he would only die when he chose to do so. And yet, if God wished them to die in the battle, then nothing could save them. There is a saying:\nvindhya na īndhana pāiye, sāgara juḍai na nīra\nparai upas kuber ghara, jyoṅ vipakṣha raghubīra [v11]\n“If Lord Ram decides to be against you, then you may live in the Vindhyachal forest, but you will not be able to get firewood to light a fire; you may be by the side of the ocean, but water will be scarce for your usage; and you may live in the house of Kuber, the god of wealth, but you will not have enough to eat.” Thus, even the biggest arrangements for security cannot avert a person’s death if God has willed it to happen. Similarly, Shree Krishna says that he has already decided the outcome, but he wishes Arjun to be the medium to accomplish it and receive the glory of the conquest as a reward for his agency. Just as devotees wish to glorify God, it is God’s nature to glorify his devotees. Hence, Shree Krishna does not wish the credit to come to him; he wishes people to say after the war, “Arjun fought so valiantly that he secured victory for the Pandavas.”\nIn spiritual life too, aspirants often become discouraged when they find themselves incapable of removing the defects of anger, greed, envy, lust, pride, etc. Their Guru then encourages them, “Do not be dejected. Fight and you will conquer the enemies of your mind because God wants you to succeed. Your effort will be instrumental, while God will fashion your victory by his grace.”\nWhat was Arjun’s reaction upon hearing the Lord’s call to action? This is stated in the next verse." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.35", "verse": "35", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "सञ्जय उवाच |\nएतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य\nकृताञ्जलिर्वेपमान: किरीटी |\nनमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं\nसगद्गदं भीतभीत: प्रणम्य || 35||", "text": "सञ्जय उवाच |\nएतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य\nकृताञ्जलिर्वेपमान: किरीटी |\nनमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं\nसगद्गदं भीतभीत: प्रणम्य || 35||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_035.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Sanjay said: Hearing these words of Keshav, Arjun trembled with dread. With palms joined, he bowed before Shree Krishna and spoke in a faltering voice, overwhelmed with fear.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-35.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.35.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Here, Arjun is referred to as “the crowned one.” He had once helped Indra kill two demons. As a token of his pleasure, Indra had placed a dazzling crown on his head. In this verse, Sanjay refers to the crown on Arjun’s head. But a crown is also the symbol of monarchy, and Sanjay deliberately uses the word to hint to the old king Dhritarasthra that his sons, the Kauravas, will lose the throne to the Pandavas in the impending war." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.36", "verse": "36", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nस्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या\nजगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च |\nरक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति\nसर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घा: || 36||", "text": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nस्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या\nजगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च |\nरक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति\nसर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घा: || 36||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_036.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Arjun said: O Master of the senses, it is but apt that the universe rejoices in giving You praise and is enamored by You. Demons flee fearfully from You in all directions and hosts of perfected saints bow to You.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-36.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.36.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "In this verse and the next ten, Arjun eulogizes Shree Krishna’s glories from various perspectives. He uses the word sthāne, meaning “it is but apt.” It is but natural that the people of a kingdom who accept the sovereignty of their king delight in glorifying him. It is also natural that those who harbor enmity toward the king fear him and flee from his presence. And it is natural for the king’s retinue of ministers to be deeply devoted to him. Arjun draws a parallel to this, saying that it is only appropriate that the world glorifies their Supreme Lord, the demons become frightened of him, and the saintly personalities offer devotional prayers to him." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.37", "verse": "37", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन्\nगरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे |\nअनन्त देवेश जगन्निवास\nत्वमक्षरं सदसतत्परं यत् || 37||", "text": "कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन्\nगरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे |\nअनन्त देवेश जगन्निवास\nत्वमक्षरं सदसतत्परं यत् || 37||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_037.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Great One, who are even greater than Brahma, the original creator, why should they not bow to you? O Limitless One, O Lord of the devatās, O Refuge of the universe, You are the imperishable reality beyond both the manifest and the non-manifest.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-37.