← Bhagavad-gītā

Chapter 11: The Universal Form

Verse 5 of 52
Bg 11.5

श्रीभगवानुवाच पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च

śrī-bhagavān uvāca paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca

Synonyms

śrī bhagavān uvācathe Supreme Personality of Godhead said; paśyajust see; meMine; pārthaO son of Pṛthā; rūpāṇiforms; śataśaḥhundreds; athaalso; sahasraśaḥthousands; nānā-vidhānivariegated; divyānidivine; nānāvariegated; varṇacolored; akṛtīniforms; caalso..

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.

Purport

Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa in His universal form, which, although a transcendental form, is just manifested for the cosmic manifestation and is therefore subject to the temporary time of this material nature. As the material nature is manifested and not manifested, similarly this universal form of Kṛṣṇa is manifested and unmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Kṛṣṇa's other forms. As far as a devotee is concerned, he is not eager to see the universal form, but because Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa in this way, Kṛṣṇa reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Kṛṣṇa must give one the power to see it.

Verse 5 of 52
Prabhupāda Says