Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (83 page)

SYNONYMS

divi-
in the sky;
sūrya
-sun;
sahasrasya-
of many thousands;
bhavet-
there were;
yugapat-
simultaneously;
utthitā-
present;
yadi-
if;
bhāḥ-
light;
sadṛśī-
like that;
sā
-that;
syāt-
may be;
bhāsaḥ-
effulgence;
tasya-
there is
; mahātmanaḥ-
of the great Lord.

TRANSLATION

If hundreds of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.

PURPORT

What Arjuna saw was indescribable, yet Sañjaya is trying to give a mental picture of that great revelation to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Neither Sañjaya nor Dhṛtarāṣṭra were present, but Sañjaya, by the grace of Vyāsa, could see whatever happened. Thus he now compares the situation, as far as it can be understood, to an imaginable phenomenon (i.e. thousands of suns).

Bg 11.13

TEXT 13

TEXT

tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ

pravibhaktam anekadhā

apaśyad deva-devasya

śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā

SYNONYMS

tatra-
there;
ekastham-
one place;
jagat-
universe;
kṛtsnam-
completely;
pravibhaktam-
divided in;
anekadhā-
many kinds;
apaśyat-
could see;
deva-devasya-
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
śarīre-
in the universal form;
pāṇḍavaḥ-
Arjuna;
tadā
-at that time.

TRANSLATION

At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.

PURPORT

The word
tatra
(there) is very significant. It indicates that both Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa were sitting on the chariot when Arjuna saw the universal form. Others on the battlefield could not see this form because Kṛṣṇa gave the vision only to Arjuna. Arjuna could see in the body of Kṛṣṇa many thousands of universes. As we learn from Vedic scriptures, there are many universes and many planets. Some of them are made of earth, some are made of gold, some are made of jewels, some are very great, some are not so great, etc. Sitting on his chariot, Arjuna could see all these universes. But no one could understand what was going on between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 11.14

TEXT 14

TEXT

tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo

hṛṣṭa-romā dhanañjayaḥ

praṇamya śirasā devaṁ

kṛtāñjalir abhāṣata

SYNONYMS

tataḥ-
thereafter;
saḥ
-he;
vismayāviṣṭaḥ-
being overwhelmed with wonder;
hṛṣṭa-romā-
with his bodily hairs standing on end due to his great ecstasy;
dhanañjayaḥ-
Arjuna ;
praṇamya-
offering obeisances;
śirasā-
with the head;
devam-
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
kṛtāñjaliḥ-
with folded hands;
abhāṣata-
began to say.

TRANSLATION

Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna began to pray with folded hands, offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord.

PURPORT

Once the divine vision is revealed, the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna changes immediately. Before, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna had a relationship based on friendship, but here, after the revelation, Arjuna is offering obeisances with great respect, and with folded hands he is praying to Kṛṣṇa. He is praising the universal form. Thus Arjuna's relationship becomes one of wonder rather than friendship. Great devotees see Kṛṣṇa as the reservoir of all relationships. In the scriptures there are twelve basic kinds of relationships mentioned, and all of them are present in Kṛṣṇa. It is said that He is the ocean of all the relationships exchanged between two living entities, between the gods, or between the Supreme Lord and His devotees.

It is said that Arjuna was inspired by the relationship of wonder, and in that wonder, although he was by nature very sober, calm and quiet, he became ecstatic, his hair stood up, and he began to offer his obeisances unto the Supreme Lord with folded hands. He was not, of course, afraid. He was affected by the wonders of the Supreme Lord. The immediate context is wonder; his natural loving friendship was overwhelmed by wonder, and thus he reacted in this way.

Bg 11.15

TEXT 15

TEXT

arjuna uvāca

paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe

sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān

brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-stham

ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca
-Arjuna said;
paśyāmi
-I see;
devān
-all the demigods;
tava
-Your;
deva
-O Lord;
dehe
-in the body;
sarvān
-all;
tathā
-also;
bhūta
-living entities;
viśeṣa-saṅghān
-specifically assembled;
brahmāṇam
-Lord Brahmā;
īśam
-Lord Śiva;
kamala-āsana-stham
-sitting on the lotus flower;
ṛṣīn
-great sages;
ca-
also;
sarvān-
all;
uragān
-serpents;
ca
-also;
divyān
-divine.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled together in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower as well as Lord Śiva and many sages and divine serpents.

PURPORT

Arjuna sees everything in the universe; therefore he sees Brahmā, who is the first creature in the universe, and the celestial serpent upon which the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lies in the lower regions of the universe. This snake bed is called Vāsuki. There are also other snakes known as Vāsuki. Arjuna can see from the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu up to the topmost part of the universe on the lotus-flower planet where Brahmā, the first creature of the universe, resides. That means that from the beginning to the end, everything could be seen by Arjuna sitting in one place on his chariot. This was possible by the grace of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 11.16

TEXT 16

TEXT

aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ

paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato 'nanta-rūpam

nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ

paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa

SYNONYMS

aneka-
many;
bāhū-
arms;
udara-
bellies;
vaktra-
mouths;
netram-
eyes;
paśyāmi-
I see;
tvām-
unto You;
sarvataḥ-
from all sides;
ananta-rūpam-
unlimited form;
na antam-
there is no end;
na madhyam-
there is no middle;
na punaḥ-
nor again;
tava-
Your;
ādim-
beginning;
paśyāmi-
I see;
viśveśvara
-O Lord of the universe;
viṣva-rūpa-
in the form of the universe.