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.37.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Justifying in four verses why the behavior mentioned in the previous verse is apt, Arjun uses the words kasmāchcha tena, meaning “why should they not.” Why shouldn’t all living beings offer their humble respects to the Supreme Lord, when the entire creation emanates from him, is sustained by him, and shall merge back into him? He is everything that is manifest in creation because it is all his energy. He is also everything that remains unmanifest because it is his latent energy. And yet he is beyond both the manifest and the unmanifest because he is the Supreme Energetic—the source and Supreme Master of all the energies. Hence, neither the material energy nor the souls can ever do anything to impact his personality, which is transcendental to both.\nArjun specifically mentions that Shree Krishna is greater than the secondary creator Brahma because Brahma is the senior most in the universe. All living beings are either Brahma’s progeny, or the descendants of his progeny. However, Brahma himself was born from a lotus that grew from the navel of Lord Vishnu, who is an expansion of Shree Krishna. Thus, while Brahma is considered as the senior most grandsire of the world, Shree Krishna is Brahma’s Grandsire. It is thus apt that Brahma should bow to him." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.38", "verse": "38", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "त्वमादिदेव: पुरुष: पुराणस्-\n\tत्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् |\nवेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम\n\tत्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप || 38||", "text": "त्वमादिदेव: पुरुष: पुराणस्-\n\tत्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् |\nवेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम\n\tत्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप || 38||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_038.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "You are the primeval God and the original Divine Personality; You are the sole resting place of this universe. You are both the knower and the object of knowledge; You are the Supreme Abode. O possessor of infinite forms, You alone pervade the entire universe.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-38.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.38.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun addresses Shree Krishna as the original Divine Person, the cause of all causes. Every object and every personality has a cause, or a source, from which it came into being. Even Lord Vishnu has a cause. Although he is also a form of God, he is an expansion of Shree Krishna. However, Shree Krishna is not the expansion of any personality. He is the causeless first cause of everything that exists. Hence, Brahma prays to him:\nīśhwaraḥ paramaḥ kṛiṣhaṇaḥ sachchidānanda vigrahaḥ\nanādirādi govindaḥ sarva kāraṇa kāraṇam (Brahma Samhitā 5.1)[v12]\n“Shree Krishna is the original form of the Supreme Lord. His personality is full of knowledge and Bliss. He is the origin of all, but he is without origin. He is the cause of all causes.”\nShree Krishna is omniscient—the knower of everything. Further, he is also the object of all knowledge. The Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam (4.29.49) states: sā vidyā tanmatir yayā [v13]“True knowledge is that which helps us know God.” Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj states:\njo hari sevā hetu ho, soī karm bakhān\njo hari bhagati baṛhāve, soī samujhiya jñāna (Bhakti Śhatak verse 66)[v14]\n“Whatever work is done in the service of God, know that truly to be karm. Whatever knowledge enhances our love for God, know that to be true jñāna.” Hence, Shree Krishna is both the knower and the object of knowledge." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.39", "verse": "39", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "वायुर्यमोऽग्निर्वरुण: शशाङ्क:\nप्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च |\nनमो नमस्तेऽस्तु सहस्रकृत्व:\nपुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते || 39||", "text": "वायुर्यमोऽग्निर्वरुण: शशाङ्क:\nप्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च |\nनमो नमस्तेऽस्तु सहस्रकृत्व:\nपुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते || 39||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_039.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "You are Vāyu (god of wind), Yamraj (god of death), Agni (god of fire), Varuṇ (god of water), and Chandra (moon-god). You are the creator Brahma, and the Great-grandfather of all beings. I offer my salutations unto You a thousand times, again and yet again!", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-39.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.39.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Experiencing profuse reverence toward Shree Krishna, Arjun is offering repeated obeisances sahasra-kṛitvaḥ (thousands and thousands of times). During Diwali celebrations in India, sugar sweets are made in many shapes—elephant, horse, man, woman, dog, etc. But the ingredient in all of them is the same sugar. Similarly, the celestial gods have their distinct personalities and unique set of duties to discharge in the administration of the world. However, the same one God sitting in all of them manifests the special powers they possess.\nConsider another example. Varieties of ornaments are made from gold. They all have their distinct individuality, and yet they are all gold. So, just as gold is not an ornament, but ornaments are golden, likewise God is all the devatās but the devatās are not God. Hence, in this verse, Arjun says that Shree Krishna is also Vāyu, Yamrāj, Agni, Varuṇ, Chandra, and Brahma." