Devanagari
श्रीभगवानुवाच
पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रश: ।
नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च ॥ ५ ॥
Verse text
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ
nānā-vidhāni divyāni
nānā-varṇākṛtīni ca
Synonyms
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
—
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said
;
paśya
—
just see
;
me
—
My
;
pārtha
—
O son of Pṛthā
;
rūpāṇi
—
forms
;
śataśaḥ
—
hundreds
;
atha
—
also
;
sahasraśaḥ
—
thousands
;
nānā-vidhāni
—
variegated
;
divyāni
—
divine
;
nānā
—
variegated
;
varṇa
—
colors
;
ākṛtīni
—
forms
;
ca
—
also.
Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, see now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
5. The Lord said: O son of Pṛthā, see My hundreds and thousands of wonderful forms, of various types, of various colors, and various shapes.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
5. The Lord said: O son of Pṛthā, see My hundreds and thousands of wonderful forms, of various types, of various colors and various shapes.
Purport
Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa in His universal form, which, although a transcendental form, is just manifested for the cosmic manifestation and is therefore subject to the temporary time of this material nature. As the material nature is manifested and not manifested, similarly this universal form of Kṛṣṇa is manifested and nonmanifested. It is not eternally situated in the spiritual sky like Kṛṣṇa’s other forms. As far as a devotee is concerned, he is not eager to see the universal form, but because Arjuna wanted to see Kṛṣṇa in this way, Kṛṣṇa reveals this form. This universal form is not possible to be seen by any ordinary man. Kṛṣṇa must give one the power to see it.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“First I will show him that form described in the puruṣa-sūkta as sahasra-śīrṣā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt: that form with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a thousand feet. It is My own expansion, the first puruṣa avatāra (Mahaviṣṇu), the antaryāmī of prakṛti. Later, by having the necessary qualification, I will show him My form of time.” Considering in this way in His mind, the Lord faced Arjuna, telling him to pay attention. Thus He speaks this verse.
“See these hundreds and thousands of forms (rūpāṇi). In My one form, My svarūpa, see hundreds of My svarūpas, which are My vibhūtis.”
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
Being thus requested, the Lord speaks in four verses to let Arjuna see His own form as all the devatās, as the creator with a thousand heads, the antaryāmī of prakṛti, and then, having made him qualified by that vision, to reveal to him His form as time. By repeating the word paśya in several verses the Lord conveys the astonishing nature of these forms that He will show. See these hundreds and thousands of forms of vibhūtis in one form of Mine appearing with a thousand heads. This should mean “Be fit to see these forms.” Imperative case can be used to suggest qualification. [Note: Perhaps the rule is Pāṇini 3.3.173 .]