Chapter 11 · Verse 52

Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God

श्री भगवानुवाच सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम। देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha su-durdarśham idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi yan mama devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ

Word Meanings

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha — the Supreme Lord said; su-durdarśham — exceedingly difficult to behold; idam — this; rūpam — form; dṛiṣhṭavān asi — that you are seeing; yat — which; mama — of mine; devāḥ — the celestial gods; api — even; asya — this; rūpasya — form; nityam — eternally; darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ — aspiring to see

Translation

The Supreme Lord said: This form of mine that you have seen is exceedingly difficult to behold; even the gods eternally yearn for a glimpse of it.

Commentary

सुदुर्दर्शम् very hard to see? इदम् this? रूपम् form? दृष्टवानसि thou hast seen? यत् which? मम My? देवाः gods? अपि also? अस्य (of) this? रूपस्य of form? नित्यम् ever? दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः (are) desrious to behold.Commentary Lord Krishna says to Arjuna Though the gods long to behold the Cosmic Form yet they have not seen it as you have done. THey can never behold it.Just as the Chataka (a bird) longs for a drop of rain? eagerly turning its eyes towards the clouds? so also do gods yearn to behold the Cosmic Form but their wishes have not been gratified even in their dreams. Such is that marvellous vision which thou hast easily seen.