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.40", "verse": "40", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "नम: पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते\nनमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व |\nअनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं\nसर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्व: || 40||", "text": "नम: पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते\nनमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व |\nअनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं\nसर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्व: || 40||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_040.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Lord of infinite power, my salutations to You from the front and the rear, indeed from all sides! You possess infinite valor and might and pervade everything, and thus, You are everything.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-40.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.40.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun continues with his glorification of Shree Krishna by declaring him as ananta-vīrya (possessing infinite strength) and ananta-vikramaḥ (immeasurably powerful). Overcome with awe, he offers his salutations to Shree Krishna from all sides, repeatedly exclaiming Namaḥ! Namaḥ! (I bow down to you again and again)." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.41 – 11.42", "verse": "41-42", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं\n हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति |\nअजानता महिमानं तवेदं\nमया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि || 41||\nयच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि\nविहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु |\nएकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं\nतत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् || 42||", "text": "सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं\n हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति |\nअजानता महिमानं तवेदं\nमया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि || 41||\nयच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि\nविहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु |\nएकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं\nतत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् || 42||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_041-042.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Thinking of You as my friend, I presumptuously addressed You as, “O Krishna,” “O Yadav,” “O my dear Friend.” I was ignorant of Your majesty, showing negligence and undue affection. And if, jestfully, I treated You with disrespect, while playing, resting, sitting, eating, when alone, or before others—for all that I crave forgiveness.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-41.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-42.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.41.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.42.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Declaring the unparalleled supremacy of God, all the scriptures state:\naham evāsam evāgre nānyat kiñchāntaraṁ bahiḥ (Bhāgavatam 6.4.47)[v15]\n“I, the Supreme Lord, am everything that exists. There is nothing beyond me and nothing higher than me.”\ntvamomkāraḥ parātparaḥ (Vālmīki Ramayan)[v16]\n“The primordial sound “Om” is your manifestation. You are greater than the greatest.”\nvāsudevaḥ praḥ prabhuḥ (Nārad Pañcharātra)[v17]\n“Shree Krishna is the ultimate Supreme Lord.”\nna devaḥ keśhavāt paraḥ (Nārad Purāṇ)[v18]\n“There is no god higher than Lord Krishna.”\nvidyāt taṁ puruṣhaṁ param (Manu Smṛiti 12.122)[v19]\n“God is the highest and ultimate personality that exists.” However, as was explained previously (commentary of verse 11.24), when love swells immensely it makes the lover forget the formal position of the beloved. Thus, in his extreme love for Shree Krishna, Arjun had shared many intimate memorable moments with him, blissfully oblivious of his supreme position.\nHaving seen the universal form of God, Arjun is now painfully aware that Shree Krishna is not merely his friend and comrade-in-arms, but is also the Supreme Divine Personality, whom even the devatās, gandharvas, siddhas, etc. venerate. Thus, he feels regret for the disrespect he thinks he may have shown toward Shree Krishna by audaciously looking upon him as a mere friend. As an indication of respect, those who are venerated are not called by their first names. He is worried that due to excessive familiarity, he had put himself on equal status with God and had presumptuously addressed him with affectionate vocatives, such as “My friend,” “My dear buddy,” and “O Krishna.” So he implores forgiveness for whatever he may have done in forgetfulness of the divinity of Shree Krishna’s personality." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.43", "verse": "43", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य\nत्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् |\nन त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिक: कुतोऽन्यो\nलोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव || 43||", "text": "पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य\nत्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् |\nन त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिक: कुतोऽन्यो\nलोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव || 43||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_043.