BG 11.5 Summary

BG 11.5: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, see now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms.

This chapter entitiled Univerasl form, Krsna is going to satisfy the desire of Arjuna. In the gradual progression of living entity trying to understand the manifestation of the supreme Lord, that means not everybody is not able to appreciate Krishna in the Universal form. The supreme lord can be understood in 3 features - paramatma, brahman, bhagavan. But those not at the platform of spiritual understanding for them something very practical (on the material platform) for them Universal form. The 5 koshas - 1. anmayi conciousness only perceive food, 2. pranamayi - living entities, 3. jyanamayi (nistha stage) , 4. vijyanamayi (ruchi stage) and then 5.anandamayi (Bhav/Prema) . So we can see Krsna through many ways, if we can't perceive Krsna through spiritual eyes, then Krsna being so merciful allows us to see him in the universal form which is available in everything around us. This is not maya but it is temporary as it doesn't exist in the spiritual world. Just as material world is manifested and unmanifested, same way Universal form is temporary feature of the Lord.

We want to connect to the supreme form of the Lord - the black Shyamasundar 2 handed form of Krsna. Constatnly we are meditating on that form why? because Krsna is constantly residing in Goloka Vrindavan in that form. The topmost idea is to surrender to Krsna. When we are surrendered to Krsna then that person has no debts because he has surrendered to Krsna and all previous sins are destroyed. Hence, we don't worship Krsna in universal form but at the same time everything you see around you we should remember the shyamsundar form thinking everything from Krsna and his personal feature.


Imp lessons from Retreat by HH Radhanath swami Maharaj: Absorption in our bhakti - Maharaj spoke 4 sessions.

1. Initiation lecture - the imp of initiation 2. Absorption in Bhakti the next 3.


How to be absorbed completely - 3 ways - Absorption means to surrender to Krsna so you can remember Krsna. Absorption means Responsibility. The first step is commitment and responsibility otherwise we can't be in bhakti. To engage in bhakti, the first thing we need to take is commitment so we are absorbed. For pratical devotees is that we should be responsiblity so that fixes our mind. Our mind then gets a goal and what is the goal is to SERVE KRSNA. when we have this goal then we are constantly thinking of KRsna as we are tyring to see in every step how we can be of service to Krsna. The whole idea of initiation is to be surrendered to our spiritual master so we are totally absorbed. When we have a task on hand for our spiritual master, we take is seriously and we have a deadline to finish. And not just finish it but to do it in a way to please Krsna.

2. sENCOND point is to be enthusiastic. Any service to Krsna is to be enthusiastic. If we are absorbed, we are enthusiastic and hence we will be in the mood of seva. Otherwise it becomes boring. Ex - our call - we are so enthusiastic to hear and share about Krsna. That is a sign of absorption. Sometimes we may not be enthusiastic, then we show entusiasm for Krsna not for our personal purposes.

3. 3rd point of absorption is APPRECIATION. We appreciate others. We see everybody as instruments in the hands of Krsna and by appreciation we are absorbed that everybody is connected to Krsna by having the right vaishnava ettiqutte. So please read this manual properly.

Sadhana, assoc of devotees and proper behavior are the 3 shields to protect us from the dangers of maya. These are the 3 factors which will help us progress spiritually. Goal is to please Krsna, Krsna's devotees and then get his prema. Only then can we get the nectar of devotional service.

And SP has given us a very nice way to be firmly fixed in bhakti by deity worship, chanting, assoc of devotees, service Gurudev and then slowly we move from neophyte stage to 2 and 3rd level of uttama adhikari and then go up the latter of devotional service so the aim is bhav bhakti.

Chapter 11: The Universal Form 1-4 Verses Summary (HG Shyamsundar Prabhu)

11.1: Arjuna said: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about these most confidential spiritual subjects, my illusion has now been dispelled.

BG 11.2: O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible glories.

BG 11.3: O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours.

BG 11.4: If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that unlimited universal Self.


So in the 10th chapter, Krishna is talking about him and he mentions that everything is coming from him. Everything is representing Krishna, whether it is high or low. That representation made by Krishna to Arjuna is good enough for him to accept that Krishna is the supreme. He has accepted every word and is believing Krishna. His illusion is now dispelled. So here is the reason to listen to Krishna's opulences. For his pure devotees, his opulences are good enough to wake us up from the slumber and come to KC. When new devotees come to KC, they are said to read SP Lila amrita. Why? How a pure devotee is empowered to do things which are impossible by the Supreme Lord and those illusions are dispelled from hearts of non-devotees. That is why it is greatly emphasized from pure souls and acharyas and by Krishna himself that 1 must regularly engage in listening about Krsna and his devotees.

