Chapter 11, Verse 5 (Bhagavad Gita 11.5)
Chapter 11: Viśhwarūp Darśhan Yog – Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God
Sanskrit Shloka
श्री भगवानुवाच पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च
Transliteration
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha paśhya me pārtha rūpāṇi śhataśho ’tha sahasraśhaḥ nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛitīni cha
Word Meanings
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Lord said; paśhya—behold; me—my; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; rūpāṇi—forms; śhataśhaḥ—by the hundreds; atha—and; sahasraśhaḥ—thousands; nānā-vidhāni—various; divyāni—divine; nānā—various; varṇa—colors; ākṛitīni—shapes; cha—and
Translation
The Blessed Lord Krishna said: Behold, O Arjuna, My forms by the hundreds and thousands—divine, of various colors and shapes.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna grants Arjuna the divine vision to perceive His infinite, transcendental nature, which transcends the limitations of space and time. He reveals that He is not merely the charioteer standing before Arjuna, but the ultimate source of all existence, manifesting in countless variegated forms. For the seeker, this signifies that the Supreme Lord is the underlying reality of the entire cosmos, encompassing every aspect of creation within His being. By contemplating this universal vision, the devotee learns to perceive the presence of Shri Krishna in everything, thereby dissolving the illusion of duality. This realization is the gateway to surrender and liberation, as one recognizes that all paths and all forms ultimately emanate from and return to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.