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "You are the Father of the entire universe, of all moving and non-moving beings. You are the most deserving of worship and the Supreme Spiritual Master. When there is none equal to You in all the three worlds, then who can possibly be greater than You, O Possessor of incomparable power?", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-43.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.43.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Arjun says that Shree Krishna is the greatest and the senior most. The father is always senior to the son. Shree Krishna is the father of the father… of all the fathers that exist. Similarly, he is the spiritual master of the spiritual master… of all the spiritual masters that are present. The first spiritual master was the creator Brahma, who passed on the knowledge to his disciple, and so on. However, Brahma received the Vedic knowledge from Shree Krishna. The Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam (1.1.1) states: tene brahma hṛidāya ādi kavaye [v20] “Shree Krishna imparted Vedic knowledge into the heart of the first-born Brahma.” Thus, he is the supreme spiritual master.\nThe Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad states:\nna tatsamaśhchābhyadhikaśh cha dṛiśhyate (6.8)[v21]\n“Nobody is equal to God, nor is anyone superior to him.” Realizing Shree Krishna to be that same Supreme Lord of the Vedas, Arjun is declaring the above attributes regarding him." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.44", "verse": "44", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं\nप्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् |\nपितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्यु:\nप्रिय: प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् || 44||", "text": "तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं\nप्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् |\nपितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्यु:\nप्रिय: प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् || 44||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_044.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Therefore, O adorable Lord, bowing deeply and prostrating before You, I implore You for Your grace. As a father tolerates his son, a friend forgives his friend, and a lover pardons the beloved, please forgive me for my offences.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-44.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.44.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Considering his behavior as transgressions toward God, Arjun is asking for pardon. While interacting with Shree Krishna—playing, eating, jesting, talking, and resting—he did not show the respect that is appropriate toward the Supreme Almighty. However, no one minds transgressions when they are made because of a high level of intimacy shared with the other person. No government officer has the privilege to joke with the President of a country. Yet, the President’s personal friend, teases him, jests with him, and even scolds him. The President does not mind, rather he values that jest of an intimate friend more than all the respect he receives from his subordinate officers. Thousands of people salute an army general, but they are not as dear to his heart as his wife, who sits intimately by his side. Similarly, Arjun’s intimate dealings with Shree Krishna were not transgressions; they were gestures of the depth of his loving devotion in the sentiment of being a friend. Yet, a devotee is by nature humble, and so, out of humility, he feels that he may have committed transgressions, and hence he is asking for forgiveness." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.45", "verse": "45", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा\nभयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे |\nतदेव मे दर्शय देवरूपं\nप्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास || 45||", "text": "अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा\nभयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे |\nतदेव मे दर्शय देवरूपं\nप्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास || 45||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_045.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Having seen Your universal form that I had never seen before, I feel great joy. And yet, my mind trembles with fear. Please have mercy on me and again show me Your pleasing form, O God of gods, O Abode of the universe.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-45.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.45.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "There are two kinds of bhakti—aiśhwarya bhakti and mādhurya bhakti. Aiśhwarya bhakti is that where the devotee is motivated to engage in devotion by contemplating upon the almighty aspect of God. The dominant sentiment in aiśhwarya bhakti is of awe and reverence. In such devotion, the feeling of remoteness from God and the need for maintaining propriety of conduct is always perceived. Examples of aiśhwarya bhakti are the residents of Dwaraka and the residents of Ayodhya, who worshipped Shree Krishna and Lord Ram respectively as their kings. Ordinary citizens are highly respectful and obedient toward their king, although they never feel intimate with him.