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Chapter 11 · The Universal Form · 55 verses

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Bhakti & surrenderChapter 11 · The Universal Form
11.4511.47

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 11.46

Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refuge

किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्त-

मिच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव ।

तेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन

सहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते ॥ ४६ ॥

kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakra-hastam

icchāmi tvāṁ draṣṭum ahaṁ tathaiva

tenaiva rūpeṇa catur-bhujena

sahasra-bāho bhava viśva-mūrte

Translation

O universal form, O thousand-armed Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

The Four-Armed Form

  1. 1Arjuna longs to see the Lord’s four-armed form, wearing a helmet and holding a club, wheel, conch and lotus.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that Arjuna requests Nārāyaṇa’s spiritual form. Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, the source of all other forms.
  3. 3Seek to know Kṛṣṇa: one who knows Him becomes free at once from all contamination of the material world.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 11, The Universal Form: arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refuge.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Loving service and surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: bhakti, śaraṇāgati.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 11.46 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?

Practice

Offer one act today with devotion.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 11 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 11.35Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refugeBG 11.36Arjuna seeks forgiveness and familiar refugeBG 3.30Offer every action to KrishnaBG 6.47The highest yogi is devoted

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Ask about BG 11.46 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.