Bhagavad-gita – Chapter Eleven

TEXT 1
arjuna uvāca –
mad anugrahāya paramaṁ guhyam adhyātma-saṁjñitam
yat tvayoktaṁ vacas tena moho’yaṁ vigato mama

TEXT 2
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ śrutau vistaraśo mayā
tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣa māhātmyam api cāvyayam

Arjuna said, “O Kamala-patrākṣā (one whose eyes are like lotus-petals), after listening to Your supremely confidential instructions regarding adhyātma–tattva, my bewilderment has dissipated. Not knowing Your indisputably superior transcendental position, I was afflicted with delusion, considering adhyātma-tattva to be the opposite. Now I clearly understand that You always possess Your inherent nature (svarūpa) and the manifestation of the Viśvarūpa (universal form) is but one expansion of Your svarūpa. Thus, I have understood both these principles – Your position in relation to the creation and dissolution of all elements, and the imperishable, glorious position related to Your svarūpa.

TEXT 3
evam etad yathāttha tvam ātmānaṁ parameśvara
draṣṭum icchāmi te rūpam aiśvaraṁ puruṣottama

O Puruṣottama! O Parameśvara! I perceive the reality of Your svarūpa. However, at present I desire to see Your majestic form and how you place Your svarūpa at the time of creation.

TEXT 4
manyase yadi tac chakyaṁ mayā draṣṭum iti prabho
yogeśvara tato me tvaṁ darśayātmānam avyayam

The jīva is anu-caitanya (finite consciousness). Therefore, he cannot accurately perceive the activities of He who is vibhu-caitanya (infinite consciousness). I am a jīva, by Your mercy even though I have achieved some eligibility for Your svarūpa-tattva. I am not capable of calculating Your majestic form beyond the comprehension of a jīva. You are my Master, Yogeśvara (the Lord of yogīs). Through Your acintya-śakti, show me Your yogaiśvarya (mystic opulence) which by its every nature is imperishable and divine.

TEXT 5
śrī bhagavān uvāca –
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśo’tha sahasraśaḥ
nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca

Bhagavān said: O Pārtha! See My yogaiśvarya with its hundreds and hundred and thousands upon thousands of various divine forms of different hues.

TEXT 6
paśyādityān vasūn rudrān aśvinau marutas tathā
bahūny-adṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi paśyāścaryāṇi bhārata

O Bhārata! Behold all the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Aśvini Kumāras, the Marutas and see all those astounding forms that were never perceived before.

TEXT 7
ihaikasthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ paśyādya sa-carācaram
mama dehe guḍākeśa yac cānyad draṣṭum icchasi

The universe, along with whatever is animate and inanimate, and all that you wish to see is within My majestic svarūpa. Therefore O Guḍākeśa, behold all that within one part of My svarūpa as Kṛṣṇa.

TEXT 8
na tu māṁ śakyase draṣṭum anenaiva sva-cakṣuṣā
divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ paśya me yogam aiśvaram

You are My devotee, therefore you can perceive My kṛṣṇa-svarūpa through your eyes which are free from any mundane imperfections. My svarūpa which is replete with My yogaiśvarya is in relation to this universe. It does not have to be seen by eyes that are devoid of upādhis (material defects). The eye that sees gross matter cannot perceive My majestic svarūpa. That eye which possesses some upādhis but is not gross, is known as divya-cakṣu (divine eye). I give you that divine eye through that you will see My majestic svarūpa. Those who have achieved divine vision possessing logic naturally attain love for My majestic svarūpa rather than My kṛṣṇa-svarūpa without upādhis, since their eyes of divine love which are free from upādhis, remain closed.

TEXT 9
sañjaya uvāca –
evam uktvā tato rājan mahā-yogeśvaro hariḥ
darśayāmāsa pārthāya paramaṁ rūpam aiśvaram

Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, O King! Saying this, Hari, the Supreme Lord of the yogīs showed Arjuna His majestic form.

TEXT 10
aneka-vaktra-nayanam anekādbhuta-darśanam
aneka-divyābharaṇaṁ divyānekodyatāyudham

In that form there were many mouths, eyes, astounding sights, many divine ornaments and many divine weapons.

