BHAGAVAD-GITA 11:50

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 11:50

 

sanjaya uvaca

ity arjunam vasudevas tathoktva

svakam rupam darsayam asa bhuyah

asvasayam asa ca bhitam enam

bhutva punah saumya-vapur mahatma

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sanjayah uvaca--Sanjaya said; iti--thus; arjunam--unto Arjuna;

vasudevah--Krsna; tatha--in that way; uktva--speaking; svakam--His

own; rupam--form; darsayam asa--showed; bhuyah--again; asvasayam

asa--encouraged; ca--also; bhitam--fearful; enam--him; bh

utva--becoming; punah--again; saumya-vapuh--the beautiful form;

maha-atma--the great one.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Sanjaya said to Dhrtarastra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead,

Krsna, having spoken thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed

form and at last showed His two-armed form, thus encouraging the

fearful Arjuna.

 

PURPORT

 

When Krsna appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki, He first of all

appeared as four-armed Narayana, but when He was requested by His

parents, He transformed Himself into an ordinary child in appearance.

Similarly, Krsna knew that Arjuna was not interested in seeing a

four-handed form, but since Arjuna asked to see this four-handed form,

Krsna also showed him this form again and then showed Himself in His

two-handed form. The word saumya-vapuh is very significant.

Saumya-vapuh is a very beautiful form; it is known as the most

beautiful form. When He was present, everyone was attracted simply by

Krsna's form, and because Krsna is the director of the universe, He

just banished the fear of Arjuna, His devotee, and showed him again

His beautiful form of Krsna. In the Brahma-samhita (5.38) it is

stated, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti vilocanena: only a person whose

eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form

of Sri Krsna.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.