In Bhagavad Gita 11.5, Krishna tells Arjuna to behold his divine forms by the hundreds and thousands, of many kinds, colours and shapes.
Sanskrit Verse
श्रीभगवानुवाच · The Blessed Lord said
पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि
शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
नानाविधानि दिव्यानि
नानावर्णाकृतीनि च ॥ ११-५ ॥
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
śataśo’tha sahasraśaḥ
nānāvidhāni divyāni
nānāvarṇākṛtīni ca
English transliteration pashya me paartha roopaani
shatasho’tha sahasrashah
naanaavidhaani divyaani
naanaavarnaakriteeni cha ॥ 11.5 ॥
Translation / Meaning
The Blessed Lord said: Behold, O Partha, My forms by the hundreds and thousands, of many kinds, divine, of various colours and shapes.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पश्य paśya | behold |
| मे me | My |
| पार्थ pārtha | O Pārtha |
| रूपाणि rūpāṇi | forms |
| शतशः śataśaḥ | by the hundreds |
| अथ atha | and |
| सहस्रशः sahasraśaḥ | by the thousands |
| नानाविधानि nānāvidhāni | of many kinds nānā (many) + vidhāni (kinds) |
| दिव्यानि divyāni | divine |
| नानावर्णाकृतीनि nānāvarṇākṛtīni | of various colours and shapes nānā (various) + varṇa (colours) + ākṛtīni (shapes) |
| च ca | and |
Word-wise Chanting
- paś–ya me pār–tha rū–pā–ṇi 8 syllables pash-ya me paar-tha roo-paa-ni
- śa–ta–śo–‘tha sa–has–ra–śaḥ | 8 syllables sha-ta-sho-‘tha sa-has-ra-shah
- nā–nā–vi–dhā–ni div–yā–ni 8 syllables naa-naa-vi-dhaa-ni div-yaa-ni
- nā–nā–var–ṇā–kṛ–tī–ni ca || 11-5 8 syllables naa-naa-var-naa-kri-tee-ni cha
How to read this
How to chant: each line is one pāda (quarter-verse); chant it in one breath. The hyphen (-) divides the syllables, inside a word and across a sandhi join, so every pāda shows its 8 syllables (11 in triṣṭubh verses). A consonant cluster is divided after its first consonant (kar-ma, vet-ti): that syllable is held longer. Mark above a syllable: guru, long (two beats); laghu, short (one beat). | closes the half-verse, || the verse; the number is the syllable count of the pāda.
Deeper Explanation – Chapter 11 Verse 5
Context
Krishna begins to grant Arjuna’s request (11.5–11.8).
Meaning
Krishna invites Arjuna to see: paśya, behold. The Divine is not one form but countless forms, by the hundreds and thousands, nānā-vidha, of every variety of colour and shape. The whole diversity of existence is the Divine’s form.
The repeated word paśya, behold, invites us to look with new eyes. Diversity is not opposed to unity; it is the expression of the one Divine.
In Practice
Look around you today and see the variety of forms as the many faces of the one Divine.
Related Verses
Continue Your Study
This verse belongs to Chapter 11: Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (The Vision of the Universal Form). Read the chapter overview, browse every verse of the Gita, or return to the chapter-by-chapter guide. For a reading plan, see how to study the Bhagavad Gita and the study resources.