TEXT 11
divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṁ divya-gandhānulepanam
sarvāścaryamayaṁ devam anantaṁ viśvato-mukham

That form wore divine garlands, beautiful clothes, and transcendental perfumes. It was amazing in all respects with unlimited forms in all directions.

TEXT 12
divi sūrya-sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitā
yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syād bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ

If ever a thousand suns rose simultaneously, then the radiance could be likened to the universal form of that Supreme Soul.

TEXT 13
tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ pravibhaktamanekadhā
apaśyad deva-devasya śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā

Then Arjuna observed that unlimited worlds which were together in one place and separated in various ways, resided within that body of the Supreme Divinity.

TEXT 14
tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo hṛṣṭa-romā dhanañjayaḥ
praṇamya śirasā devaṁ kṛtāñjalir abhāṣata

Then, overcome with wonder and with his hairs standing on end, Dhanañjaya folded his hands and offered prayers.

TEXT 15
arjuna uvāca –
paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe
sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān
brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana stham
ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān

O Lord! Within Your body I see all the Devatās, along with all living entities. I see Brahmā seated upon a lotus, Mahādeva, all the ṛṣis, and all the divine serpents.

TEXT 16
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato’nanta-rūpam
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ
paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa

O Viśveśvara (Lord of the universe)! O Viśvarūpa (Universal form)! Within Your body I see infinite all-pervading forms with multitudes of arms, stomachs, mouth and eyes. I do not see ny beginning, middle or end to them.

TEXT 17
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca
tejorāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam
paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād
dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam

Your form is difficult to behold, with its infinite effulgence which is immeasurable like countless suns. The brightness of its various kinds of crowns, maces, and discs shines everywhere.

TEXT 18
tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ
tvamasya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā
sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me

You are that supreme immutable Reality which is to be known. You are the supreme basis of this universe. You are in exhaustible, You are the protector of sanātana-dharma (eternal truth), and You are the eternal Personality.

TEXT 19
anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam
ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram
paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ
sva-tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapantam

You are without beginning, middle or end. You possess unlimited prowess and unlimited arms. The sun and the moon are Your eyes and a blazing fire comes from Your mouth. You scorch the universe with Your brilliance.

TEXT 20
dyāv-āpṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi
vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś ca sarvāḥ
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam idaṁ tavograṁ
loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman

In spite of being one, You pervade all things between the heavens and the earth. O Supreme Ātmā! Seeing this terrifying and wonderful form of Yours, the three worlds become disturbed.

TEXT 21
amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā viśanti
kecid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti
svastīty-uktvā maharṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ
stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ

All the Devatās are entering into You. Out of fear some of them fold their hands and offer prayers unto You, and all the maharṣis cry, ‘Svasti!’ (auspiciousness). With splendorous prayers, they look at You.

TEXT 22
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā
viśve’śvinau marutaś coṣmapāś ca
gandharva-yakṣāsura-siddha-saṅghā
vīkṣante tvāṁ vismitāś caiva sarve

All the Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Viśvadevas, the two Aśvini Kumāras, the Marutas, Pitṛs, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Suras and Siddhas are all amazed upon see You.

TEXT 23
rūpaṁ mahat te bahu-vaktra-netraṁ
mahā-bāho bahu-bāhūru-pādam
bahūdaraṁ bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālaṁ
dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās tathāham

O mighty-armed one! Seeing this form with many mouths, eyes, arms, thighs, feet, stomachs, and with dreadful teeth, they become fearful like me.

TEXT 24
nabhaḥ spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntarātmā
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo

O Viśva-vyāpīn (One who pervades the entire universe). Seeing how You touch the sky, with various bright hues, fiery mouths and huge blazing eyes, I am unable to retain my gravity and equilibrium.

TEXT 25
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni ca te mukhāni
dṛṣṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma
prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa

Seeing all Your mouths with terrifying teeth which resemble the fire of universal devastation, I am bewildered and do not know which direction is which. I cannot decide how to feel tranquil. O Deva! O Jagannivāsa (Shelter of the universe)! Be pleased with me.

TEXT 26-27
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
sarve sahaivāvanipāla saṅghaiḥ
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ

vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ

All these sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra accompanied by all the kings, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa along with all the principle warriors on our side are quickly entering within Your mouths with their dreadful teeth. Some of them, with their heads pulverised, are stuck between Your teeth.

TEXT 28
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo’mbu vegāḥ
samudram evābhimukhā dravanti
tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrā
viśanti vaktrāṇy-abhivijvalanti

Just as the water of many rivers flows towards the sea, so also all these heroic men enter Your mouths and constantly burst into flames.

TEXT 29
yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ pataṅgā
viśanti nāśāya samṛddha-vegāḥ
tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokās
tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddha-vegāḥ

As moths enter a blazing fire with increasing speed, so also these persons enter Your mouths with increasing speed to obtain destruction.

TEXT 30
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl
lokān-samagrān-vadanair jvaladbhiḥ
tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṁ
bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo

O Viṣṇu! You thoroughly devour all these people with Your fiery mouths. You have filled the entire universe with your radiance and appeared with burn with ferocious splendor

TEXT 31
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo
namo’stu te deva-vara prasīda
vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ
na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim

Tell me who You are with this horrifying form. O Deva! Obeisance unto You. Be propitiated! I do not know Your purpose. I desire to know about You in detail.

TEXT 32
śrī bhagavān uvāca –
kālo’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ
ṛte’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
ye’vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣu yodhāḥ

Bhagavān replied – I have descended in the form of time with the desire to destroy all these expansive worlds. I will eliminate all the opposing warriors. You are not the perpetrator of this destruction – I am the doer!

TEXT 33
tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin

When this destruction does not depend upon you, then you should stand and fight and enjoy the fame of victory and a prosperous kingdom. I have destroyed everyone. O Savya-sācin, you are merely ab instrument.

TEXT 34
droṇaṁ ca bhīṣmaṁ ca jayadrathaṁ ca
karṇaṁ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān
mayā hatāṁs tvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā
yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān

I have destroyed Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and all the other heroic warriors. Give up your suffering, fight, and be victorious over the opposition!

TEXT 35
sañjaya uvāca –
etac chrutvā vacanaṁ keśavasya
kṛtāñjalir vepamānaḥ kirīṭī
namaskṛtvā bhūya evāha kṛṣṇaṁ
sagadgadaṁ bhīta-bhītaḥ praṇamya

Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra – O king! Hearing these words of Bhagavān, Arjuna, frightened and with a quivering body, folded his hands and with a trembling voice prayed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa repeatedly.

TEXT 36
arjuna uvāca –
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā
jagat prahṛṣyaty-anurajyate ca
rakṣāṁsi bhītāni diśo dravanti
sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saṅghāḥ

(Arjuna said) O Hṛṣīkeśa (Master of the senses)! Hearing the glories of Your fame, the world becomes delighted and attains attraction unto You. All the Rākṣasas flee in every direction out of fear, and all the Siddhas offer respects unto You. This activity is rightly done by them.

TEXT 37
kasmāc ca te na nameran mahātman
garīyase brahmaṇo’py-ādi-kartre
ananta deveśa jagannivāsa
tvam akṣaraṁ sad-asat tat-paraṁ yat

O Mahātmā! You are the best of all, the original creator who is superior to Brahmā. Why should they not offer respects unto You? O Anantadeva (unlimited One)! Jagannivāsa! You are that tattva who is beyond both sat (spirit) and asat (matter), and You are acyuta (infallible).

TEXT 38
tvam ādidevaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇas
tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
vettāsi vedyaṁ ca paraṁ ca dhāma
tvayā tataṁ viśvam-ananta-rūpa

You are the primeval Divinity and the eternal Personality. You are the only place for this world during annihilation. You are the sole knower and the object of knowledge, and intrinsically beyond the modes of nature. O Ananta-rūpa (one who has unlimited forms)! This universe is pervaded by You.

TEXT 39
vāyur yamo’gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ
prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca
namo namaste’stu sahasra-kṛtvaḥ
punaś ca bhūyo’pi namo namaste

Thus You are Vāyu, Yama, Vahi (Agni), Varuṇa, Candra, Prajāpati and Brahmā. I offer my obeisance unto You a thousand times, and again I offer obeisance unto You.

