Bg. 11.31 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद । विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ॥ ३१ ॥

Verse text

ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda vijṣātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim

Synonyms

ākhyāhi — please explain ; me — unto me ; kaḥ — who ; bhavān — You ; ugra-rūpaḥ — fierce form ; namaḥ astu — obeisances ; te — unto You ; deva-vara — O great one amongst the demigods ; prasīda — be gracious ; vijṣātum — to know ; icchāmi — I wish ; bhavantam — You ; ādyam — the original ; na — not ; hi — certainly ; prajānāmi — do I know ; tava — Your ; pravṛttim — mission.

Translation

O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. You are the primal Lord. I want to know about You, for I do not know what Your mission is.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

31. Tell me who You are, with this terrifying form. I offer respects to You. O best of the devas, be merciful to me. I desire to know You, the first being. I do not understand Your purpose.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

31. Tell me who You are, with this terrifying form. I offer respects to You. O bestower of boons, be merciful to me. I desire to know You, the first being. I do not understand Your action.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

After describing the Lord in His universal form equipped with His time energy, Arjuna, knowing the truth of this form, asks about this form, in order to strengthen His knowledge of the matter. Arjuna had requested the Lord to see that form of power endowed with a thousand heads (verse 3). The Lord showed that form, and then He shows that same form as the most ferocious destroyer. Tell me who You are in that ferocious form. O best deity (devavara)! I offer respects to You. Be merciful, and give up that terrible form. I desire to know You, the first being, particularly (vijṣātum). I do not understand Your action—why have you done this? Tell me the purpose.

Surrender Unto Me

Arjuna is asking two questions: (1) who are You? and (2) what is Your mission? And Krsna answers: [C. "KALO'SMI LOKA‑KSAYA‑KRT" ‑ BECOME MY INSTRUMENT (11. 32‑34) Krsna answers: 'Time I am, destroyer of the world. The great warriors no both sides are already slain by my plan. You can be but an instrument. Arise and fight!"]