Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Chapter 11: The Universal Form |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 11.45
adrishta-pūrvam hrishito 'smi drishtvā
bhayena ca pravyathitam mano me
SYNONYMS
adrishta-pūrvam — never seen before; hrishitah — gladdened; asmi — I am; drishtvā — by seeing; bhayena — out of fear; ca — also; pravyathitam — perturbed; manah — mind; me — my; tat — that; eva — certainly; me — unto me; darśaya — show; deva — O Lord; rūpam — the form; prasīda — just be gracious; deva-īśa — O Lord of lords; jagat-nivāsa — O refuge of the universe.
TRANSLATION
After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
PURPORT
Arjuna is always in confidence with Krishna because he is a very dear friend, and as a dear friend is gladdened by his friend's opulence, Arjuna is very joyful to see that his friend Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can show such a wonderful universal form. But at the same time, after seeing that universal form, he is afraid that he has committed so many offenses to Krishna out of his unalloyed friendship. Thus his mind is disturbed out of fear, although he had no reason to fear. Arjuna therefore is asking Krishna to show His Nārāyana form, because He can assume any form. This universal form is material and temporary, as the material world is temporary. But in the Vaikuntha planets He has His transcendental form with four hands as Nārāyana. There are innumerable planets in the spiritual sky, and in each of them Krishna is present by His plenary manifestations of different names. Thus Arjuna desired to see one of the forms manifest in the Vaikuntha planets. Of course in each Vaikuntha planet the form of Nārāyana is four-handed, but the four hands hold different arrangements of symbols — the conchshell, mace, lotus and disc. According to the different hands these four things are held in, the Nārāyanas are variously named. All of these forms are one with Krishna; therefore Arjuna requests to see His four-handed feature.
Copyright © r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness