BHAGAVAD-GITA 11:52

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 11:52

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

su-durdarsam idam rupam

drstavan asi yan mama

deva apy asya rupasya

nityam darsana-kanksinah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;

su-durdarsam--very difficult to see; idam--this; rupam--form; drstavan

asi--as you have seen; yat--which; mama--of Mine; devah--the demigods;

api--also; asya--this; rupasya--form; nityam--eternally;

darsana-kanksinah--aspiring to see.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

PURPORT

 

In the forty-eighth verse of this chapter Lord Krsna 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-durdarsam is used, indicating that Krsna's two-handed

form is still more confidential. One may be able to see the universal

form of Krsna 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 Krsna with two hands is still more

difficult to see, even for demigods like Brahma and Lord Siva. They

desire to see Him, and we have evidence in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that

when He was supposed to be in the womb of His mother, Devaki, all the

demigods from heaven came to see the marvel of Krsna, 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. Krsna in His two-armed form is actually desired

to be seen by demigods like Brahma and Siva.

 

In Bhagavad-gita (9.11) it is also confirmed, avajananti mam mudha

manusim tanum asritah: He is not visible to the foolish persons who

deride Him. Krsna's body, as confirmed by Brahma-samhita and confirmed

by Krsna Himself in Bhagavad-gita, 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 Krsna by reading Bhagavad-gita or similar

Vedic scriptures, Krsna is a problem. For one using a material

process, Krsna 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 Krsna and consider Him to be less

important than the universal form of the Supreme. Thus some think that

the universal form of Krsna 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-gita, Chapter Four: to

hear about Krsna from authorities. That is the actual Vedic process,

and those who are actually in the Vedic line hear about Krsna from

authority, and by repeated hearing about Him, Krsna becomes dear. As

we have several times discussed, Krsna is covered by His yoga-maya

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

Vedic literature; for one who is a surrendered soul, the Absolute

Truth can actually be understood. The transcendentalist, by continuous

Krsna consciousness and by devotional service to Krsna, can have his

spiritual eyes opened and can see Krsna by revelation. Such a

revelation is not possible even for the demigods; therefore it is

difficult even for the demigods to understand Krsna, and the advanced

demigods are always in hope of seeing Krsna in His two-handed form.

The conclusion is that although to see the universal form of Krsna is

very, very difficult and not possible for anyone and everyone, it is

still more difficult to understand His personal form as Syamasundara.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.