TEXT 40
namaḥ purastād atha pṛṣṭhatas te
namo’stu te sarvata eva sarva
ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ
sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi tato’si sarvaḥ

I offer my respects from the front, from the back, and on all sides. O Ananta-vīrya (One who possesses unlimited prowess)! You possess immeasurable power, You pervade the entire universe, thus You are everything.

TEXT 41-42
sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi

yac cāvahāsārtham asatkṛto’si
vihāra-śayyāsana-bhojaneṣu
eko’thavāpy-acyuta tat-samakṣaṁ
tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

“O Kṛṣṇa!” “O Yādava!” “O friend!” – addressing You according to social identification, I was unaware of Your greatness in regards to Your universal form. Therefore I have spoken all these things due to carelessness. At the time of playing, resting or eating, I have joked with You, sometimes when we were alone and sometimes in front of friends. Please forgive the thousands and thousands of offences I have made.

TEXT 43
pitāsi lokasya carācarasya
tvam asya pūjyaś ca gurur garīyān
na tvat-samo’sty-abhyadhikaḥ kuto’nyo
loka-traye’py-apratima-prabhāva

You are the father of the universe. You are the most worshippable and primary guru. No one is equal to You, what to say of being greater than You? Your power is incomparable within the three worlds.

TEXT 44
tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṁ
prasādaye tvām aham īśam īḍyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ
priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum

In reality, You are the Controller of the jīvas and the He who must be served. Falling down like a stick, I pray and request that You will be pleased. The jīva and You are eternally bound by the relationships of vātsalya, sakhya and madhura–rasa. In regards to these relationships, You kindly accept equality with all jīvas, who are Your eternal servants.

TEXT 45
adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛṣito’smi dṛṣṭvā
bhayena ca pravyathitaṁ mano me
tad eva me darśaya deva rūpaṁ
prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa

I had not previously seen Your universal form, which aroused my curiosity. However, it does not delight the minds and eyes of the devotees, that is why my heart is filled with dread after seeing it. O Jagannivāsa! O Deveśa (Lord of the Devas)! Allow me to behold Your four-armed sac-cid-ānanda form.

TEXT 46
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakra-hastaṁ
icchāmi tvāṁ draṣṭum ahaṁ tathaiva
tenaiva rūpeṇa catur-bhujena
sahasra-bāho bhava viśva-mūrte

Now I desire to see Your four-armed form. This form has a crown upon His head, and a mace, disc and other weapons in His hands. It is from this very form, that this Viśvarūpa, with its thousands of arms, has arisen at the time of universal maintenance. O Kṛṣṇa! I have understood without a doubt that Your two-handed sac-cid-ānanda form is the supreme tattva, and that it attracts all jīvas and it is eternal. Your four-armed Nārāyaṇa form, which is the aiśvarya-vilāsa-rūpa (the form for enacting pastimes of majesty) exists eternally and is manifest from that two-armed form. Also, when the universe was created, the universal form of the Viśvarūpa appears from this four-armed form. My curiosity has been satiated by this supreme knowledge.

TEXT 47
śrī bhagavān uvāca –
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ
rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt
tejomayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ
yan me tvad-anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam

Śrī Bhagavān said – O Arjuna! Being please with you, I have shown you this great form which is is included within the material universe manifest by My intrinsic yogika potency. Except for you, no one else has seen this limitless, original, effulgent form before.

TEXT 48
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair
na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ
evaṁ rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛloke
draṣṭuṁ tvad-anyena kuru-pravīra

O best hero of the Kurus! Not by studying the Vedas, by yajña, by charity, by rituals, or by severe penances has anyone seen this Viśvarūpa, which originates from My own yogika potency. Only you have seen this. Those jīvas who have attained the state of Devas can see and remember this form with divine eyes and divine minds. Those that are shackled to foolish conceptions within this mundane world cannot see it. However, My devotees who are situated within My eternal transcendental tattva are totally disconnected with all states of ignorance and godly divinity. Therefore, like you, they are not happy to see the universal form and they lovingly aspire to see My divine, eternal form.

