Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 51 to 53

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Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 51 to 53

(Verse Translation by Swami Gambirananda, Gita Bhasya and commentary

by Swami Chinmayanandaji)

 

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Drishtwedam maanusham roopam tava saumyam janaardana;

Idaaneemasmi samvrittah sachetaah prakritim gatah.

Arjuna said:

 

51. O Janardana, having seen this serene human form of Yours, I have

now become calm in mind and restored to my own nature.

 

O Janardana, drstva, having seen

idam, this

saumyam, serene

manusam, human

rupam, form

tava, of Yours-gracious, as of my friend

asmi, I have

idanim, now

samvrttah, become;-what?-sacetah, calm in mind

and gatah, restored

prakrtim, to my own nature.

 

Arjuna admits here that, when he sees the normal and the gentle-Form

of Lord Krishna, he feels relieved from his inner tensions and

agitations. When an unprepared student like Arjuna is suddenly pushed

forward on the spiritual ladder and made to experience truths that

are transcendental, and too vast for his intellectual comprehension,

it is natural that even in that Realm-of-Bliss, he feels giddy

confusions and heaving sobs. Arjuna admits: " I have now become

collected in mind and am restored to my normal nature, having seen

the milder aspect of Krishna's gracious human form. "

TRUE DEVOTION TO THE UNIVERSAL FORM IS EXPLAINED HEREUNDER

 

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:

Sudurdarshamidam roopam drishtavaanasi yanmama;

Devaa apyasya roopasya nityam darshanakaangkshinah.

 

The Blessed Lord said:

 

52. This form of Mine which you have seen is very difficult to see

even the gods are ever desirous of a vision of this form.

 

Idam, this

rupam, form

mama, of Mine

yat, which

drstavan, asi, you have seen is

sudur-darsam, very difficult to see. Api, even

the devah, gods

are nityam, ever

darsana-kanksinah, desirous of a vision

asya, of this

rupasya, form of Mine. The idea is that though they want to see,

they have not seen in the way you have, nor will they see!

 

Why so?

 

Naa ham vedairna tapasaa na daanena na chejyayaa;

Shakya evamvidho drashtum drishtavaanasi maam yathaa.

 

53. Not through the Vedas, not by austerity, not by gifts, nor even

by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me.

 

Na vedaih, not through the Vedas, not even through the four Vedas-Rk,

Yajus, Sama and Atharvan

na tapasa, not by austerity, not by severe austerities like the

Candrayana

not danena, by gifts, by gifts of cattle, land, gold, etc.

na ca, nor even

ijyaya, by sacrifices or worship

sakyah aham, can I

drastum, be seen evamvidhah, in this form, in the manner as was shown

yatha, as

drstavan asi, you have seen mam, Me.

 

Commentary for 52 and 53:

The Universal-Form of the Lord is no easy experience for anyone, and

it can be gained neither by study of the Vedas, nor by austerities,

nor by gifts, nor by a sacrifice. Even the gods, the denizens of

heaven, with their ampler intellects, longer lives, and harder

endeavors, are unable to behold this Universal-Form, and they keep on

longing for this experience.

And yet, Krishna has shown this Form, mighty and wondrous, to His

friend through His Grace, as He Himself admitted earlier.*

We may wonder what makes the Lord shower His grace upon one, and not

upon another. It CANNOT be a haphazard distribution of an Omnipotent,

who does things as He likes, arbitrarily, without any rhyme or

reason! For, in that case the Lord will be accused of partiality and

arbitrariness.

 

HERE, IN THE FOLLOWING STANZA, WE GET THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION OF

WHAT COMPELS THE LORD TO SHOWER HIS SPECIAL FAVOURS UPON SOMEONE

SOMETIMES AND NOT UPON ALL AT ALL TIMES:

 

Swami Dayananda Saraswati's Commentary and Explanations:

Not only does Lord Krishna come back to his original form, the GIta

also returns to its original meter. For the most part, the Gita is in

anustup but ever since Arjuna began seeing the cosmic form, it has

been in tristup. Now the anustup meter is restored.

Krishna is now identifiable as a human being. Seeing this human

form, idammanusam rupam drstva, that was so pleasing, saumyam,

Arjuna, addressing Krishna as Janardana says, " Now I have become,

idanim samvrttah asmi, of a pleased and cheerful mind, sacetah, and

have come back to my original disposition, prakrtim gatah. Previously

he was frightened and afflicted. Now, seeing this familiar form of

Krishna, he is pleased. Lord Krishna reinforces Arjuna's pleased

frame of mind by telling him how lucky he is.

 

The form which Arjuna has just seen, Krishna tells him, is seen only

with great difficulty, sudurdarsam. It is not easily available for

perception and is, in fact, almost impossible to see.

Nevertheless, " You are the one who has seen it, drstavan asi tvam, "

Krishna tells him. " Even the gods have a constant desire to see this

form, devah api asya rupasya nityam darsana-kanksinah " They are

always praying for such a cosmic vision. " You are lucky, Arjuna,

because you have seen something which nobody else has seen. " That is

what Krishna wants to convey here.

 

It is not possible to see (that) I am in this form by (study of) the

Vedas, nor by ascetic practices, nor by charity, nor by worship. You

are the one who is seeing me in this way. Here Bhagavan repeats what

he has said before. Generally repetition is considered a defect but

not in teaching. In this case it is an introduction to the two very

important verses that follow. .

 

" Not by knowing the four Vedas, na vedaih, not by great ascetic

practices, na tapasa, not by charity, na danena, and not even by

ritual, ijyaya. " Even by all these various methods, " It is not

possible to see that I am in this form, aham evam vidhah drastuw na

Sakyah. " In the form that Arjuna has been able to see him, no one

else has in spite of great efforts. Though a repetition of the

previous verse, this verse has been introduced here to provoke a

question. If this vision is not attainable by all these great

practices, yajna, dana, tapas, etc., how then it is possible for one

to see you? Bhagwan answers this question in the next two verses.