Bhagavad Gita BG 9.11
Chapter 9, Verse 11 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अवजानन्ति मां मूढा मानुषीं तनुमाश्रितम् । परं भावमजानन्तो मम भूतमहेश्वरम् ॥
avajAnanti mam mudha manushim tanum ashritam param bhavam ajananto mama bhuta-maheshvaram
Meaning
The deluded (mudha) disrespect Me who have taken on a human form — not knowing My higher nature as the Supreme Lord of all beings.
Understanding
The fundamental error: mudha (the deluded) avajAnanti mam (disrespect, look down upon Me) — seeing the human form (manushim tanum ashritam) but not knowing the param bhava (supreme nature) within it. Bhuta-maheshvara — the Supreme Lord (maha-ishvara) of all beings (bhuta). They see the human exterior and miss the Divine within. This is the opposite of the sama-darshana of Chapter 6 — instead of seeing the Infinite in every being, the deluded see only the finite form and miss the infinite ground.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अवजानन्ति | avajAnanti | disrespect, look down upon, fail to recognize |
| मूढाः | mudha | the deluded, the confused, the foolish |
| मानुषीम् | manushim | human, of the human form |
| परं भावम् | param bhavam | supreme nature, highest being |
| महेश्वरम् | maheshvaram | supreme Lord, great master |
| अवजानन्ति | avajānanti | disregard, disrespect |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| मूढाः | mūḍhāḥ | the foolish, deluded ones |
| मानुषीम् | mānuṣīm | human |
| तनुम् | tanum | body, form |
| आश्रितम् | āśritam | having assumed, having taken |
| परम् | param | superior, transcendental |
| भावम् | bhāvam | nature, existence |
| अजानन्तः | ajānantaḥ | not knowing |
| मम | mama | My |
| भूत-महेश्वरम् | bhūta-maheśvaram | the great Lord of all beings |