Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 51

Chapter 11 – Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga · Speaker: Arjuna

Sanskrit verse

अर्जुन उवाच ।
दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन ।
इदानीमस्मि संवृत्तः सचेताः प्रकृतिं गतः ॥

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca .
dṛṣṭvedaṃ mānuṣaṃ rūpaṃ tava saumyaṃ janārdana .
idānīmasmi saṃvṛttaḥ sacetāḥ prakṛtiṃ gataḥ ॥

Meaning

Arjuna said: Seeing this gentle human form of Yours, O Janardana, I am now composed and have returned to my normal state.

Word meanings

दृष्ट्वा – having seen
इदम् – this
मानुषम् – human
रूपम् – form
तव – Your
सौम्यम् – gentle, serene
जनार्दन – O Janardana (remover of people’s distress)
इदानीम् – now
अस्मि – I am
संवृत्तः – become
सचेताः – composed, in full possession of my mind
प्रकृतिम् – to my own nature, normal state
गतः – returned

Anvaya (word order)

अर्जुनः उवाच — जनार्दन, तव इदम् सौम्यम् मानुषम् रूपम् दृष्ट्वा इदानीम् (अहम्) सचेताः संवृत्तः अस्मि, प्रकृतिम् गतः (च अस्मि) ।

Explanation

These are Arjuna’s first calm words after the overwhelming vision, and one can almost hear the sigh of relief in them. ‘Seeing this gentle human form of Yours’ — the familiar face of the friend with whom he had played, travelled and joked — his heart finds its footing again.

The words ‘sacetāḥ’ (composed, fully conscious) and ‘prakṛtiṁ gataḥ’ (restored to my nature) are the exact opposite of what he felt during the vision. Then he had cried out that he had lost his sense of direction and could find no peace (11.25). Now clarity has returned, his mind is steady, and he is himself again. ‘Prakṛti’ here simply means his ordinary, healthy state of mind.

The address ‘Janārdana’ is fitting. The name is explained as ‘He who removes the afflictions of people’, or ‘He to whom people pray for their welfare’. Arjuna has just experienced the truth of that name: his anguish has been taken away.

The verse quietly reveals something about the bond between the human and the Divine. The human mind cannot hold the Infinite for long; it needs nearness, intimacy and familiarity. That is why the Lord descends in a human form, so that His devotees can love Him. Ramanuja speaks of this as the Lord’s ‘saulabhya’, His easy accessibility, and sees it not as a lessening of His glory but as its highest expression.

Context

In 11.50 Sanjaya described Krishna resuming His gentle form. Here Arjuna confirms that his composure has returned. From 11.52 Krishna speaks again, telling Arjuna that the form he has seen is hard to behold even for the gods.

Life lesson

We cannot live face to face with sheer immensity; the heart needs warmth and nearness. Learn to know God not only as infinite power but also as your closest friend — that intimacy is what brings lasting steadiness.

Key terms

Janārdana: remover of people’s distress; a name of Krishna
Sacetāḥ: composed, clear and alert in mind
Prakṛti: here, one’s natural, normal condition