Verse 11.45

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 11.45:

अदृष्ट-पूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे ।
तद् एव मे दर्शय देव रूपं प्रसीद देवेश जगन्-निवास ॥ ४५ ॥

adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṃ hṛṣito'smi dṛṣṭvā bhayena ca pravyathitaṃ mano me |
tad eva me darśaya deva rūpaṃ prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa || 45 ||

adṛṣṭa-pūrvam–that which has not been seen before; hṛṣitaḥ–am overjoyed; asmi–I; dṛṣṭvā–having seen; bhayena–by fear; ca–but; pravyathitam–extremely perturbed; manaḥ–mind; me–my; tat–that (familiar);eva–verily; me–me; darśaya–show; deva–O Lord; rūpam–form; prasīda–please be gracious; deva-īśa–O Lord of the gods; jagan-nivāsa–O abode of the universe.

O Lord! Having seen this universal form of Yours, which has never been seen before, I am overjoyed, but my mind is also very much perturbed due to fear. O Deveśa (Lord of gods), please further display to me Your four-armed form. O Jagan-nivāsa (refuge of the entire universe), please be gracious to me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Arjuna says, “Upon seeing this universal form of Yours, which has never been seen before, I feel jubilant. At the same time, my mind is agitated with fear because of its terrible features. Therefore, please show me Your form as the son of Vasudeva, which is the pinnacle of sweetness and which is millions of times more dear to me than my own life. Please be gracious to me. I have seen enough of Your opulence. I acknowledge that You alone are Deveśa, the Lord and controller of all demigods, and Jagan-nivāsa, the abode of the whole universe.”

When Arjuna saw the universal form, he was unable to see Kṛṣṇa’s original human form, even though Kṛṣṇa remained present before him. This is because that original form was covered by yogamāyā. This is understood here.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is asamorddhva-tattva, meaning that nobody is equal to or greater than Him. In this regard Bhagavān Himself says, “mamāham evābhirūpaḥ kaivalyād…–I am advitīya-puruṣa, one without a second. Only I am equal to Myself. There is no one who is equal to Me, what to speak of being greater than Me” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.3.17). It is also said in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8), “na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate–no one is equal to the Lord, what to speak of being greater than Him.”

In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 20.152) it is said:

kṛṣṇera svarūpa-vicāra śuna, sanātana
advaya-jñāna-tattva, vraje vrajendra-nandana

O Sanātana, please hear about Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s eternal svarūpa. Although He is the Absolute Truth devoid of duality, He is eternally present in Vraja as the son of Nanda Mahārāja.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s power is inconceivable. He is the adorable father and the original spiritual master of the entire moving and non-moving world. He alone is the supreme worshipable Reality and the jīvas’ object of service. Considering this, Arjuna paid obeisances again and again and said, “In this world, a father does not take the faults of his son very seriously, a friend the faults of a friend, or a lover the faults of the beloved. You are Śrī Bhagavān, yet You mercifully deal with all devotees in the mellows of friendship, parenthood and amorous love on equal terms, which gives You happiness. Although my earlier behaviour with You was not proper from the perspective of Your supreme position, it was correct in terms of our eternal friendly relationship. Therefore, be pleased with me.

“Previously, I had not seen Your universal form. Now my curiosity is satisfied. Although by seeing it I feel happy, my mind is disturbed due to its ferocious features. Therefore, please again show me Your form as Vasudeva-nandana, the son of Vasudeva, which is the zenith of sweetness and which is millions of times more dear to me than my own life.” Although the human-like form of Vasudeva-nandana Kṛṣṇa was present before Arjuna while Arjuna beheld the universal form, it was covered by yogamāyā. Therefore, Arjuna was unable to see Him, and he requested Him to show him His four-armed form.