Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (87 page)

Bg 11.47

TEXT 47

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ

rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt

tejo-mayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ

yan me tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
mayā
-by Me;
prasannena
-happily;
tava
-unto you;
arjuna
-O Arjuna;
idam
-this;
rūpam
-form;
param
-transcendental;
darśitam
-shown;
ātma-yogāt
-by My internal potency;
tejomayam-
full of effulgence;
viśvam-
the entire universe;
anantam
-unlimited;
ādyam
-original;
yat me
-that which is Mine;
tvat-anyena
-besides you;
na
dṛṣṭa-pūrvam-
no one has previously seen.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, happily do I show you this universal form within the material world by My internal potency. No one before you has ever seen this unlimited and glaringly effulgent form.

PURPORT

Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of the Supreme Lord, so out of His mercy upon His devotee Arjuna, Lord Kṛṣṇa showed His universal form full of effulgence and opulence. This form was glaring like the sun, and its many faces were rapidly changing. Kṛṣṇa showed this form just to satisfy the desire of His friend Arjuna. This form was manifested by Kṛṣṇa through His internal potency, which is inconceivable by human speculation. No one had seen this universal form of the Lord before Arjuna, but because the form was shown to Arjuna, other devotees in the heavenly planets and in other planets in outer space could also see it. They did not see it before, but because of Arjuna they were also able to see it. In other words, all the disciplic devotees of the Lord could see the universal form which was shown to Arjuna by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Someone commented that this form was shown to Duryodhana also when Kṛṣṇa went to Duryodhana to negotiate for peace. Unfortunately, Duryodhana did not accept the peace offer, but at that time Kṛṣṇa manifested some of His universal forms. But those forms are different from this one shown to Arjuna. It is clearly said that no one has ever seen this form before.

Bg 11.48

TEXT 48

TEXT

na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair

na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ

evaṁ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛ-loke

draṣṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra

SYNONYMS

na-
never;
veda-
Vedic study;
yajña-
sacrifice;
adhyayanaiḥ-
studying;
na dānaiḥ-
by charity;
na-
never;
ca-
also;
kriyābhiḥ-
by pious activities;
na tapobhiḥ-
by serious penances;
ugraiḥ
-severe;
evam
-thus;
rūpaḥ
-form;
śakyaḥ-
can be seen;
aham
-I;
nṛloke-
in this material world;
draṣṭum
-to see;
tvat
-you;
anyena-
by another;
kuru-pravīra
-O best among the Kuru warriors.

TRANSLATION

O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charities or similar activities can this form be seen. Only you have seen this.

PURPORT

The divine vision in this connection should be clearly understood. Who can have divine vision? Divine means godly. Unless one attains the status of divinity as a demigod, he cannot have divine vision. And what is a demigod? It is stated in the Vedic scriptures that those who are devotees of Lord Viṣṇu are demigods. Those who are atheistic, i.e., who do not believe in Viṣṇu, or who only recognize the impersonal part of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme, cannot have the divine vision. It is not possible to decry Kṛṣṇa and at the same time have the divine vision. One cannot have the divine vision without becoming divine. In other words, those who have divine vision can also see like Arjuna.

The
Bhagavad-gītā
gives the description of the universal form, and this description was unknown to everyone before Arjuna. Now one can have some idea of the
viśva-rūpa
after this incidence; those who are actually divine can see the universal form of the Lord. But one cannot be divine without being a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. The devotees, however, who are actually in the divine nature and who have divine vision, are not very much interested to see the universal form of the Lord. As described in the previous verse, Arjuna desired to see the four-handed form of Lord Kṛṣṇa as Viṣṇu, and he was actually afraid of the universal form.

In this verse there are some significant words, just like
veda-yajñādhya-yanaiḥ,
which refers to studying Vedic literature and the subject matter of sacrificial regulations.
Veda
refers to all kinds of Vedic literature, namely the four
Vedas (Ṛk, Yajus, Sāma
and
Atharva)
and the eighteen
Purāṇas
and
Upaniṣads,
and
Vedānta-sūtra.
One can study these at home or anywhere else. Similarly, there are
sūtras, Kalpa-sūtras
and
Mīmāṁsā-sūtras,
for studying the method of sacrifice.
Dānaiḥ
refers to charity which is offered to a suitable party. such as those who are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, the
brāhmaṇas
and the
Vaiṣṇavas.
Similarly, pious activities refer to the
agni-hotra,
etc., the prescribed duties of the different castes. Pious activities and the voluntary acceptance of some bodily pains are called
tapasya.
So one can perform all these, can accept bodily penances, give charity, study the
Vedas,
etc., but unless he is a devotee like Arjuna, it is not possible to see that universal form. Those who are impersonalists are also imagining that they are seeing the universal form of the Lord, but from
Bhagavad-gītā
we understand that the impersonalists are not devotees. Therefore they are unable to see the universal form of the Lord.

