Chapter 11, Verse 31 (Bhagavad Gita 11.31)
Chapter 11: Viśhwarūp Darśhan Yog – Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God
Sanskrit Shloka
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद। विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम्
Transliteration
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda vijñātum ichchhāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛittim
Word Meanings
ākhyāhi—tell; me—me; kaḥ—who; bhavān—you; ugra-rūpaḥ—fierce form; namaḥ astu—I bow; te—to you; deva-vara—God of gods; prasīda—be merciful; vijñātum—to know; ichchhāmi—I wish; bhavantam—you; ādyam—the primeval; na—not; hi—because; prajānāmi—comprehend; tava—your; pravṛittim—workings
Translation
Tell me, who You are, so fierce of form. I offer my salutations to You, O God Supreme; have mercy on me. I desire to know You, the original Being. I do not indeed know Your workings.
Meaning & Commentary
In this moment of profound revelation, Arjuna witnesses the terrifying magnificence of Shri Krishna’s Vishvarupa, the Universal Form that encompasses time, destruction, and creation. Arjuna’s awe and trepidation reflect the soul’s natural response when confronted with the infinite majesty of the Supreme Lord. By asking 'Who are You,' Arjuna seeks not just intellectual information, but a deeper realization of the Lord’s primal essence that transcends his friend’s human form. This interaction teaches every seeker that ultimate liberation begins with the humility to admit one’s ignorance before the Divine. To know Shri Krishna is to surrender the ego and seek the grace of the One who holds the entire cosmos within Himself.