Chapter 11: The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form
Verse 11:49

Meaning

Supreme God Krishna spoke

You should neither be pained nor bewildered by viewing My furious {Cosmic} Form; {now} without fear in mind and with joy in your heart watch My that {four-armed Vishnu} form once again. (11:49)

Commentary

Arjuna had indeed requested the Lord to revert from His thousand-armed form to the four-armed form (11:46). The four-armed form is typically associated with Bhagawān Vishnu. Arjuna had previously witnessed this four-armed Vishnu form briefly during the overwhelming revelation of the Lord’s Cosmic Form (11:17). In verse 11:24, Arjuna even addressed the Lord as “Vishnu.” Therefore, the form that Arjuna was about to witness was the manifestation of Bhagawān Vishnu, through whom God-the-Supreme had incarnated as Krishna in the human world. This four-armed Vishnu form was a more familiar and relatable representation for Arjuna, as it was associated with the divine presence he had encountered in his earlier experiences with the Lord.

Sanskrit

श्रीभगवान् उवाच

मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो दृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्ममेदम् ।

व्यपेतभीः प्रीतमनाः पुनस्त्वं तदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य ॥ 11:49 ॥

Word Separation

मा ते व्यथा, मा च विमूढ-भावः, दृष्ट्वा रूपम्

घोरम् ईदृक् मम इदम्; व्यपेत-भीः प्रीत-मनाः पुनः त्वम् तत्-एव मे रूपम् इदम् प्र-पश्य।

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