\nMādhurya bhakti is that where the devotee feels an intimate personal relationship with God. The dominant sentiment in such devotion is “Shree Krishna is mine and I am his.” Examples of mādhurya bhakti are the cowherd boys of Vrindavan who loved Krishna as their friend, Yashoda and Nand baba, who loved Krishna as their child, and the gopīs who loved him as their beloved. Mādhurya bhakti is infinitely sweeter than aiśhwarya bhakti. Hence, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj states:\nsabai sarasa rasa dwārikā, mathurā aru braja māhiñ\nmadhura, madhuratara, madhuratama, rasa brajarasa sama nāhiñ\n(Bhakti Śhatak verse 70)[v22]\n“The divine bliss of God is immensely sweet in all his forms. Yet, there is a gradation in it—the bliss of his Dwaraka pastimes is sweet, the bliss of his Mathura pastimes is sweeter, and the bliss of his Braj pastimes is the sweetest.”\nIn Mādhurya bhakti, forgetting the almightiness of God, devotees establish four kinds of relationships with Shree Krishna:\nDāsya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Master and I am his servant. The devotion of Shree Krishna’s personal servants, such as Raktak, Patrak, etc. was in dāsya bhāv. The sentiment that God is our Father or Mother is a variation of dāsya bhāv and is included in it.\nSakhya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Friend and I am his intimate companion. The devotion of the cowherd boys of Vrindavan, such as Shreedama, Madhumangal, Dhansukh, Mansukh, etc. was in sakhya bhāv.\nVātsalya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Child and I am his parent. The devotion of Yashoda and Nand baba was in vātsalya bhāv.\nMādhurya bhāv—Shree Krishna is our Beloved and I am his lover. The devotion of the gopīs of Vrindavan was in mādhurya bhāv.\nArjun is a sakhya bhāv devotee and relishes a fraternal relationship with the Lord. On seeing the universal form of God, Arjun experienced tremendous awe and reverence, and yet he longed for the sweetness of sakhya bhāv that he was used to savoring. Hence, he prays to Shree Krishna to hide the almighty form that he is now seeing and again show his human form." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.46", "verse": "46", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्त-\nमिच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव |\nतेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन\nसहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते || 46||", "text": "किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्त-\nमिच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव |\nतेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन\nसहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते || 46||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_046.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Thousand-armed One, though You are the embodiment of all creation, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, carrying the mace and disc, and wearing the crown.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-46.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.46.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "By special grace, Arjun has been shown the cosmic form that is not easily seen by anyone. Arjun has realized that Shree Krishna is much more than merely his friend. His divine personality encompasses unlimited universes. Yet, he is not attracted by the infinite opulences and is not interested in doing aiśhwarya bhakti of God Almighty. Rather, he prefers seeing that Almighty Lord in the human form, so that he can relate to him as before, like a friend. Addressing Lord Krishna as sahasra-bāho, meaning “thousand-armed one,” Arjuna is now specifically requesting to see the chatur-bhuj rūp, or four- armed form of Lord Krishna.\nIn the four-armed form, Shree Krishna appeared before Arjun on another occasion as well. When Arjun tied Ashwatthama, the killer of the five sons of Draupadi and brought him before her, at that time Shree Krishna revealed himself in his four-armed form.\nniśhamya bhīma-gaditaṁ draupadyāśh cha chatur-bhujaḥ\nālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur idam āha hasanniva (Śhrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.7.52)[v23]\n“The four-armed Shree Krishna heard the statements of Bheem, Draupadi, and others. Then he looked toward his dear friend Arjun and began smiling.” By requesting Shree Krishna to manifest in his four-armed form, Arjun is also confirming that the four-armed form of the Lord is non-different from his two-armed form." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.47", "verse": "47", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nमया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं\nरूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात् |\nतेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं\nयन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम् || 47||", "text": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nमया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं\nरूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात् |\nतेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं\nयन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम् || 47||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_047.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "The Lord said: Arjun, being pleased with you, by My Yogmaya power, I gave you a vision of My resplendent, unlimited, and primeval cosmic form. No one before you has ever seen it.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-47.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.47.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Since Arjun had become fearful and beseeched that the cosmic form be hidden, Shree Krishna now pacifies him by explaining that there is no need to be scared. He had bestowed a vision of his universal form by his grace, not as a form of punishment, but because he was very pleased with Arjun. He uses hyperbole as a figure of speech to stress how rare it is to see the universal form, by saying that Arjun is the first one to see it. Although Duryodhan and Yashoda were also given a glimpse of the universal form, it was not to this intensity, depth, and magnitude.