TEXT 49
mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍha-bhāvo
dṛṣṭvā rūpaṁ ghoram īdṛṅ mamedam
vyapetabhīḥ prīta-manāḥ punas tvaṁ
tad eva me rūpam idaṁ prapaśya

Do not become afflicted or bewildered upon seeing this dreadful form. All My devotees love tranquility and favour My sac-cid-ānanda form. They felt pain in their hearts when they see this fierce form of Mine. Persons with foolish intellect meditate upon and greatly respect this Viśvarūpa. Therefore, in order that you will not have that kind of pain or bewilderment in relation to My universal form, I bless you. It is not necessary for all My mādhurya-bhaktas (devotees situated in mādhurya-rasa) to relate to the Viśvarūpa. However, you are My friend who is nourishing My līlā. You must be an instrument in all My pastimes. It is not suitable for you to be afflicted by pain. Therefore, abandoning fear and with love, behold My eternal form.

TEXT 50
sañjaya uvāca –
ity-arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā
svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayāmāsa bhūyaḥ
āśvāsayāmāsa ca bhītam enaṁ
bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur mahātmā

Sañjaya told Dhṛtarāṣṭra – Vāsudeva, the Supreme Ātmā, showed Arjuna His four-armed form, and finally revealed His gentle two-armed form which gave courage to Arjuna, whose mind was filled with fear.

TEXT 51
arjuna uvāca –
dṛṣṭvedaṁ mānuṣaṁ rūpaṁ tava saumyaṁ janārdana
idānīm asmi saṁvṛttaḥ sacetāḥ prakṛtiṁ gataḥ

Upon seeing Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s two-armed form full of supreme sweetness, Arjuna said – O Janardana! Seeing this gentle human form of Yours, my mind has become stable and I have regained my devotional nature.

TEXT 52
śrī bhagavān uvāca –
sudurdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama
devā apy-asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ

Śrī Bhagavān said – O Arjuna! This for of Mine that you have just seen is extremely difficult to see. Brahmā, Rudra and the Devatās aspire to view this eternal form. If you say that this human form is seen by everyone, so how is it extremely difficult to see, then I will explain this tattva – please listen! There are three kinds of perception in regards to the seers of this sac-cid-ānanda form of Kṛṣṇa – namely, perception with knowledge (vidvat-pratīti), perception without knowledge (avidvat-pratīti), and perception with logic (yauktita-pratīti). Through perception without knowledge, i.e. foolish perception, human beings consider Me to be māyika, in other words, they consider that I have taken refuge of material nature and they strongly accept the non-eternal aspect to be truth. They cannot understand the absolute nature of My svarūpa. By logical, or divine perception, a proud and knowledgable person and the Devatās consider this form to have taken shelter of material nature and to be temporary. They think that my all-pervading universal form or Brahman, rather than my aspect as Bhagavān who is beyond material attributes, to be the eternal reality. They conclude that this human form is only meant for arcana (Deity worship).

By perception with knowledge, devotees who possess spiritual eyes achieve direct experience of Me in this human form, which is the abode of sac-cid-ānanda. Therefore such direct darśana is rare even for the Devatās. Amongst the Devatās, Brahmā and Śiva are My pure devotees, so they long to see this form. Because you have taken shelter of My pure sakhya-bhakti (bhakti in the mood of friendship) and by My mercy, having seen the Viśvarūpa etc., you can comprehend My eternal form which is the greatest of all.

TEXT 53
nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na cejyayā
śakya evaṁ vidho draṣṭuṁ dṛṣṭavān asi māṁ yathā

You have seen My eternal human-like form with realisation (vijñāna). No one is capable of seeing this through studying the Vedas, austerities, charity, sacrifices etc.

TEXT 54
bhaktyā tv-ananyayā śakya aham evaṁ vidho’rjuna
jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṁ ca parantapa

O Arjuna! It is only through exclusive bhakti that one can perceive Me, see Me and directly experience Me in this form.

TEXT 55
mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ
nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ sa māmeti pāṇḍava

He who serves Me without deceit and rejects connection with the results of karma and jñāna, sees bhakti unto Me in all activities, and who is compassionate to all beings – he attains Me in this intrinsic form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

The universal form along with Nārāyaṇa and other forms are the opulent manifestations of śrī-kṛṣna-tattva. This has been deliberated upon in this chapter. Thus ends the Eleventh Chapter.