← Chapter 11: The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form

Verse 11.50

Speaker: Sanjaya

Sanskrit

सञ्जय उवाच | इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः | आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं भूत्वा पुनः सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा ||५०||

Transliteration (IAST)

sañjaya uvāca | ity arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathokvā svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayām āsa bhūyaḥ | āśvāsayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur mahātmā ||50||

Word-by-Word Meanings

vāsudevaḥ-Krishna (son of Vasudeva)

svakam rūpam-His own form

darśayām āsa-showed

bhūyaḥ-again

āśvāsayām āsa-consoled

bhītam-the frightened one

saumya-vapuḥ-gentle/beautiful form

mahātmā-the great Soul

Translation

Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva again showed His own form. The great Soul, assuming again His gentle beautiful form, consoled the frightened Arjuna.

Commentary

Krishna withdraws the cosmic form and returns to His gentle (saumya) appearance. Shankaracharya notes that 'svakam rūpam' (His own form) suggests the human-like form is also authentically Krishna's - not a diminishment but a gracious accommodation. The Lord's primary concern is His devotee's comfort.

Themes

bhaktisurrender