Bhagavad Gita BG 11.9
Chapter 11, Verse 9 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
सञ्जय उवाच एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन् महायोगेश्वरो हरिः । दर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम् ॥
sanjaya uvaca evam uktva tato rajan maha-yogeshvaro harih darshayam asa parthaya parmam rupam aishvaram
Meaning
Sanjaya said: Thus speaking, O King (rajan), the great Lord of yoga (maha-yogeshvara), Hari (Krishna), showed (darshayam asa) to Arjuna (Parthaya) His supreme divine form (paramam rupam aishvaram).
Understanding
Sanjaya, the narrator reporting to the blind king Dhritarashtra, signals the shift from speech to vision: evam uktva (thus having spoken) — the instructions are done; what follows is direct showing. Tato (then) — the pivot from word to vision. Maha-yogeshvarah Harih — the great Lord of yoga, Hari (the one who removes/takes away delusion — from root 'hr' = to take). Darshayam asa Parthaya — showed to Partha (Arjuna). Paramam rupam aishvaram — the supreme (parama), divine/lordly (aishvara, related to ishvara = lord) form. This verse is the hinge: we cross from preparation to the revelation itself. Sanjaya's witnessing at a distance (through Vyasa's blessing) becomes the conduit for the most extraordinary description in Sanskrit literature.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| एवमुक्त्वा | evam uktva | having spoken thus, after saying this |
| महायोगेश्वरः | maha-yogeshvarah | the great Lord of yoga (maha = great, yoga + ishvara = lord of yoga) |
| हरिः | harih | Hari — one who removes delusion (root hr = to remove/take) |
| दर्शयामास | darshayam asa | showed, revealed (darshana = vision, asa = completed action) |
| ऐश्वरम् | aishvaram | divine, lordly, belonging to the ishvara (sovereign) |
| सञ्जय उवाच | sañjaya uvāca | Sanjaya said |
| एवम् | evam | thus |
| उक्त्वा | uktvā | having spoken |
| ततः | tataḥ | then |
| राजन् | rājan | O king |
| महा-योगेश्वरः | mahā-yogeśvaraḥ | the great lord of yoga |
| हरिः | hariḥ | Hari (Krishna) |
| दर्शयामास | darśayāmāsa | showed |
| पार्थाय | pārthāya | to Arjuna |
| परमम् | paramam | supreme |
| रूपम् | rūpam | form |
| ऐश्वरम् | aiśvaram | divine, sovereign |