Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 1

English Translation

Arjuna said This delusion of mine has departed as a result of that speech which is most secret and known as pertaining to the Self, and which was uttered by You for my benefit.

Detailed Commentary

11.1. Explanation—'Madanugrahāya' (for My grace)—By showing grace to those who worship Me, I destroy the darkness of their ignorance (Gita 10.11). The Lord spoke this out of compassion. This greatly impacted Arjuna, and he began to praise the Lord (10.12-15). He had never offered such praise before. With this understanding, Arjuna states here that You have spoken this solely to bestow grace upon me (Footnote p. 573.2). 'Paramam Guhyam' (the supreme secret)—After describing His primary *Vibhūtis* (divine manifestations), the Lord stated at the end of the Tenth Chapter that He pervades and sustains the entire universe with a mere fraction of Himself (10.42), thus introducing Himself. Arjuna considers this extremely confidential. 'Adhyātmasañjñitam' (pertaining to the Self)—In the seventh verse of the Tenth Chapter, the Lord stated that one who understands His *Vibhūti* (divine manifestations) and *Yoga* (divine power)—that the Lord alone is the source of all manifestations, that they arise from His power, and ultimately dissolve into Him—such a person becomes established in unwavering *Bhakti-yoga*. Arjuna considers this to be *Adhyātmasañjñitam* (Footnote p. 573.3). 'Yat tvayoktam vachastena moho'yam vigato mama' (by the words You have spoken, my delusion is dispelled)—Arjuna did not previously perceive that the entire universe rests within a mere fraction of the Lord, nor did he know this; this was his *moha* (delusion). But when the Lord declared, "I am before you, pervading the entire universe with a fraction of Myself," Arjuna's attention turned to how extraordinary the Lord is! Within His fraction, countless creations arise, subsist, and dissolve, yet He remains unchanged! As this delusion vanished, Arjuna realized that what he previously did not know was indeed his *moha* (delusion) (Footnote p. 574). Therefore, from his perspective, Arjuna says, "O Bhagavan! My *moha* has completely vanished." However, even after this declaration, the Lord did not accept it (Arjuna's freedom from *moha*); because later, in the forty-ninth verse, the Lord tells Arjuna that he should not be troubled or deluded ('Mā te vyathā mā cha vimūḍha bhāvaḥ'—'Be not distressed, nor be bewildered'). Connection—How did the delusion vanish? This is further elaborated in the following verse.