CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM

VERSE 11.1:-

 Although Arjuna may accept Kåñëa as the

source of everything, others may not. So in
order to establish Kåñëa's divinity for all,
he is requesting Kåñëa in this chapter to
show His universal form.
CCP:-

 Chapter will culminate in the devotion.

 Arjuna already understood the position of
the Krishna in 10.11 then whatever he is
asking thereafter is just for the benefit of
the people in general.
VERSE 11.2:-
CCP:-

 Arjuna addresses Krishna with the intimate

words; bg is leading to the most intimate
form of the lord.
LINK: - Arjuna makes the request.
VERSE 11.3:-

 One who claims to be Kåñëa should be

prepared to show his universal form to
confirm his claim to the people.
CCP:-
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Tattham- as you have spoken so you are,
there is no higher reality above the
Krishna.
 Arjuna wanted to see the aishwarya form of
the lord.
VERSE 11.4:-

 It is said that one can neither see, hear,

understand nor perceive the Supreme Lord,
Kåñëa, by the material senses. But if one is
engaged in loving transcendental service to
the Lord from the beginning, then one can
see the Lord by revelation.
 Kåñëa is not obliged to reveal Himself
unless one surrenders fully in Kåñëa
consciousness and engages in devotional
service. Thus it is not possible for persons
who depend on the strength of their mental
speculations to see Kåñëa.
CCP:-

 Arjuna is placing the request very humbly.

 Difference between the humility and the
pride is humility begs and waits pride
demands and complains.
 Prabhupad showed this verse to the hayagriva
prabhu who wanted to get the Darshan of the
lord.
 Service means no demands you can have the
desire but don’t demand.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
VERSE 11.5:-

 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 Kåñëa is manifested
and nonmanifested. It is not eternally
situated in the spiritual sky like Kåñëa's
other forms. As far as a devotee is
concerned, he is not eager to see the
universal form.
CCP:-

 This vision of the lord is extraordinary not

seen in any tradition.
 Many saint had the experience of the lord
but here Arjuna is not only experiencing but
also seeing the lord externally.
 1-4 arjunas request.
 We see with our intelligence, we can’t make
the sense of the things if no experience.
 In the person who is congenially blind even
if they are treated they can’t see as they
are not exposed to the things.
 So we see with our intelligence.
 Our knowledge proceeds from the familiar to
in familiar.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Without the bank of the previous experience
we can’t see, here seeing the virat rupa no
one has the previous experience.
 These four verses are the orientation course
for the Arjuna to see the universal form.
 To see ordinary to be god and god to be
ordinary both are illusion.
 Arjunas request to see the universal form is
primarily for the people in general to avoid
them getting misguided.
VERSE 11.6:-
CCP:-

 Here who is who in the universal form is

being revealed here.
VERSE 11.7:-
CCP:-

 Lord is telling this is my form.

 Krishna was giving Arjuna temporary
provisional glimpse of omniscience.
VERSE 11.8:-

 Devotees who are correctly situated in a

transcendental relationship with Kåñëa are
attracted by loving features, not by a
godless display of opulence.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Though Kåñëa gave celestial eyes to Arjuna,
He did not give him a celestial mind. If He
gave that type of mind to Arjuna, Arjuna
would take pleasure in that celestial form.
CCP:-

 Here pasya is literally means to see but in

9.5 it meant to understand.
 Universe is like computer with the different
level of access Devatas have higher level
access than the humans.
 Arjuna has the spiritual vision of the
Krishna so for him this seeing of the virat
rupa is like downgrading.
 Virat rupa form is not lovable, it displays
the lords power and pervasion but not
lovable.
 Lord is perceived differently by different
people but not all the forms are conducive
for devotional service.
LINK: - camera is zooming out, sanjay will
report to the dhritrashtra.
VERSE 11.9:-
CCP:-

 Mahayogeshvar indicates that the lord is

capable to show the universal form.
VERSE 11.10, 11, 12:-
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM

