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Chapter 11: The Universal Form

Bg 11.5
TEXT 5
sri-bhagavan uvaca
pasya me partha rupani
sataso 'tha sahasrasah
nana-vidhani divyani
nana-varnakrtini ca
SYNONYMS
çré bhagavän uväca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; paçya—just see; me—Mine; pärtha—O son of Påthä; rüpäëi—forms; çataçaù—hundreds; atha—also; sahasraçaù—thousands; nänä-vidhäni—variegated; divyäni—divine; nänä—variegated; varëa—colored; akåténi—forms; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Påthä, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.
PURPORT
Arjuna wanted to see Kåñëa in His universal form, which, although a transcendental form, is just manifested for the cosmic manifestation and is therefore subject to the temporary time of this material nature. As the material nature is manifested and not manifested, similarly this universal form of Kåñëa is manifested and unmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Kåñëa's other forms. As far as a devotee is concerned, he is not eager to see the universal form, but because Arjuna wanted to see Kåñëa in this way, Kåñëa reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Kåñëa must give one the power to see it.

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Copyright (c) 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada