śrī-bhagavān uvāca
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ
nānā-vidhāni divyāni
nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 11.5
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pritha, see now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Arjuna wanted to see Krishna in His universal form, which, although a transcendental form, is just manifested for the cosmic manifestation and is therefore subject to the temporary time of this material nature. As the material nature is manifested and not manifested, similarly this universal form of Krishna is manifested and nonmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Krishna’s other forms. As far as a devotee is concerned, he is not eager to see the universal form, but because Arjuna wanted to see Krishna in this way, Krishna reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Krishna must give one the power to see it.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
“First I will show him that form described in the purusa sukta as sahasra-sirsa purusah sahasraksah sahasrapat: that form with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. It is my own expansion, the first purusa avatara (Maha Visnu), the antaryami of prakrti. Later, by having the necessary qualification, I will show him my form of time.” Considering in this way in his mind, the Lord faced Arjuna, telling him to pay attention. Thus he speaks this verse.
“See these hundreds and thousands of forms (rupani). In my one form, my svarupa, see hundreds of my svarupas, which are my vibhutis.”
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
11.5 The Lord said — Behold My forms which are the foundation of all, hundreds upon thousands, varied and possessing manifold modes. They are divine, i.e., supernatural. They are multi-formed and multi-coloured like white, black etc. And they are of varied configurations. Behold that form!
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Being so requested the Supreme Lord Krishna proceeds to advise Arjuna about what His omnipotent visvarupa or divine universal form will be exhibiting and inferring that he should pay attention. The word pasya means behold. Although the form is one it has unlimited features and innumerable different personalities are manifested within it. The word rupani meaning forms is plural and denotes various, divine, supernatural forms of variegated types and multicoloured hues such as black, blue, yellow, red, green and white as well as particular and specific arrangements of many diverse parts and unique shapes of divine expansions harmoniously connected in the sataso’tha sahasrasah or hundreds of thousands infinite in number.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Sri Madhvacharya did not comment on this sloka.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
The Supreme Lord Krishna being requested by His surrendered devotee to reveal His visvarupa or divine universal form; responded with the word pasya meaning behold, His hundred of thousands of radiant and dazzling transcendental manifestations inferring that he should be prepared because it is difficult to look at. He addresses Arjuna as Partha referring to him as the son of His female devotee Prtha better known as Kunti. The word rupani meaning forms is used to express the manifestation of innumerable multifarious and multicoloured divine forms and shapes.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
11.5 O son of Prtha, pasya, behold; me, My; rupani, forms; satasah, in (their) hundreds; atha, and; sahasrasah, in thousands, i.e. in large numbers. And they are nana-vidhani, of different kinds; divyani, celestial, supernatural; and nana-varna-akrtini, of various colours and shapes-forms which have different (nana) colours (varna) such as blue, yellow, etc. as also (different) shapes (akrtayah), having their parts differently arranged.
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
11.5 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
pasya me partha rupani
sataso ’tha sahasrasah
nana-vidhani divyani
nana-varnakrtini ca
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; paśya — just see; me — My; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; rūpāṇi — forms; śataśaḥ — hundreds; atha — also; sahasraśaḥ — thousands; nānā-vidhāni — variegated; divyāni — divine; nānā — variegated; varṇa — colors; ākṛtīni — forms; ca — also.
