Verse 11.47

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 11.47:

मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं रूपं परं दर्शितम् आत्म-योगात् ।
तेजो-मयं विश्वम् अनन्तम् आद्यं यन् मे त्वद् अन्येन न दृष्ट-पूर्वम् ॥ ४७ ॥

mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṃ rūpaṃ paraṃ darśitam ātma-yogāt |
tejo-mayaṃ viśvam anantam ādyaṃ yan me tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam || 47 ||

śrī bhagavān uvāca–the all-opulent Lord said; mayā–by Me; prasannena–being pleased; tava–with you; arjuna–O Arjuna; idam–this; rūpam–form; param–supreme; darśitam–has been shown; ātma-yogāt–My personal mystic potency; tejaḥ-mayam–resplendent; viśvam–universal;anantam–unlimited; ādyam–original; yat–which; me–Me; tvat–than you; anyena–by someone other; na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam–has not been seen previously.

Śrī Bhagavān said: O Arjuna, because I am pleased with you, I have shown you My resplendent, unlimited and primeval universal form by means of My inconceivable yogamāyā-śakti. You are the only one who has ever seen this form.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“O Arjuna, you prayed to Me, ‘O Puruṣottama, I desire that You show me Your majestic and opulent form’ (Gītā 11.3), and thus I have shown you the personality of that universal form (viśvarūpa puruṣa), which is but a partial aspect of Me. Why has your mind become disturbed upon seeing it? Moreover, you now desire to see My human-like form and are entreating Me, ‘Be merciful, be merciful!’ Why do you speak in this surprising manner? I showed you and no one else My universal form because I was pleased with you. But for you, no one has ever seen it before. Why do you no longer wish to see it?”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna, “On your request, I showed you My partial aspect, My resplendent universal form, through My inconceivable potency. I did so because I was pleased with you.” In Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary, he has compared this manifestation of Kṛṣṇa to a valuable gem and an expert theatre actor. Although a valuable gem is only one object, by displaying its various colours it satisfies many viewers.

Similarly, an expert actor entertains his audience by appearing in various roles. In the same way, although Kṛṣṇa is one, He manifested the universal form, which is present within Him. This is the hidden meaning of Kṛṣṇa’s statement.

Kṛṣṇa again said, “Because of you, the demigods and many devotees also saw this form. No one had ever seen it before. When I went to the assembly of Duryodhana as a messenger of the Pāṇḍavas and in various ways tried to persuade the Kauravas to give half the kingdom to the Pāṇḍavas, the wicked Duryodhana tried to arrest Me. I manifested My universal form at that time, in front of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the kings of various states and many other nobles, but Bhīṣma, Droṇa and all the ṛṣis who were present in that assembly were unable to tolerate the effulgence of My form and so closed their eyes. On Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s request, I gave him divine vision for just a moment so that he could see that form of Mine. But you, Arjuna, are My friend, and thus to you, I have revealed this form, which no one else has ever seen, because I am pleased with you.”