Chapter 11, Verse 16
अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् | नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप ॥16॥
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam | nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ paśyāmi viśhveśhwara viśhwa-rūpa ||16||
"I see You as possessed of numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes; as having infinite forms all around. O Lord of the Universe, O Cosmic Person, I see not Your limit nor the middle, nor again the beginning!"
Key Insight:
The Bhagavad Gita teaches us through 11.16 that true peace is found when we align our actions with Dharma.
The Bhagavad Gita teaches us through 11.16 that true peace is found when we align our actions with Dharma.
Detailed Meaning
Arjuna addresses Krishna as 'Vishweshwara' (Lord of the Universe) and 'Vishwarupa' (Universal Form). He experiences the divine as an infinite, boundary-less reality. In this vision, the linear concepts of time and space (beginning, middle, and end) dissolve, revealing that the Divine is both the container of the universe and the universe itself. The 'many arms and eyes' symbolize the omnipresence and omnipotence of the Absolute, manifesting in every point of existence simultaneously.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core message of Gita 11.16?
I see You as possessed of numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes; as having infinite forms all around. O Lord of the Universe, O Cosmic Person, I see not Your limit nor the middle, nor again the beginning!