\nShree Krishna bestowed this divine vision upon Arjun with the help of his Yogmaya energy. This is the divine all-powerful energy of God. He has referred to it in many places, such as verses 4.6 and 7.25. It is by virtue of this Yogmaya energy that God is kartumakartum anyathā karatum samarthaḥ “He can do the possible, the impossible, and the contradictory at the same time.” This divine power of God also manifests in the personal form and is worshipped in the Hindu tradition as the Divine Mother of the universe, in the form of Radha, Durga, Lakshmi, Kali, Sita, Parvati, etc." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.48", "verse": "48", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै-\nर्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रै: |\nएवंरूप: शक्य अहं नृलोके\nद्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर || 48||", "text": "न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै-\nर्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रै: |\nएवंरूप: शक्य अहं नृलोके\nद्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर || 48||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_048.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Not by study of the Vedas, nor by the performance of sacrifice, rituals, or charity, nor even by practicing severe austerities, has any mortal ever seen what you have seen, O best of the Kuru warriors.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-48.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.48.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Shree Krishna declares that no amount of self-effort—the study of the Vedic texts, performance of ritualistic ceremonies, undertaking of severe austerities, abstinence from food, or generous acts of charity—is sufficient to bestow a vision of the cosmic form of God. This is only possible by his divine grace. This has been repeatedly stated in the Vedas as well:\ntasya no hrāsva tasya no dhehi (Yajur Veda)[v24]\n“Without being anointed in the nectar of the grace of the Supreme Lord, nobody can see him.”\nThe logic behind this is very straightforward. Our physical eyes are made from matter, and hence all that we can see is also material. The Supreme Lord is non-material—he is divine. To have a vision of his divine form we need divine eyes. When God bestows his grace upon the soul, he adds his divine power to our material eyes, and only then can we see him.\nOne may ask that how was Sanjay also able to see that cosmic form, which Arjun saw by divine grace. The Mahabharat states that Sanjay also received by the grace of his Guru, Ved Vyas, who was an Avatār of God. Before the war, the Ved Vyas offered his student Sanjay divine vision so that he may be able to communicate the details of the war to Dhritarashtra. Hence, he saw the same cosmic form that Arjun saw. But later, when Duryodhan died, Sanjay was overwhelmed with grief and lost his divine vision." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.49", "verse": "49", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो\nदृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्ममेदम् |\nव्यपेतभी: प्रीतमना: पुनस्त्वं\nतदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य || 49||", "text": "मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो\nदृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्ममेदम् |\nव्यपेतभी: प्रीतमना: पुनस्त्वं\nतदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य || 49||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_049.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Be neither afraid nor bewildered on seeing this terrible form of Mine. Be free from fear and with a cheerful heart, behold Me once again in My personal form.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-49.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.49.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Shree Krishna continues to pacify Arjun that rather than being scared, he should feel privileged to be blessed with a vision of the cosmic form. Further, he tells Arjun to behold his personal form again and shed his fear." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.50", "verse": "50", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "सञ्जय उवाच |\nइत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा\nस्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूय: |\nआश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं\nभूत्वा पुन: सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा || 50||", "text": "सञ्जय उवाच |\nइत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा\nस्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूय: |\nआश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं\nभूत्वा पुन: सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा || 50||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_050.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Sanjay said: Having spoken thus, the compassionate son of Vasudev displayed His personal (four-armed) form again. Then, He further consoled the frightened Arjun by assuming His gentle (two-armed) form.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-50.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.50.