Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 1 (BG 11.1) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

11.1 मदनुग्रहाय for the sake of blessing me? परमम् the highest? गुह्यम् the secret? अध्यात्मसंज्ञितम् called Adhyatma? यत् which? त्वया by Thee? उक्तम् spoken? वचः word? तेन by that? मोहः delusion? अयम् this? विगतः gone? मम my.Commentary After hearing the glories of the Lord? Arjuna has an intense longing to have the wonderful vision of the Cosmic Form with his own eyes. His bewilderment and delusion have now vanished.Adhyatma That which treats of the discrimination between the Self and the notSelf metaphysics.I was worried about the sin involved in killing my relations and preceptors. I had the ideas? I am the agent in killing them they are to be killed by me.This delusion has vanished now after receiving Thy most profound and valuable instructions. Thou hast dispelled this delusion of ignorance from me.The vision of the Cosmic Form is not the ultimate goal. If that were so? the Gita would have ended with this chapter. The vision of the Cosmic Form is also one more in a series of graded experiences. It is a terrible experience too. That is the reason why Arjuna said to the Lord? stammering with fear What an awful form Thou hast I have seen that which none hath seen before. My heart is glad? yet faileth me on account of fear. Show me? O God? Thine other form again. O God of gods? support of all the worlds? let me see Thy form with the diadem? and with the mace and discus in Thy hands. Again I wish to see Thee as before assume Thy fourarmed form? O Lord of thousand arms and of forms innumerable.Arjuna heard the Lords statement? viz.? Having pervaded this whole universe with one fragment of Myself? I remain. This induced him to have the vision of the Lords Cosmic Form. He says? O Lord of compassion? Thou hast taught me the spiritual wisdom which can hardly be found in the Vedas. Thou hast saved me. My delusion has disappeared. Thou hast disclosed to me the nature of the Supreme Self? the secrets of Nature and Thy divine glories. My greatest ambition at the present moment is that I should behold with my own eyes Thy entire Cosmic Form.

Commentaries

Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.

This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

Modern

Having come to know the divine manifestations of the Lord described in the previous chapter, Arjun expresses his supreme contentment in this opening verse. He also praises the Lord for the immense effort He has made solely out of compassion for His disciple, to lift him from the state of delusion. To perceive unity within multiplicity is like receiving a protective inoculation against the sufferings of the world. Through Arjun's acknowledgment that "my delusion has been dispelled," Vyasa beautifully draws our attention to the profound effect of the previous chapter upon an excellent student. The dispelling of delusion is one aspect of knowledge of truth, not the attainment of knowledge itself. Due to ignorance, Arjun had been experiencing his separate and independent existence within this creation of name and form. He had now become free from the delusion of this distinction. He had gained that vision through which he became capable of perceiving the one reality pervading even this differentiated world of appearances. Yet he had not yet attained direct experiential vision of unity within multiplicity, though in principle he had accepted the knowledge of this oneness. Prince Arjun well understands that Sri Krishna gave such an extensive exposition of the yoga of divine manifestations solely out of grace toward him. This reminds us how the Lord destroys the darkness of ignorance dwelling in the hearts of His devotees. What were these words on spiritual matters? Arjun says—