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
sri bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; pasya—just see; me—Mine; partha—O son of Prtha; rupani—forms; satasah—hundreds; atha—also; sahasrasah—thousands; nana-vidhani—variegated; divyani—divine; nana—variegated; varna—colored; akrtini—forms; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Prtha, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.
PURPORT
Arjuna wanted to see Krsna 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 Krsna is manifested and unmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Krsna'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 Krsna in this way, Krsna reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Krsna must give one the power to see it.