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Shree Krishna hid the vision of his cosmic form, and manifested before Arjun in his four-armed form, which is adorned with a golden diadem, disc, mace, and lotus flower. It is the repository of all divine opulences such as majesty, omniscience, omnipotence, etc. The four-armed form of Shree Krishna evokes the sentiment of awe and reverence, much like the sentiments of the citizens of a kingdom toward their king. However, Arjun was a sakhā (friend) of Shree Krishna, and devotion dominated by the sentiment of awe and reverence would never satisfy him. He had played with Shree Krishna, eaten with him, confided his private secrets to him, and shared loving personal moments with him. Such blissful devotion of sakhya bhāv (devotion where God is seen as a personal friend) is infinitely sweeter than aiśhwarya bhakti (devotion where God is revered as the distant and almighty Lord). Hence, to conform to Arjun’s sentiment of devotion, Shree Krishna finally hid even his four-armed form, and transformed into his original two-armed form.\nOnce in the forest of Vrindavan, Shree Krishna was engaging in loving pastimes with the gopīs, when he suddenly disappeared from their midst. The gopīs prayed for him to come back. Hearing their supplications, he manifested again, but in his four-armed form. The gopīs thought him to be the Supreme Lord Vishnu, and accordingly they paid their obeisance. But they moved on, not being attracted to spend any further time with him. They had been habituated to seeing the Supreme Lord Shree Krishna as their soul-beloved, and this form of his as Lord Vishnu held no attraction for them. However, Radharani came onto the scene, and upon seeing her, Shree Krishna became overwhelmed in love for her, and could no longer maintain his four-armed form. His two arms automatically disappeared and he resumed his two-armed form. In this verse too, Shree Krishna returned to his most attractive two-armed form." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.51", "verse": "51", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nदृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन |\nइदानीमस्मि संवृत्त: सचेता: प्रकृतिं गत: || 51||", "text": "अर्जुन उवाच |\nदृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन |\nइदानीमस्मि संवृत्त: सचेता: प्रकृतिं गत: || 51||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_051.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Arjun said: O Shree Krishna, seeing Your gentle human form (two-armed), I have regained my composure and my mind is restored to normal.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-51.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.51.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Seeing Shree Krishna in his beautiful two-armed form reconfirmed and strengthened Arjun’s sentiment of sakhya bhāv. Thus, Arjun says he has regained his composure and is back to normal. Seeing Shree Krishna’s pastimes with the Pandavas, the celestial sage Narad had earlier told Arjun’s elder brother, King Yudhishthir: gūḍhaṁ paraṁ brahma manuṣhya liṅgam (Bhāgavatam 7.15.75)[v25] “Shree Krishna resides in your house and lives with you just like your brother.” Thus, Arjun was habituated to having the privilege of interacting with the Lord as a brother and friend." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.52 – 11.53", "verse": "52-53", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nसुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम |\nदेवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिण: || 52||\nनाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया |\nशक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा || 53||", "text": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nसुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम |\nदेवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिण: || 52||\nनाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया |\nशक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा || 53||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_052-053.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "The Supreme Lord said: This form of Mine that you are seeing is exceedingly difficult to behold. Even the celestial gods are eager to see it. Neither by the study of the Vedas, nor by penance, charity, or fire sacrifices, can I be seen as you have seen Me.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-52.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-53.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.52.mp3", "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.53.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "Having shown Arjun the cosmic form, and having praised it as being unavailable to anyone but him, Shree Krishna does not want him to slacken his love for the personal form of God. Hence, Shree Krishna says that the way in which Arjun sees God is exceedingly rare. He emphasizes that even the celestial gods yearn to realize God in his two-armed personal form as he is standing before Arjun. This is not possible by any amount of Vedic studies, austerities, or fire sacrifices. The basic spiritual principle is that God cannot be known by the strength of one’s efforts. However, those who engage in devotion to him become recipients of his grace. Then, by virtue of his grace, they are easily able to know him. The Muṇḍakopaniṣhad states:\nnāyamātmā pravachanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śhrutena (3.2.3)[v26]\n“God cannot be known either by spiritual discourses or through the intellect; nor can he be known by hearing various kinds of teachings.” If none of these means can help realize God in his personal form, then how can he be seen in this manner? He now reveals the secret." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.54", "verse": "54", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन |\nज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप || 54||", "text": "भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन |\nज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप || 54||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_054.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "O Arjun, by unalloyed devotion alone can I be known as I am, standing before you. Thereby, on receiving My divine vision, O scorcher of foes, one can enter into union with Me.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-54.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.54.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "In this verse, Shree Krishna emphasizes bhakti as the means for attaining him. Earlier, in verse 11.48, he had stated that his universal form can be seen only by devotion. Now, in this verse, Shree Krishna emphatically declares that his two-armed form as he is standing before Arjun can only be realized through bhakti. This has been repeatedly stated in the Vedic scriptures:\nbhaktirevainaṁ nayati bhaktirevainaṁ paśhyati bhaktirevainaṁ darśhayati bhakti vaśhaḥ\npuruṣho bhaktireva garīyasī (Māṭhar Śhruti)[v27]\n“Devotion alone will unite us with God; devotion alone will help us see him; devotion alone will help us attain him; God is enslaved by true devotion, which is the best of all paths.”\nna sādhayati māṁ yogo na sānkhyaṁ dharma uddhava\nna svādhyāyas tapas tyāgo yathā bhaktir mamorjitā (Bhāgavatam 11.14.20)[v28]\n“Uddhav, I come under the control of my devotees and am won over by them. But those who do not engage in devotion can never attain me by practicing aṣhṭāṅg yog, studying Sānkhya and other philosophies, performing pious acts and austerities, or cultivating renunciation.”\nbhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śhraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām (Bhāgavatam 11.14.21)[v29]\n“I am only attained through bhakti. Those who engage in my bhakti with faith are very dear to me.”\nmilahiṅ na raghupati binu anurāgā, kieñ joga tapa gyāna birāgā. (Ramayan)[v30]\n“Without devotion, one can never attain God, no matter how much one endeavors through the practice of aṣhṭāṅg yog, austerities, knowledge, and detachment.” In the next verse, Shree Krishna describes what bhakti is." }, { "verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 11.55", "verse": "55", "chapter": 11, "lang": "en", "shloka": { "speaker": "", "sanskrit": "मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्त: सङ्गवर्जित: |\nनिर्वैर: सर्वभूतेषु य: स मामेति पाण्डव || 55||", "text": "मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्त: सङ्गवर्जित: |\nनिर्वैर: सर्वभूतेषु य: स मामेति पाण्डव || 55||", "audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/011_055.mp3" }, "wordMeanings": "", "translation": { "text": "Those who perform all their duties for My sake, who depend upon Me and are devoted to Me, who are free from attachment, and are without malice toward all beings, such devotees certainly come to Me.", "hindiAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C11-H-55.mp3" ], "englishAudioLinks": [ "https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/11.55.mp3" ] }, "commentary": "At the end of the ninth chapter, Shree Krishna had told Arjun to fix his mind upon him and be devoted to him. To enhance that devotion, he wished to reveal further secrets about himself, which he did in the tenth and eleventh chapters. In the previous verse, he again emphasized the supremacy of the path of devotion. Now, he concludes this chapter by highlighting five characteristics of those who are engaged in exclusive devotion:\nThey perform all their duties for my sake. Accomplished devotees do not divide their works into material and spiritual. They perform every work for the pleasure of God, thus consecrating every act of theirs to him. The Saint Kabir states:\njahañ jahañ chalūñ karūñ parikramā, jo jo karūñ so sevā\njaba sovūñ karūñ daṇḍavat, jānūñ deva na dūjā [v31]\n“When I walk, I think I am circumambulating the Lord; when I work, I think I am serving the Lord; and when I sleep, I think I am offering him obeisance. In this manner, I perform no activity other than that which is offered to him.”\nThey depend upon me. Those who rely upon their spiritual practices to reach God are not exclusively dependent upon him. That is because he is attained by his grace, and not by spiritual practice. His exclusive devotees do not even rely upon their devotion as a means of attaining him. Rather, they place their entire faith his grace alone, and see their devotion as merely a way of attracting divine grace.\nThey are devoted to me. The devotees do not feel the need for performing any of the other spiritual practices, such as cultivation of the knowledge of Sānkhya, practice of aṣhṭāṅg yog, performance of fire sacrifices, etc. In this way, they feel that their relationship is with God alone. They behold only their Beloved Lord pervading all objects and personalities.\nThey are free of attachment. Devotion requires the engagement of the mind. This is only possible if the mind is detached from the world. So exclusive devotees are free from all worldly attachments and repose their mind in God alone.\nThey are without malice toward all beings. If the heart fills up with malice, it will again not remain exclusive toward God. Thus, exclusive devotees do not harbor any malice, even toward those who have harmed them. Instead, thinking that God resides in the heart of all beings, they see all actions as stemming from him and so they forgive even their wrongdoers." } ] }