Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11 Verse 52 — Visvarupa Darsana Yoga
Sanskrit
श्रीभगवानुवाच | सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम | देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः ||११-५२||
Transliteration
śrībhagavānuvāca . sudurdarśamidaṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭavānasi yanmama . devā apyasya rūpasya nityaṃ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ||11-52||
Hindi Meaning
।।11.52।। श्रीभगवान् ने कहा -- मेरा यह रूप देखने को मिलना अति दुर्लभ है, जिसको कि तुमने देखा है। देवतागण भी सदा इस रूप के दर्शन के इच्छुक रहते हैं।।
English Meaning
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, this form of Mine you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear.
Commentary
In the forty-eighth verse of this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa concluded revealing His universal form and informed Arjuna that this form is not possible to be seen by so many pious activities, sacrifices, etc. Now here the word su-durdarśam is used, indicating that Kṛṣṇa’s two-handed form is still more confidential. One may be able to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa by adding a little tinge of devotional service to various activities like penances, Vedic study and philosophical speculation. It may be possible, but without a tinge of bhakti one cannot see; that has already been explained. Still, beyond that universal form, the form of Kṛṣṇa with two hands is still more difficult to see, even for demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva. They desire to see Him, and we have evidence in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when He was supposed to be in the womb of His mother, Devakī, all the demigods from heaven came to see the marvel of Kṛṣṇa, and they offered nice prayers to the Lord, although He was not at that time visible to them. They waited to see Him. A foolish person may deride Him, thinking Him an ordinary person, and may offer respect not to Him but to the impersonal “something” within Him, but these are all nonsensical postures. Kṛṣṇa in His two-armed form is actually desired to be seen by demigods like Brahmā and Śiva. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.11) it is also confirmed, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam: He is not visible to the foolish persons who deride Him. Kṛṣṇa’s body, as confirmed by Brahma-saṁhitā and confirmed by Kṛṣṇa Himself in Bhagavad-gītā , is completely spiritual and full of bliss and eternality. His body is never like a material body. But for some who make a study of Kṛṣṇa by reading Bhagavad-gītā or similar Vedic scriptures, Kṛṣṇa is a problem. For one using a material process, Kṛṣṇa is considered to be a great historical personality and very learned philosopher, but He is an ordinary man, and even though He was so powerful He had to accept a material body. Ultimately they think that the Absolute Truth is impersonal; therefore they think that from His impersonal feature He assumed a personal feature attached to material nature. This is a materialistic calculation of the Supreme Lord. Another calculation is speculative. Those who are in search of knowledge also speculate on Kṛṣṇa and consider Him to be less important than the universal form of the Supreme. Thus some think that the universal form of Kṛṣṇa which was manifested to Arjuna is more important than His personal form. According to them, the personal form of the Supreme is something imaginary. They believe that in the ultimate issue, the Absolute Truth is not a person. But the transcendental process is described in Bhagavad-gītā , Chapter Four: to hear about Kṛṣṇa from authorities. That is the actual Vedic process, and those who are actually in the Vedic line hear about Kṛṣṇa from authority, and by repeated hearing about Him, Kṛṣṇa becomes dear. As we have several times discussed, Kṛṣṇa is covered by His yoga-māyā potency. He is not to be seen or revealed to anyone and everyone. Only by one to whom He reveals Himself can He be seen. This is confirmed in the Vedic literature; for one who is a surrendered soul, the Absolute Truth can actually be understood. The transcendentalist, by continuous Kṛṣṇa consciousness and by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, can have his spiritual eyes opened and can see Kṛṣṇa by revelation. Such a revelation is not possible even for the demigods; therefore it is difficult even for the demigods to understand Kṛṣṇa, and the advanced demigods are always in hope of seeing Kṛṣṇa in His two-handed form. The conclusion is that although to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa is very, very difficult and not possible for anyone and everyone, it is still more difficult to understand His personal form as Śyāmasundara.