CCP:-

 Bhavet yugapat uttitha – suns effulgence

increases very much during the time of
dissolution, if such suns show the
effulgence that is less than this form.
 Many times word can’t reach to the exact
description but they can act as the pointer,
so they are not useless.
 We may not be able to glorify the supreme
lord adequately but we should glorify the
lord as much as we can for our own
purification.
VERSE 11.13:-
CCP:-

 Tatra bcoz sanjay was in the palace and was

describing to the dhritrashtra.
VERSE 11.14:-
CCP:-

 Arjuna is here folding the hand it indicates

that he was not fearful, but wonderstruck.
VERSE 11.15:-
CCP:-
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Arjuna is seeing the universe from the top
to the bottom.
VERSE 11.16:-
CCP:-

 Aneka means they are so many that we can’t

number it.
 Arjuna is not able to see the beginning,
middle and the end of the universal form.
 This is the reference for the form to be
called vishvarupa.
 Krishna is inside the universe, he is the
universe and he is outside the universe.
VERSE 11.17:-
CCP:-

 Kiritinam and gadinam can be taken as the

reference to the Vishnu.
LINK: - his description start becoming
glorification.
VERSE 11.18:-

 You are to be known (veditavyam). This is

described by statements of the Vedas such as
atha parä yayä tad akñaram adhigamyate, yat
tad adåçyam: the higher knowledge is that by
which the indestructible Brahman is
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
apprehended, which cannot be seen. (Muëòaka
Upanisad 1.1.5).
 You alone are the ancient person (sanätanaù
puruñaù), mentioned in the mantra sa käraëaà
käraëädhipädhipo na cäsya kaçcij janitä na
cädhipaù: He is the cause, master of the
senses; He has no lord or creator.
(Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad 6.9)
CCP:-

 Description is of the perception and the

identification, what was blinding he is now
identifying.
VERSE 11.19:-

 prasäde viñmaye harñe dvi-trir-uktaà na

duñyati: repetition of statements two or
three times due to joy, astonishment or
kindness is not a fault.
CCP:-

 Till now only the vision was described now

the perception of other sense perception of
the Arjuna is also described.
VERSE 11.20:-

 Others also were given celestial eyes by the

Lord to see this form. If only Arjuna could
see that form, it would have been like a
sleeping person seeing chariots or other
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
objects in a dream, while others could not
see them. The Lord did this so that many
others could bear witness His powers.
CCP:-

 Beginning of the description of the fear.

 Conflict of emotion is going through the
minds of the Arjuna.
 Others celestials were also seeing this form
and getting affected.
LINK; - effect on the universe.
VERSE 11.21:-
CCP:-

 Effect on the demigods and the sages is

shown they are afraid of the virat rupa.
LINK: - who all demigods he is seeing as he is
seeing he is discerning.
VERSE 11.22,23,24,25:-

 Uñma-pä refers to those who drink hot vapor

of food.That refers to the Pitås.
 The çruti says üñmabhägä hi pitaraù: the
Pitås eat the steam. (Taittiréya Brähmaëa,
Yajur Veda, 1.3.10.6)

CCP:-
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Like in the horror movie audience get
frightened here Arjuna is getting
frightened.
 In verse 24 Arjuna is identifying this form
as the Vishnu, but later getting overwhelmed
he asks who are you.
 In too much emotional turmoil the person
looses the orientation.
VERSE 11.26, 27:-
CCP:-

 Destruction is integral part of the material

existence.
 Lord destroys the temporary to pave the way
for the permanent; this destruction shows
that we should not have attachments and
affection for the temporary.
VERSE 11.28,29:-


CCP:-

 Here samruddhi is used in negative sense,

speed is always not good.
 Too analogies used voluntarily entering and
naturally going in the mouth of the lord-
bhishma and drona going involuntarily as due
to some reasons they have to fight with the
pandavas so they are getting destroyed but
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
the duryodhana and party is voluntarily
entering in the mouth of the lord.
 Although so much warning duryodhana
foolishly went ahead with the war. This
action of the duryodhana is compared with
the moth example.
 Vedant desika – river when goes to the ocean
continues to be water similarly devotees
after the death continue to serve the lord
in the spiritual world.- when non devotee
dies he loses everything and has to suffer
his karma in the next body. river while
moving towards the ocean they nourish
devotees nourish others.devotees are
benevolent in this world and they serve
after the death lord.
VERSE 11.30:-
CCP:-

 Second time using the word Vishnu.

 This is the vision which demonstrates that
there is destruction in the world, what you
offer I will accept, virat rupa is accepting
what is offered.
LINK:- arjuna is asking who are you?
VERSE 11.31:-
CCP:-
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Relationship changes here Arjuna is more
respectful to the lord.
 From tvam to bhavan change of the attitude
of the arjuna with increased respect to the
lord.
LINK; - response of the Krishna, vishvarupa
speaks.
VERSE 11.32:-

 As stated in the Kaöha Upaniñad (1.2.25),

yasya brahma ca kñatraà ca
ubhe bhavata odanaù
måtyur yasyopasecanaà
ka itthä veda yatra saù

 Eventually all the brähmaëas, kñatriyas and

everyone else are devoured like a meal by
the Supreme.

CCP:-

 It was the tradition for the winning party

to sleep on the battle ground to claim the
land they have own so the pandavas were
sleeping on the battlefield and during that
night ashvatthama slaughtered the pandavas
sons.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 On pandavas side satyaki,Krishna and the
five pandavas were the surviving people.
 On the kaurava side ashvatthama,kritvarman
and yuyutsu survived.
 Kala is ferocious for the non devotees not
for the devotees.
 Rite here has two meanings 1) except you all
will be killed. 2) Even without you they
will be killed.
 Cannibalism is outlawed by the international
law.
 By going in to the literalistic explanation
of the scriptures then all the scriptures of
the world can be faulted.
 This metaphorical destruction is to simply
show that the everything in the world is
under the jurisdiction of the absolute
truth.
VERSE 11.33:-

 This world is moving according to the plan

of the lord to reclaim the conditioned souls
it is not without the purpose.
CCP:-

 Devotional service is not meant to deprive

the devotees from the enjoyment but to stop
materialistic enjoyment a devotee can enjoy
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
in the service, creating something for the
lord a devotee also enjoys.
 Here it is not the fixing of the battle but
the fixing of the consciousness of the
Arjuna in the devotional service.
 Krishna doesn’t need us to do anything but
he is not looking for the results at the
material level but for change of the
consciousness, making us to turn back to
him.
 Here Krishna is giving the assurance to the
Arjuna not the license.
 Our own intelligence is not as good as the
gods and we are meant to serve the Krishna
when we serve Krishna then it is the best
use of our intelligence.
 It is not that by surrendering to the lord
we don’t use our skills but we can use them
in the service of the lord, here Krishna is
acknowledging Arjuna for his skills.
 When we carry out the broad plan of the
Krishna then specific are automatically
taken care of, we should chant properly,
study scriptures, carry out whatever
services asked then seeing our sincerity
Krishna will reveal the specific plan.
 It doesn’t means devotees every plan will be
successful.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 A devotee keeps finding the ways to serve
the Krishna.
 God is always there with the devotees but
devotee sometime fails as god want to
protect the devotees to increase the
dependence of the devotee on the Krishna
wants us to realize victory doesn’t come by
our own Endeavour but by the grace of the
Krishna, overall the devotee never fails.
 Jatayu although lost the war against the
ravana but he won against the Maya.
 Battle is one segment and the war is the
mega set/complete events.
 We may sometime lose the war against the
Maya but we have to continue serving the
lord.
 A normal person maximum success can get is
as per the karma but the devotee has no
limitation for the success.
VERSE 11.34:-
CCP:-

 Jayadrathas name is mentioned as lord knows

that he is going to play the important role
in the war, and the difficult task of
killing him will also be accomplished by the
Arjuna by the will of the lord.
VERSE 11.35:-
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
CCP:-

