Verse 11.52

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 11.52:

श्री भगवान् उवाच–
सु-दुर्दर्शम् इदं रूपं दृष्टवान् असि यन् मम ।
देवा अप्य् अस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शन-काङ्क्षिणः ॥ ५२२ ॥

śrī bhagavān uvāca–
su-durdarśam idaṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama |
devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṃ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ || 522 ||

śrī bhagavān uvāca–the all-opulent Lord said; su-durdarśam–very rarely seen; idam–this; rūpam–form; dṛṣṭavān asi–you have seen; yat–which; mama–of Mine; devāḥ–the gods; api–even; asya–of this; rūpasya–form; nityam–always; darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ–hankering to behold.

Śrī Bhagavān said: This human form of Mine which you have seen is rarely seen by others. Even the gods forever hanker to have darśana of this form.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

In this and the next two verses, beginning with su-durdarśam, Śrī Bhagavān is explaining the glory of the svarūpa He is now showing to Arjuna. “Even the demigods aspire to see this svarūpa, but never can. However you, Arjuna, do not want to see My viśvarūpa. This is appropriate because you eternally taste the great sweetness (mādhurya) of My original human form. How, therefore, could this universal form attract your eyes? I blessed you with divine eyes, but I did not bless you with a corresponding divine mind. Therefore, you whose mind is fixed on My greatly sweet human form did not fully appreciate seeing My other [My universal] form, even though I gave you divine vision. If I had given you an appropriate divine mind, then you would also have become attracted to My universal form, like the demigods have.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

In the present verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is explaining the glory of His human-like form. Exhibiting the most exceptional aspect of His mercy to Arjuna, He says, “It is extremely rare to behold this human form that you are seeing. Even the demigods cannot see it. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Tenth Canto, the Garbha-stotra (prayers to the womb of Devakī) states that it is even difficult for the demigods to see this form. You are My eternal devotee who tastes the great sweetness of My human form. Therefore, the universal form was not pleasing to you. I gave you divine eyes but I did not give you a divine mind. If I had given you a divine mind, then, like the demigods, you would have been attracted to this universal form. Because you are My eternal friend, you can never give up your sakhya-bhāva, or friendship with Me, so this human form is very pleasing to you.”

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “O Arjuna, the form which you now see is most rare. Even demigods like Brahmā and Rudra always hanker to see this eternal form. If you wonder how this human form is so rare when it is seen by everyone, then I want to explain this tattva to you. Hear attentively.

“There are three types of perceptions related to My transcendental form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa: avidvat-pratīti, yauktika-pratīti and vidvat-pratīti. Avidvat-pratīti is the perception of the ignorant and it is based on empiric knowledge only. They see My eternal svarūpa as mundane and temporary. One cannot understand the supreme nature of this svarūpa by such perception. By reasoning, or divya-pratīti [yauktika-pratīti], the demigods and persons who are proud of their knowledge consider My svarūpa to be mundane and temporary. They accept the eternal reality of either My universal form, which pervades the whole universe, or My aspect that negates the universe, nirviśeṣa-brahma. They conclude that My human form is only a temporary means of worship. However, by perception that is based on transcendental knowledge (vidvat-pratīti), My devotees, who are endowed with spiritual vision, realize My human form to be directly the abode of eternality, knowledge and bliss (sac-cid-ānanda-dhāma). This type of realized vision is rare even for the demigods. Among the demigods, only Brahmā and Śiva, who are My pure devotees, forever long to see My human form. Having seen this universal form, you have been able to understand, by My mercy, the supremacy of My eternal form. This is because you are engaged in pure bhakti to Me in friendship.”