Chapter 11: The Universal Form

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 11.51

arjuna uvāca

dṛṣṭvedaḿ mānuṣaḿ rūpaḿ

tava saumyaḿ janārdana

idānīm asmi saḿvṛttaḥ

sa-cetāḥ prakṛtiḿ gataḥ

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvācaArjuna said; dṛṣṭvā — seeing; idam — this; mānuṣam — human; rūpam — form; tava — Your; saumyam — very beautiful; janārdanaO chastiser of the enemies; idānīm — now; asmiI am; saḿvṛttaḥ — settled; sa-cetāḥin my consciousness; prakṛtimto my own nature; gataḥ — returned.

TRANSLATION

When Arjuna thus saw Kṛṣṇa in His original form, he said: O Janārdana, seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, I am now composed in mind, and I am restored to my original nature.

PURPORT

Here the words mānuṣaḿ rūpam clearly indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be originally two-handed. Those who deride Kṛṣṇa as if He were an ordinary person are shown here to be ignorant of His divine nature. If Kṛṣṇa is like an ordinary human being, then how is it possible for Him to show the universal form and again to show the four-handed Nārāyaṇa form? So it is very clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā that one who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary person and who misguides the reader by claiming that it is the impersonal Brahman within Kṛṣṇa speaking is doing the greatest injustice. Kṛṣṇa has actually shown His universal form and His four-handed Viṣṇu form. So how can He be an ordinary human being? A pure devotee is not confused by misguiding commentaries on Bhagavad-gītā because he knows what is what. The original verses of Bhagavad-gītā are as clear as the sun; they do not require lamplight from foolish commentators.

<<< >>>

Buy Online Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness