​Gita 11.03 – Arjuna’s desire to know Krishna’s glory comes not from doubt but from devotion

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.

thank you as you have told me about you oh lord atmanam parameshwara about yourself oh parameshwara oh supreme lord I accept it what you have told me about you I know it is as it is that is how you are but at the same time I desire I desire to see that form that opulent form I desire to see so here two alliterative names are used to refer to Krishna there is parameshwara and there is purushottama so parameshwara is the supreme controller purushottama is the best of all persons Krishna is as Arjuna is saying in the previous verse that I have understood your imperishable glories oh lord and evam etat vidhatatvam as you have told so it is oh lord I accept it atmanam parameshwara about yourself so the first two lines 11.3 a and b they convey that Arjuna's question is not stemming from doubt it is not that Arjuna is thinking oh you are making a claim that aham sarvasya prabhavo there is also everything specifically as you said in the previous verse I want to see that opulent form of you oh lord so that is specifically refers to what was told at the end of the last chapter where it was stated that so it was stated that that oh Arjuna what is there need what is the need for me to speak what all can you know about my glories with one fragment of myself I am sustaining this whole existence with just one fragment of my glories with one fragment of me so now here that was the another concluding verses of the last chapter now in this verse Arjuna is saying that oh Krishna can you please reveal this form to me I desire to see that supremely attractive form that supremely opulent form and there are several words which are used which refer to the Lord's Aishwarya there is Purushottama and there is Parameshwara so Arjuna's desire Arjuna's enquiry is not coming from doubt it is coming from devotion so for example if somebody says that I am millionaire somebody else may say how can I believe I don't believe you what is the proof that you are a millionaire you have to demonstrate it to me that sort of thing that sort of vision is because of doubt that sort of question is because of doubt but there can be another kind of question which is not because of doubt which is because of the desire to know more say if one friend tells another friend that you know I have a billion dollars actually I have gold worth billion dollars this friend may say oh can I see it now that desire is not because he doubts whether the friend has it or not he wants to delight in his friend's fortune when there is affection and love between two people that's how it is your joy is my joy I am happy about your joy and glory in fact a devotee is supremely happy to appreciate and broadcast Krishna's glory so here Krishna is telling Arjuna is requesting to Krishna that I accept what you are saying as you have said that it is yes it is like that at the same time I desire to know I desire to see so the Acharya has explained that Arjuna is setting a standard for future people in future people claim to be incarnations of God if they say that I am sustaining the world by a fragment of me then they say that I am God can you demonstrate it so that is a standard that Krishna Arjuna is setting and of course Arjuna as a devotee wants to know more and more about Krishna's glories and of course there will be as this chapter moves forward subtle and significant change in mood where what Arjuna has desired till now it will backfire and Arjuna will become eventually scared so in literature one particular kind of literary device one alankar literary ornament is called as foreshadowing so for example in a particular in a novel it is described that there was a room and there is a gun in that room on the table now that gun indicates just the mention of the gun, the presence of the gun in that scene indicate that it is a precursor to some violence to that gun getting shot or something happening involving that gun so this kind of foreshadowing is done where one thing predicts another sometimes foreshadowing is done by opposite as it is calm before the storm so something seems to be very very calm and comfortable and cozy then upon that that very comfort of life, that coziness of life it is conveyed so that the eventual storm that is going to come that the contrast between the two can be brought out graphically so in this case, in the previous verse when Krishna, when Arjuna referred to Krishna as Kamalapatra as lotus eyed one that is a very intimate form of God which that is an intimate address based on appreciation of God's beauty and you will see later on in this chapter terrible troubled and internally afflicted by anxiety, by fear so all such words will come up so when Arjuna sees the Vishwaroopa and especially within that he sees the Kalaroopa this Kalaroopa is a huge contrast, radical contrast to the Kamalapatraksha that is mentioned here so in one sense Arjuna's desire will turn out to be a dangerous desire just as in the Bhagavatam it is indicated in the Puranas it is described how Markandeya Rishi asked the Lord I want to see your Maya after that matter Lord Shiva desired that I want to see Mohini Murthy actually both of them because of their desire got into trouble in different ways of course but still they got into trouble so Arjuna's desire will also get into trouble will get him into trouble here so the desire to see was what at the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita also Dhartarastra Siddha Buddhe Yuddhe Prechikirshava in 1.21-23 Arjuna was actually in 1.23 it is described how he has lifted up his bow and he is ready to fight the war he is ready to start the war but then he desires to see and then when he sees the opponents opposing warriors Krupaya paraya vishtam so he becomes over filled by great Krupaya the great compassion now similarly the desire of Arjuna to see will get Arjuna into trouble once again and how that trouble comes and how that trouble is mitigated how Krishna by his merciful intervention spares Arjuna by eventually revealing the Soumya Rupa after seeing the fear inducing form affection filled form that all will be described in the narrative of this 11th chapter and all that happens because of the Ichami because of the desire that Arjuna has expressed here.