Hinglish Commentary
Is adhyay ke chaarhve shlok mein, Bhagwan Krishna apne vishwaroop ko dikhana khatam karte hain aur Arjuna ko batate hain ki itne saare puny kaamon, yagya, aur aise hi cheezon se unka roop nahi dekha ja sakta. Yahaan "su-durdarśam" shabd istemal hota hai, jo ye dikhata hai ki Krishna ka do haath wala roop aur bhi rahasyamay hai. Koi vyakti thodi bhakti ke saath apne karmon mein, jaise tapasya, Vedic padhai, aur darshanik vichar mein, Krishna ka vishwaroop dekh sakta hai. Lekin bhakti ke bina, ye sambhav nahi hai, ye pehle hi samjhaya gaya hai. Is vishwaroop se bhi zyada, Krishna ka do haath wala roop dekhna aur bhi mushkil hai, yahan tak ki demigods jaise Brahma aur Shiva ke liye bhi. Unhe Krishna dekhne ki ichha hoti hai, aur humare paas Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mein iska pramaan hai ki jab Krishna apni maa Devakī ke garbh mein the, tab sab demigods swarg se unhe dekhne aaye the aur unhone bhagwan ko prarthna ki, halankin us waqt wo unke liye dikhai nahi diye. Wo unhe dekhne ka intezar karte rahe. Kuch log Krishna ka mazak udate hain, unhe ek aam vyakti samajhte hain, aur unhe izzat nahi dete balki unke andar ke "kuch" ko izzat dete hain, lekin ye sab bekaar ki baatein hain. Krishna ka do haath wala roop sach mein demigods jaise Brahma aur Shiva dikhna chahte hain. Bhagavad-gītā mein bhi kaha gaya hai, "avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam," matlab wo murkh log unhe nahi dekh sakte jo unka mazak udate hain. Krishna ka sharir, jo Brahma-saṁhitā aur Bhagavad-gītā mein bataya gaya hai, poori tarah se spiritual hai aur anand aur amar hai. Unka sharir kabhi bhi material sharir ki tarah nahi hota. Lekin kuch log, jo Bhagavad-gītā ya dusre Vedic granthon ka adhyan karte hain, unke liye Krishna ek samasya ban jaate hain. Wo unhe ek mahan itihasik vyakti ya gyaanwan darshanik samajhte hain, lekin wo ek aam aadmi hain, aur itne shakti-shali hone ke bawajood unhe bhi ek material sharir apnana padta hai. Aakhir mein wo sochte hain ki Absolute Truth impersonal hai, isliye wo samajhte hain ki unka impersonal roop ek personal roop mein badal gaya hai jo material prakriti se juda hai. Ye ek materialistic soch hai Supreme Lord ke liye. Ek aur soch hai jo vichar-vimarsh karti hai. Gyaan ki talash mein jo log hain wo bhi Krishna par vichar karte hain aur unhe Supreme ke vishwaroop se kam mahatvapurn samajhte hain. Is tarah se kuch log sochte hain ki Krishna ka vishwaroop jo Arjuna ko dikhaya gaya, wo unke personal roop se zyada mahatvapurn hai. Unke liye, Supreme ka personal roop kuch kalpnik hai. Wo maante hain ki ant mein, Absolute Truth koi vyakti nahi hai. Lekin Bhagavad-gītā ke chaarhve adhyay mein ye bataya gaya hai ki Krishna ke baare mein authorities se sunna hi sahi Vedic prakriya hai. Jo log sach mein Vedic line mein hain, wo Krishna ke baare mein authority se sunte hain, aur baar-baar unhe sunne se, Krishna unke liye priya ban jaate hain. Jaise humne kai baar discuss kiya hai, Krishna apni yoga-māyā shakti se dhake hue hain. Unhe sabke liye dekhna ya prakat karna sambhav nahi hai. Sirf wahi vyakti unhe dekh sakta hai jise wo khud prakat karte hain. Ye Vedic sahitya mein confirm kiya gaya hai; ek surrendered soul ke liye, Absolute Truth ko sach mein samjha ja sakta hai. Jo transcendentalist hai, wo lagataar Krishna consciousness aur Krishna ki bhakti se apni spiritual aankhein khol sakta hai aur Krishna ko revelation ke zariye dekh sakta hai. Aisi revelation demigods ke liye bhi sambhav nahi hai; isliye demigods ke liye bhi Krishna ko samajhna mushkil hai, aur advanced demigods hamesha Krishna ka do haath wala roop dekhne ki aasha karte hain. Ant mein ye kehna hai ki jabki Krishna ka vishwaroop dekhna bahut mushkil hai aur kisi bhi vyakti ke liye sambhav nahi hai, unka personal roop, jo Śyāmasundara hai, usse samajhna aur bhi zyada mushkil hai.