Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 52

English Translation

The Blessed Lord said This form of Mine which you have seen is very difficult to see; even the gods are ever desirous of a vision of this form.

Detailed Commentary

Explanation—'Sudurdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛṣṭavān asi yanmama'—Here, the term 'sudurdarśam' refers to the Chaturbhuja Rupa (four-armed form), not the Virata Rupa (cosmic form) or the Dvibhuja Rupa (two-armed form). The reason is that even the Devas (celestial beings) cannot conceive of the Virata Rupa, and when the human form was easily accessible to humans, how could it be rare for the Devas? Therefore, by 'sudurdarśam', one should understand Bhagavan Vishnu's Chaturbhuja Rupa, for which the terms 'Devarupam' (11.45) and 'Svakam Rupam' (11.50) have been used. 'Devā apyasya rūpasya nityaṁ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ'—Here, Bhagavan states that the Darshan (vision) of this Chaturbhuja Rupa of Mine is exceedingly rare. He further mentioned that the Darshan of this Chaturbhuja Rupa cannot be attained through means like Vedas, Yajna (sacrifice), Tapas (austerity), Dana (charity), etc., but only through Ananya Bhakti (exclusive devotion). Now, a doubt arises: if even the Devas constantly yearn for the Darshan of this form, then why do they not attain it? After all, a constant longing for Bhagavan's Darshan is indeed Ananya Bhakti. The resolution to this is that, in truth, the constant longing of the Devas is not Ananya Bhakti. To have constant longing means that the yearning should be exclusively and continuously for the Paramatma alone, with no other desires. Even a person of wicked conduct, if they possess such longing, becomes a devotee of Bhagavan and attains Him. However, the Devas do not possess such Ananya (exclusive) longing, because they have become Devas to experience Bhoga (enjoyments), and that remains their objective. So then, what kind of longing do they have? It is similar to what exists among ordinary devout humans: "May we attain Bhagavan's Darshan, may our welfare be ensured." They do have such a wish, but their interest in Bhoga and accumulation also persists. Just as someone walking along a path might incidentally find a gem, similarly (subordinately), they think, "If our Moksha (liberation) happens, that would be good." In this manner, just as the desire for Moksha is secondary in humans, so too is the desire for Darshan secondary in Devas; they think, "If Bhagavan grants Darshan, then we too shall behold Him." The Devas entertain a mere desire: 'We hold such high positions, our realms, bodies, and enjoyments are divine, we are greatly meritorious; therefore, we ought to attain Bhagavan's Darshan.' For this reason, they will not receive Darshan. The underlying cause is their Abhimana (ego/pride) stemming from their Devatva (divinity), position, and so forth. Bhagavan's Darshan cannot be obtained through Abhimana, or by the power of one's status. This is why Arjuna stated in the fourteenth verse of the tenth chapter, "O Bhagavan, neither the Devas nor the Danavas know Your manifestation." In this way, Arjuna has placed Devas and Danavas in the same category concerning their inability to know Bhagavan. The meaning of this is that just as Devas possess opulence, Danavas possess extraordinary powers, but they cannot know Bhagavan by virtue of these strengths. Similarly, even if Devas long for Bhagavan's Darshan, they cannot attain it through their Devatva (divine power), because Devatva is not the cause for Bhagavan's Darshan. The import is that Bhagavan cannot be beheld by Devatva (divine power), nor can He be seen by auspicious deeds such as Yajna, Tapas, and Dana (11.53). Rather, both Devas and humans can see Him solely through Ananya Bhakti. The meaning of saying 'Devā api' (even Devas) is that the Devas cannot attain Bhagavan's Darshan by the strength of the merits that granted them their high position. The implication is that meritorious actions can indeed bestow high realms and elevated enjoyments, but they do not possess the power to grant Bhagavan's Darshan. In the attainment of Bhagavan's Darshan, this material significance is entirely without avail. Sambandha (Connection)—Bhagavan further reinforces the point made in the preceding verse in the subsequent verse.