 Ksatriya are trained to see the blood and

the violence but seeing the furious form of
the lord he become fearful, lord and
bewilder anyone.
 KALA RUPA-
 In material consciousness the things which
are materially big are respected.
 Universal for is the conceptualization of
the universe as the lords form.
 This form is for the taking our
consciousness to the absolute by the matter.
 Here it is revelation by the lord to the
Arjuna to the arjunas imagination.
 Virat rupa is conceptualization and the kala
rupa is revelations by the lord to the
Arjuna, to assure him of the success.
 Arjuna is asking who you are as he
understood the virat rupa but not the kala
rupa.
VERSE 11.36:-

 This verse is famous in mantra-çästra for

its ability to give protection from
Räkñasas.-VCT
CCP:-

 Now Arjuna is making the sense of what he

has seen.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 This verse is part of the raksasa raksha
mantra.
LINK; - what they should not glorify as you are
supremely glorious
VERSE 11.37:-

 Brahmä does not create tattvas, but only

combines their products.
CCP:-

 Brahman refers to the – brahmaji /

brahmajyoti/brahmanas.
VERSE 11.38:-
CCP:-

 We can have so much material knowledge but

it will not give us the supreme happiness.
 Many objects to be known but no one can
benefit as the Krishna.
LINK: - now he starts offering obeisances.
VERSE 11.39:-
CCP:-

 Arjuna is conveying that whatever the

manifestations of the power in this world
they are the forms of the lord as the
vibhutis.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
LINK: - where to offer the prayers as universal
form is all pervading.
VERSE 11.40:-

 unlimited physical strength (véåya)

 immeasurable mental strength (amita vikrama)
yo’yaà tavägato deva samépaà devatä-gaëaù
sa tvam eva jagat-srañöä yataù sarva-gato bhavän

 O Lord, the devatäs who approach You are

indeed You, the creator of the universe,
because You are everywhere. Viñëu
Puräëa1.9.70 -BV
 Whoever comes before you, even if he be a
demigod, is created by You, O Supreme
Personality of Godhead."-SP
CCP:-

 You are all pervading.

LINK:- Arjuna offering apologies, fro intimate
dealings, not knowing the lords position.
VERSE 11.41, 42:-
CCP:-

 Here rasa is changing, not to be found in

the vrindavan.
 Sakhya of vrindavan is visrambha Sakhya
where there is no awareness of majesty of
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
the Krishna; Arjuna had gaurava Sakhya where
there is awareness of greatness of the
Krishna.
VERSE 11.43:-
CCP:-


Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad (6.8):
na tasya käryaà karaëaà ca vidyate
na tat-samaç cäbhyadhikaç ca dåçyate

 The Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, has senses and a

body like the ordinary man, but for Him
there is no difference between His senses,
His body, His mind and Himself.
 Nobody can even be equal to you; I was
foolish to think that I’m greater than you
in terms of the position materially.
LINK: - why he deserves the forgiveness.
VERSE 11.44:-

 Touching eight parts of my body on the

earth, [Note: Eight limbs are the two hands,
two feet, chest, head, voice and mind.
CCP:-

 When there is love then there is trust then

one can see beyond the externals.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 When there is no trust then relationship is
like the walking on the land mine.
 This is not the vatsalya rasa as the lord is
father and the devotee is like the child.
 A devotee in general should act in positive
way that will create the trust then we will
be able to understand the accidental
mistakes.
VERSE 11.45:-
CCP:-

 Normally in this world big is considered

more important or better, but the Arjuna
doesn’t want to see the universal form
anymore but the two handed form.
LINK;- Arjuna wants to establish the divinity of
the Krishna so want to see the Vishnu form of
the lord to establish beyond doubt that he is
the supreme.
VERSE 11.46:-

