Bhagavad-gītā 11.52
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाच सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम। देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः।।11.52।।
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha su-durdarśham idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi yan mama devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ
Very hard indeed it is to see this Form of Mine which thou hast seen. Even the Devas ever long to behold this Form.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| śhrī-bhagavān uvācha | the Supreme Lord said |
| su-durdarśham | exceedingly difficult to behold |
| idam | this |
| rūpam | form |
| dṛiṣhṭavān asi | that you are seeing |
| yat | which |
| mama | of mine |
| devāḥ | the celestial gods |
| api | even |
| asya | this |
| rūpasya | form |
| nityam | eternally |
| darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ | aspiring to see |
Keep the verse in view while connecting śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Lord said), mama (of mine), and darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ (aspiring to see). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the universal form and personal refuge. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 11.52.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Sequence request, granted sight, description, response, revelation, fear, apology and return to the familiar form.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Very hard indeed it is to see this Form of Mine which thou hast seen
- 2
Even the Devas ever long to behold this Form
- 3
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha: the Supreme Lord said
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the universal form.
Link
Use the line starts: śhrī-bhagavān uvācha / su-durdarśham idaṁ / devā apy.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.52, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 11.52 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 11.52 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 11.52 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.52, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition