Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 7 (BG 11.7) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 11.7 — Translation of Meaning The Blessed Lord first trains the courageous heart of the earnest seeker to cultivate within it an inexhaustible wealth in the form of the desire to know. Thereafter, His endeavor is to transform this curiosity into an intense yearning and eager inquiry. For this very purpose, He speaks of the manifold forms visible in the cosmic form. Through this method, the seeker's mind becomes wholly concentrated at a single point with complete intensity. This is the purpose of this verse. Through careful reflection upon this verse, one shall understand that Vyasa has here presented the framework of devotion as described in the scriptures of bhakti. The phrase "ihaika-stham" means "here in this one place alone." Through these words, Sri Krishna reveals the entire universe—both the moving and the unmoving, the animate and the inanimate—within His own form. Sri Krishna Himself clarifies the word "iha," saying: "within My body." The entire material world, together with all that moves and is still, was to be shown as compressed and dwelling within the bodily form of Sri Krishna. As we have seen in the introduction to this chapter, Arjun's mind was not entirely freed from the conception of space; rather, there remained in his consciousness the conception of infinite space corresponding to the Lord's finite body. When Arjun, through this mind, looks outward, he perceives the entire universe in its full diversity and extent, yet in miniature form, contained within the Lord's body. Although the word "chara-achara" (moving and unmoving) is so comprehensive that it encompasses the entire universe, yet to further kindle Arjun's enthusiasm, the Lord says: "Whatever else you wish to see, behold that as well." According to the distinctive nature of human consciousness, Arjun's mind was troubled by his immediate problems; therefore, it was natural that his eagerness was to know the events of the future. Initially, his effort was more directed toward seeing the solution to his problem and less toward realizing the unity pervading multiplicity. In the chapter on Vibhuti Yoga, one Paramatman was shown in all things; and here, all things are to be shown in one Paramatman.