41-42. Whatever I have presumptuously said from carelessness or love, addressing Thee as, "O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend," regarding Thee merely as a friend, unconscious of this Thy greatness--in whatever way I may have been disrespectful to Thee in fun, while walking, reposing, sitting, or at meals, when alone (with Thee), O Achyuta, or in company--

[paragraph continues] I implore Thee, Immeasurable One, to forgive all this.

43. Thou art the Father of the world, moving and unmoving; the object of its worship; greater than the great. None there exists who is equal to Thee in the three worlds; who then can excel Thee, O. Thou of power incomparable?

44. So prostrating my body in adoration, I crave Thy forgiveness, Lord adorable! As a father forgiveth his son, friend a dear friend, a beloved one his love, even so shouldst Thou forgive me, O Deva.

45. Overjoyed am I to have seen what I saw never before; yet my mind is distracted with terror. Show me, O Deva, only that Form of Thine. Have mercy, O Lord of Devas, O Abode of the universe.

46. Diademed, bearing a mace and a discus, Thee I desire to see as before. Assume that same four-armed Form, O Thou of thousand arms, of universal Form.

The Blessed Lord said:

47. Graciously have I shown to thee, O Arjuna, this Form supreme, by My own Yoga power, this resplendent, primeval, infinite, universal Form of Mine, which hath not been seen before by anyone else.

48. Neither by the study of the Veda and Yajna, nor by gifts, nor by rituals,

nor by severe austerities, am I in such Form seen, in the world of men, by any other than thee, O great hero of the Kurus.

49. Be not afraid nor bewildered, having beheld this Form of Mine, so terrific. With thy fears dispelled and with gladdened heart, now see again this (former) form of Mine.

Sanjaya said:

50. So Vasudeva, having thus spoken to Arjuna, showed again His own Form and the Great-souled One, assuming His gentle Form, pacified him who was terrified.

Arjuna said:

51. Having seen this Thy gentle human Form, O Janardana, my thoughts are now composed and I am restored to my nature.

The Blessed Lord said:

52. Very hard indeed it is to see this Form of Mine which thou hast seen. Even the Devas ever long to behold this Form.

53. Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be seen as thou hast seen Me.

54. But by the single-minded devotion I may in this Form, be known, O Arjuna, and seen in reality, and also entered into, O scorcher of foes.

55. He who does work for Me alone and has Me for his goal, is devoted to Me, is freed from attachment, and bears enmity towards no creature--he entereth into Me, O Pandava.

The end of the eleventh chapter designated, THE VISION OF THE UNIVERSAL FORM.

Footnotes