tatraika-sthaḿ jagat kṛtsnaḿ
pravibhaktam anekadhā
apaśyad deva-devasya
śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 11.13
At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
The word tatra (“there”) is very significant. It indicates that both Arjuna and Krishna were sitting on the chariot when Arjuna saw the universal form. Others on the battlefield could not see this form, because Krishna gave the vision only to Arjuna. Arjuna could see in the body of Krishna many thousands of planets. As we learn from Vedic scriptures, there are many universes and many planets. Some of them are made of earth, some are made of gold, some are made of jewels, some are very great, some are not so great, etc. Sitting on his chariot, Arjuna could see all these. But no one could understand what was going on between Arjuna and Krishna.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
In that place (tatra), on the battle field, in the body of the Lord (deva devasya), it was impossible to take into account the whole universe. Therefore he saw a part situated in one part of the body at different moments (prati bhaktam, eka stham)–a part situated in the Lord’s pore or a part situated in his belly, and in various ways (aneka dha). That is, he saw that form made of earth, made of gold, made of jewels, or measuring fifty koti yojanas, or a hundred koti yojanas or a hundred thousand koti yojanas.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
11.13 ‘There’, in that unique and divine body of the God of gods — infinite in length and breadth, with innumerable hands, stomachs, faces and eyes, of immeasurable splendour, equipped with innumerable divine weapons, adorned with innumerable divine ornaments appropriate to itself and with divine garlands and raiments, fragrant with celestial perfumes and full of wonders —-, there Arjuna beheld with the appropriate divine eyes granted by the grace of the Lord, the ‘entire universe’ consisting of Prakrti (material Nature) and the selves, all remaining in ‘one single spot,’ namely, at one single point. He beheld ‘the whole universe’ with all its sub-divisions, differentiated into varied and wonderful classes of experiencing beings like Brahma, gods, animals, men, immovables etc., and the places, objects and means of experiences such as earth, ether, Rasatala, Atala, Vitala, Sutala etc. He beheld thus the entire universe as depicted in such texts as those starting with ‘I am the origin of all; from Me proceed everything’ (10.8), ‘Indeed I shall tell you, O Arjuna, My glorious self-manifestations’ (10.9), ‘I am the Self, O Arjuna, dwelling in the hearts of all beings’ (10.20), and ‘Of Adityas, I am Visnu’ (10.21), and ending with ‘Nothing that moves or does not move exists without Me’ (10.39), and ‘I remain, with a single fraction of Myself sustaining this whole universe’ (10.42).
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
What happened after that? In answer Sanjaya explains that right there on the battlefield Arjuna saw in Lord Krishna’s visvarupa or divine universal form the entire creation with its multiple and manifold divisions all coordinated and orchestrated in different parts of that selfsame visvarupa.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Now Arjuna bequeathed with divine vision sees in Lord Krishna’s visvarupa or divine universal form all the things He had previously described as His vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence. The words jagat krtsnam meaning the whole creation confirms that in the incomparable visvarupa could be seen all things animate and inanimate moving and stationary which constituted the denizens from all the planetary systems from the highest Bhur to the lowest Patala with all their various inhabitants of demigods, human, animal and demon, all concentrated with a singular location within the universal form.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
11.13 Tada, at that time; pandavah, Pandava, Arjuna; apasyat, saw; tatra, there, in that Cosmic form; sarire, in the body; devadevasya, of the God of gods, of Hari; krtsnam, the whole; jagat, Universe; anekadha, deversely; pravibhaktam, differentiated-into groups of gods, manes, human beings, and others; ekastham, united in the one (Consmic form).
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
11.13 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
tatraika-stham jagat krtsnam
pravibhaktam anekadha
apasyad deva-devasya
sarire pandavas tada
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
tatra — there; eka-stham — in one place; jagat — the universe; kṛtsnam — complete; pravibhaktam — divided; anekadhā — into many; apaśyat — could see; deva-devasya — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śarīre — in the universal form; pāṇḍavaḥ — Arjuna; tadā — at that time.