 Arjuna knew that Kåñëa is the original

Personality of Godhead assuming His
temporary universal form. He is now asking
to see the form of Näräyaëa, a spiritual
form. This verse establishes without any
doubt the statement of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam
that Kåñëa is the original Personality of
Godhead and all other features originate
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
from Him. He is not different from His
plenary expansions, and He is God in any of
His innumerable forms. In all of these forms
He is fresh like a young man.
CCP:-
LINK:- Krishna is teasing arjuna before showing
the Narayan form.
VERSE 11.47:-

 Duryodhana did not accept the peace offer,

but at that time Kåñëa manifested some of
His universal forms. But those forms are
different from this one shown to Arjuna. It
is clearly said that no one had ever seen
this form before.
CCP:-

 Krishna is trying to emphasize that this

form is very to see.
 Duryodhana was shown the universal form but
not the kala rupa.
VERSE 11.48:-
CCP:-

 Krishna is building the point that the by

any material method one cannot see the form
of the lord.
LINK: - Krishna responds here to the Arjuna.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
VERSE 11.49:-

 A devotee is not much interested in the

universal form, for it does not enable one
to reciprocate loving feelings.
CCP:-

 Devotee is not interested in the virat rupa

as they cannot have the loving
reciprocation.
 To rveal the action the camera is moved in
different direction.
LINK ;- lord shows the chatur bhuja and the two
handed form to arjuna.
VERSE 11.50:-
CCP:-

 In this verse the universal form changes to

the four armed then to the two handed from.
VERSE 11.51:-

 Here prakriti means the nature or the

energy.
CCP:-

 We are currently existing at the physical,

mental and the spiritual level, a devotee is
not dead emotionally.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 A devotee can also be devastated, disturbed,
lost by some incidence.
 Kala rupa is not the pleasant form but ugra
form, terrifying.
 Intelligence means knowing what to do when
we don’t know what to do.
 A devotee doesn’t want anyone to suffer but
he also understands the plan of the Krishna.
 Kala rupa is the tough love of the lord.
 We expect the Krishna to set the external
normal, but we should seek the shelter in
the Krishna.
 Disturbance indicates that our shelter is
not in the Krishna but in the externals.
 External changes are primarily meant to help
us to make the internal changes.
 We are not supposed to be passive to
external changes but need to focus on the
Krishna.
 Manusham means human like form not the
mortal form.
 God doesn’t have the form like us but we
have the form in the image of the god.
VERSE 11.52, 53:-
CCP:-

 Krishna is saying seeing this form is very

rare not the beyond this from.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
 Here ijyaya refers to the fire sacrifice not
to the deity worship.
LINK; - what is required to get the Darshan of
the lord.
VERSE 11.54:-

 That form was exhibited by Kåñëa at the

request of Arjuna so that in the future,
when one represents himself as an
incarnation of God, people can ask to see
his universal form.
CCP:-

 To see the lord means to see with the

understanding.
 Krishna is not saying you will get something
beyond me.
 Study, austerity, charity doesn’t involve
the heart but only by offering the heart one
can understand the Krishna.
 Particular qualification is required for the
particular path.
 Other processes can be utilized in the
devotional service but they by themselves
cannot give Krishna.
 Universal form is temporary.
 Greatness of the form is not on the number
of the limbs but the intimacy the form
offers.
CHAPTER 11 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
LINK;- Krishna summarizes the chapter, this
verse is the sum and substance of the gita.
VERSE 11.55:-

 nirvairaù sarva-bhüteñu- who is friendly to

every living being.
CCP:-

 Krishna is saying do karma for me,do my

work,not doing the work and then offering it
to the Krishna.
 Mat paramo- makes me the goal of the life.
 We can have the temporary goals but the
Krishna should be the permanent goal.
 Whether our permanent goal is Krishna or not
will be tested when temporary and the
permanent goal conflict each other.
 Bad association our external sanga creates
the internal sanga.
 Give up the tendency to do the things other
than the Krishna.
 Devotee in general doesn’t have the
animosity to anyone.
 Krishna concludes this chapter with the
glories of the BG.

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