Nitya Bhagvat sevaiya...nasta badreshu...- By regularly attending classes of SB, all that is troublesome to the heart will be destroyed and when it is destroyed then BHAKTI will start in the heart and that is the sum and substance of bhakti yoga to have unalloyed dev service to Krishna. Every lila, every pasttime of Krishna - everything of Krishna reveals his oppulences to us. The name, says he has invested everything in his name and that is an oppulence that when we say the name everything and hence we should recite daily his name, think of his form and talk about his glories so all the darkness that trouble the heart will be dispelled.

Here Arjuna is convinced, then the natural dev in his conciousness is that he wants to share that wih everybody. He wants the whole world to know who is Krishna. To share this knowledge with everybody he wants to make HIS personality known to everybody as everyone is not willing to hear about Krsna with conviction. In order to dispel the doubts of everybody he is asking these questions.

Now he is curious, he's inquisitive, and he wants to know more information. Show me how you have entered into this material creation. Here Arjuna is asking on behalf of all the living entities. And then he says, if you feel I'm qualified please show me that Universal form. Hence, these 4 verses are the foundation of this chapter and he is very clearly Arjuna is expalining that his illusion has gone and he wants Krishna to show his universal form if he is capable of seeing and help everybody show how Krishna is the Supreme.

Imp to take home - when we are engaged in dev serv properly, if we are truly engaging properly, the result is that we want to do more dev service. For ex - if chanting properly then proof is - after chanting the holy names, we want to chant more. If we are hearing Hari katha properly, we want to hear more. Anything in contact wih Krishna if doing properly, we want to do it more and more and more and forever. That is the proof and gurantee that we are doing it properly. If after the dev serv we haven't got the taste then we aren't doing our dev serv properly. We should understand this and keep in our mind always! Hearing, chanting, our dev serv - deity worship, serving Vaishnavas and that is not resulting in hearing more about Krishna then it is lacking somewhere. After he has been enlightened here Arjuna is saying I want to know more. Not that Krsna you have spoken so much and now I am bored No. He says I want to know more and more and more. In that mood to know more about Krsna he is requesting Krsna please show me your Universal form.

This is an imp aspect of bhakti. When we chant everyday that is our connection with Krsna and we are connecting with him everyday. If we are connected withe Krsna we want to chant more. But because we don't chant attentively, we just are deprived of the great opportunity of getting out of illusion and hence we get stuck. This is an imp principle. How can we get this taste? - REGULARLY HEAR THE PASTTIMES OF Krishna.

Everyday we are chanting the same mantra, but everyday it gives us new experiences and hence the key is regularly hearing, chanting, listening to Krsna Katha is very very important. Unless we are shaken up, and somebody tell us that we are going in the wrong direction, we are totally intoxicated. But Krsna's devotees are so merciful, they tell us that we are going in wrong direction and hence such shocking experiences help us realize that Krishna is the real thing and everything else is false.

Example - alarm clocks are harsh - why? because only if the experience is harsh we wake up, if not we will keep sleeping. Same way experiences in life are harsh, so we can realize that this material world is false and we wake up that this life is very embarassing, shocking, saddening and whatever makes us come closer to Krsna we should take it. If any experience is our life is harsh and it makes us realize about Krsna then that experience is good. We should try to see Krsna in everything in our life.

Some experiences in our life, we feel what's going on? And we should remember that in those difficult situation only thing which should come out of our mouths should be the holy name which will help us. If we want to make progress in spiritual life, we should remember that anyday/anytime death can come and we can die anytime and at that time of death we should be prepared to remember Krsna so we don't come back to this material world but go back home to the spiritual world.  But if we are in the material conciousness we are always thinking, its too early, we will chant our rounds tomorrow, whats the rush, and sometimes we justify our not doing dev service and not jumping on the opportunities we get. So these are lessons which daily the material world around us is teaching us that how imp it is to constantly hear about Krsna and his opulences and glories. And this is actually the only way to come out of illusion as no other talks, no other things will be able to get us out of illusion of this material world. So contantly remember Krsna in everything and anything you do.