Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God
Verse 11.31
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद। विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम्।।11.31।।
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda vijñātum ichchhāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛittim
Word Meanings
ākhyāhi—tell; me—me; kaḥ—who; bhavān—you; ugra-rūpaḥ—fierce form; namaḥ astu—I bow; te—to you; deva-vara—God of gods; prasīda—be merciful; vijñātum—to know; ichchhāmi—I wish; bhavantam—you; ādyam—the primeval; na—not; hi—because; prajānāmi—comprehend; tava—your; pravṛittim—workings
Translation · English
Tell me, who you are, so fierce of form. I offer my salutations to you, O God Supreme; have mercy on me. I desire to know you, the original Being. I do not indeed know your workings.
Deep Meaning · English
In this moment, Arjuna stands at the threshold of a profound existential crisis. Having witnessed the Vishwarupa—the Cosmic Form where the boundaries between life and death, creation and destruction dissolve—he is overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the Divine. The term 'Ugra-rupa' (fierce form) signifies that God is not merely the gentle, flute-playing companion of the heart but also the terrifying force of Time (Kala) that consumes all manifestations. Arjuna’s request to 'know the primeval' reflects the human soul's inherent longing to reconcile the duality of existence: the comfort of the personal God and the terrifying vastness of the absolute reality. By bowing down, he acknowledges that his intellectual frameworks have collapsed, and he is now ready to receive the truth not as an argument, but as an experience. This transition marks the point where Arjuna stops being an observer and becomes a surrendered witness to the unfolding of the cosmic will. He realizes that the path of action (Karma) is inextricably linked to the inscrutable workings of the Divine, which often appear destructive to the limited ego but are in truth the dance of equilibrium. His plea for mercy (prasida) is a cry for grace to integrate this terrifying truth into his psyche without being shattered by it.
Arjuna’s inquiry marks the surrender of the individual ego, transitioning from the comfort of intimate companionship to the awe-filled recognition of the Divine as the absolute, all-encompassing force of existence.
Connected Verses
This is the direct response where Krishna reveals His role as 'Kala' (Time), the great destroyer of worlds.
It describes the same terrifying aspect of the Cosmic Form as the source of infinite power and fire.
Highlights the paradox of the Divine remaining the silent, unmanifest source while simultaneously sustaining and destroying the cosmos.
Connects back to the initial state of Arjuna’s bewilderment where he first surrendered his limited perception to find the correct path.
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