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Chapter 11 · The Universal Form · 55 verses

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Remember who is speaking. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Take the verse as He directs.
  2. 2Say the verse and its words. Read the Sanskrit, then each word with its meaning.
  3. 3Read the translation as it is. Let the translation say what it says, without adding your own meaning.
  4. 4Read the purport. Hear the verse through the disciplic succession.
  5. 5Bring your own question. Ask: where does this verse meet my life, my trouble, my doubt?
  6. 6Act on it, remembering Kṛṣṇa. Carry one instruction into your work today.
Read the full guide: how to read the Bhagavad-gītā ›
Krishna’s natureChapter 11 · The Universal Form
11.4611.48

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 11.47

Krishna restores His gentle personal form

Īśvara · God

श्रीभगवानुवाच

मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं

रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात् ।

तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं

यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम् ॥ ४७ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ

rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt

tejo-mayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ

yan me tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you, by My internal potency, this supreme universal form within the material world. No one before you has ever seen this primal form, unlimited and full of glaring effulgence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

3 study points

Kṛṣṇa Mercifully Reveals His Form

  1. 1

    Kṛṣṇa happily showed Arjuna His unlimited, brilliant universal form through His internal potency. No one had seen this form before.

  2. 2

    Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa revealed this form out of mercy, to satisfy His friend and devotee Arjuna’s desire.

  3. 3

    Recognize that Kṛṣṇa’s internal potency cannot be understood by human speculation.

Key points from the purport

Krishna says “I have shown you this Universal form which no-one else has ever seen before”

By ‘My’ internal potency

Happily by ‘My’ desire

a

By ‘My’ internal potency — because inconceivable by human speculation

b

Happily by ‘My’ desire because ‘no-one has ever seen this before’

All disciplic devotees of the Lord could see the form which was shown to Arjuna by Krishna’s mercy (e.g. other devotees in planets in outer space and in heavenly planets)

Forms shown to Duryodhana were ‘not’ the complete forms and were different from this Universal Form

Further reading

Only Pure Devotees See Krishna’s Two-Armed Form

Krishna withdraws His Universal Form

Krishna shows four-armed form

Finally shows two-armed form

Krishna’s most wonderful two-armed form can be directly seen only by pure undivided devotional service

Chapter 11, section V: Only Pure Devotees See Krishna’s Two-Armed Form
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. śrī-bhagavān uvācathe Supreme Personality of Godhead said
  2. mayāby Me
  3. prasannenahappily
  4. tavaunto you
  5. arjunaO Arjuna
  6. idamthis
  7. rūpamform
  8. paramtranscendental
3

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: bhagavān, vibhūti.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 11.47 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to krishna’s nature?

Practice

Notice something excellent and see it as His opulence.

5

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 11 ›
6

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 11.48Krishna restores His gentle personal formBG 11.49Krishna restores His gentle personal formBG 18.78Sañjaya’s concluding certainty
Live this todayKṛṣṇa’s Original Two-Handed FormA practice from BG 11.51, close to this verse

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Next in Learn · 4 of 9 · 10 minChapters & storiesGo chapter by chapter, with the Mahābhārata stories that explain what is happening.Back · LearnPrabhupāda's Introduction