TRANSLATION

O Lord of the universe, I see in Your universal body many, many forms-bellies, mouths, eyes-expanded without limit. There is no end, there is no beginning, and there is no middle to all this.

PURPORT

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is unlimited; thus through Him everything could be seen.

Bg 11.17

TEXT 17

TEXT

kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca

tejo-rāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam

paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād

dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam

SYNONYMS

kirīṭinam
-with helmets;
gadinam
-with maces;
cakriṇam
-with discs;
ca
-and;
tejorāśim-
effulgence;
sarvataḥ-
all sides;
dīptimantam-
glowing;
pasyāmi-
I see;
tvām-
You;
durnirīkṣyam-
difficult to see;
samantāt-
spreading;
dīpta-anala-
blazing fire;
arka-
sun;
dyutim
-sunshine;
aprameyam
-immeasurable.

TRANSLATION

Your form, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs, is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, which is fiery and immeasurable like the sun.

Bg 11.18

TEXT 18

TEXT

tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ

tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam

tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā

sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me

SYNONYMS

tvam-
You;
akṣaram-
inexhaustible;
paramam-
supreme;
veditavyam-
to be understood;
tvam-
You;
asya-
of this;
viśvasya-
of the universe;
param-
supreme;
nidhānam-
basis;
tvam-
You are;
avyayaḥ-
inexhaustible;
śāśvata-dharma-goptā-
maintainer of the eternal religion;
sanātanaḥ-
eternal;
tvam-
You;
puruṣaḥ-
Supreme Personality;
mataḥ me-
is
my opinion.

TRANSLATION

You are the supreme primal objective; You are the best in all the universes; You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest; You are the maintainer of religion, the eternal Personality of Godhead.

Bg 11.19

TEXT 19

TEXT

anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam

ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram

paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ

sva-tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapantam

SYNONYMS

anādi-
without beginning;
madhya-
without middle;
antam-
without end;
ananta-
unlimited;
vīryam-
glorious;
ananta-
unlimited;
bāhum-
arms;
śaśi-
moon;
sūrya-
sun;
netram-
eyes;
paśyāmi
-I see;
tvām
-You;
dīpta-
blazing;
hutāśa-vaktram-
fire coming out of Your mouth;
sva-tejasā-
by Your;
viśvam-
this universe;
idam-
this;
tapantam-
heating.

TRANSLATION

You are the origin without beginning, middle or end. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are among Your great unlimited eyes. By Your own radiance You are heating this entire universe.

PURPORT

There is no limit to the extent of the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here and in many other places there is repetition, but according to the scriptures, repetition of the glories of Kṛṣṇa is not a literary weakness. It is said that at a time of bewilderment or wonder or of great ecstasy, statements are repeated over and over. That is not a flaw.

Bg 11.20

TEXT 20

TEXT

dyāv ā-pṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi

vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś ca sarvāḥ

dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ

loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman

SYNONYMS

dyau-
in outer space;
āpṛthivyoḥ-
of the earth;
idam-
this;
antaram-
in between;
hi-
certainly;
vyāptam
-pervaded;
tvayā-
by You;
ekena-
by one;
diśaḥ-
directions;
ca-
and;
sarvāḥ-
all;
dṛṣṭvā-
by seeing;
adbhutam-
wonderful;
rūpam-
form;
ugram-
terrible;
tava-
Your;
idam-
this;
loka-
planetary system;
trayam-
three;
pravyathitam
-perturbed;
mahātman
-O great one.

TRANSLATION

Although You are one, You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, as I behold this terrible form, I see that all the planetary systems are perplexed.

PURPORT

Dyāv āpṛthivyoḥ
(the space between heaven and earth) and
lokatrayam
(three worlds) are significant words in this verse because it appears that not only Arjuna saw this universal form of the Lord, but others in other planetary systems also saw it. The vision was not a dream. All who were spiritually awake with the divine vision saw it.

Bg 11.21

TEXT 21

TEXT

amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā viśanti

kecid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti

svastīty uktvā maharṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ

stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ

SYNONYMS

amī-
all those;
hi
-certainly;
tvām-
unto You;
sura-saṅghāḥ-
groups of demigods;
viśanti
-entering;
kecit-
some of them;
bhītāḥ-
out of fear;
prāñjalayaḥ-
with folded hands;
gṛṇanti
-offering prayers unto;
svasti-
all peace;
iti-
thus;
uktvā-
speaking like that;
maharṣi-
great sages;
siddha-saṅghāḥ-
perfect sages;
stuvanti-
singing hymns;
tvām-
unto You;
stutibhiḥ-
with prayers;
puṣkalābhiḥ-
Vedic hymns.