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Chapter 11 · The Universal Form · 55 verses

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Krishna’s natureChapter 11 · The Universal Form
11.4611.48

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 11.47

Krishna restores His gentle personal form

श्रीभगवानुवाच

मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं

रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात् ।

तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं

यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम् ॥ ४७ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ

rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt

tejo-mayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ

yan me tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you, by My internal potency, this supreme universal form within the material world. No one before you has ever seen this primal form, unlimited and full of glaring effulgence.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

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

Kṛṣṇa Mercifully Reveals His Form

  1. 1Kṛṣṇa happily showed Arjuna His unlimited, brilliant universal form through His internal potency. No one had seen this form before.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa revealed this form out of mercy, to satisfy His friend and devotee Arjuna’s desire.
  3. 3Recognize that Kṛṣṇa’s internal potency cannot be understood by human speculation.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 11, The Universal Form: krishna restores his gentle personal form.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Recognize Kṛṣṇa as the source of all.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: bhagavān, vibhūti.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 11.47 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to krishna’s nature?

Practice

Notice something excellent and see it as His opulence.

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 11.48Krishna restores His gentle personal formBG 11.49Krishna restores His gentle personal formBG 18.78Sañjaya’s concluding certainty

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

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Ask about BG 11.47 — 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.