Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ।
नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च ॥५॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ
nānā-vidhāni divyāni
nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca
Word for word (synonyms)
- śrī bhagavān uvāca
- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
- paśya
- just see
- me
- Mine
- pārtha
- O son of Pṛthā
- rūpāṇi
- forms
- śataśaḥ
- hundreds
- atha
- also
- sahasraśaḥ
- thousands
- nānā-vidhāni
- variegated
- divyāni
- divine
- nānā
- variegated
- varṇa
- colored
- akṛtīni
- forms
- ca
- also
Translation
The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.
Purport
Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa 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 Kṛṣṇa is manifested and unmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Kṛṣṇa'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 Kṛṣṇa in this way, Kṛṣṇa reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Kṛṣṇa must give one the power to see it.
What this verse teaches
The study note for this verse is in editorial review.
In thematic compilations 1
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The entire universe and all the gods are within Kṛṣṇa’s cosmic body. (11.5, 7)
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.