There are many persons who create incarnations. They falsely claim an ordinary human to be an incarnation, but this is all foolishness. We should follow the principles of
Bhagavad-gītā,
otherwise there is no possibility of attaining perfect spiritual knowledge. Although
Bhagavad-gītā
is
considered the preliminary study of the science of God, still it is so perfect that one can distinguish what is what. The followers of a pseudo incarnation may say that they have also seen the transcendental incarnation of God, the universal form, but that is not acceptable because it is clearly stated here that unless one becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, one cannot see the universal form of God. So one first of all has to become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa; then he can claim that he can show the universal form of what he has seen. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa cannot accept false incarnations or followers of false incarnations.

Bg 11.49

TEXT 49

TEXT

mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍha-bhāvo

dṛṣṭvā rūpaṁ ghoram īdṛṅ mamedam

vyapeta-bhīḥ prīta-manāḥ punas tvaṁ

tad eva me rūpam idaṁ prapaśya

SYNONYMS

mā
-let it not be;
te
-unto you;
vyathā
-trouble;
mā
-let it not be;
ca
-also;
vimūḍha-bhāvaḥ
-bewilderment;
dṛṣṭvā
-by seeing;
rūpam
-form;
ghoram
-horrible;
īdṛk
-like this;
mama
-My;
idam
-as it is;
vyapetabhīḥ
-just become free from all fear;
prīta-manāḥ
-be pleased in mind;
punaḥ
-again;
tvam
-you;
tat
-that;
eva
-thus;
me
-My;
rūpam
-form;
idam
-this;
prapaśya
-just see.

TRANSLATION

Your mind has been perturbed upon seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free from all disturbance. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.

PURPORT

In the beginning of
Bhagavad-gītā
Arjuna was worried about killing Bhīṣma and Droṇa, his worshipful grandfathers and masters. But Kṛṣṇa said that he need not be afraid of killing his grandfather. When they tried to disrobe Draupadī in the assembly, Bhīṣma and Droṇa were silent, and for such negligence of duty they should be killed. Kṛṣṇa showed His universal form to Arjuna just to show him that these people were already killed for their unlawful action. That scene was shown to Arjuna because devotees are always peaceful, and they cannot perform such horrible actions. The purpose of the revelation of the universal form was shown; now Arjuna wanted to see the four-armed form, and Kṛṣṇa showed him. A devotee is not much interested in the universal form, for it does not enable one to reciprocate loving feelings. A devotee wants to offer his respectful worshiping feelings; thus he wants to see the two-handed or four-handed Kṛṣṇa form so he can reciprocate in loving service with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bg 11.50

TEXT 50

TEXT

sañjaya uvāca

ity arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā

svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayām āsa bhūyaḥ

āśvāsayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ

bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur mahātmā

SYNONYMS

sañjayaḥ uvāca
-Sañjaya said;
iti
-thus;
arjunam
-unto Arjuna;
vāsudevaḥ
-Kṛṣṇa;
tathā
-that way;
uktvā
-saying;
svakam
-His own;
rūpam
-form;
darśayāmāsa
-showed;
bhūyaḥ
-again;
āśvāsayāmāsa
-also convinced him;
ca
-also;
bhītam
-fearful;
enam
-him;
bhūtvā punaḥ
-becoming again;
saumya-vapuḥ
-beautiful form;
mahātmā
-the great one.

TRANSLATION

Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, while speaking thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form, and at last He showed him His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.

PURPORT

When Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, He first of all appeared as four-armed Nārāyaṇa, but when He was requested by His parents, He transformed Himself into an ordinary child in appearance. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa knew that Arjuna was not interested in seeing a four-handed form of Kṛṣṇa, but since he asked to see this four-handed form, He also showed him this form again and then showed Himself in His two-handed form. The word
saumya-vapuḥ
is very significant.
Saumya-vapu
is a very beautiful form; it is known as the most beautiful form. When He was present, everyone was attracted simply by Kṛṣṇa's form, and because Kṛṣṇa is director of the universe, He just banished the fear of Arjuna, His devotee, and showed him again His beautiful form of Kṛṣṇa. In the
Brahma-saṁhitā
it is stated that only a person whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 11.51

TEXT 51

TEXT

arjuna uvāca

dṛṣṭvedaṁ mānuṣaṁ rūpaṁ

tava saumyaṁ janārdana

idānīm asmi saṁvṛttaḥ

sa-cetāḥ prakṛtiṁ gataḥ

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca
-Arjuna said;
dṛṣṭvā-
seeing;
idam
-this;
mānuṣam
-human being;
rūpam
-form;
tava
-Your;
saumyam
-very beautiful;
janārdana
-O chastiser of the enemies;
idānīm
-just now;
asmi
-I am;
saṁvṛttaḥ
-settled;
sa-cetāḥ
-in my consciousness;
prakṛtim
-my own;
gataḥ
-I am.

TRANSLATION

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

PURPORT

Here the words
mānuṣaṁ rūpam
clearly indicate the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be originally two-handed. Those who deride Kṛṣṇa to be 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 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 fourhanded 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.

Bg 11.52

TEXT 52

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

su-durdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ

dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama