BG 11.15 — Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 11.15Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · triṣṭubh

पश्यामि देवांस् तव देव देहे सर्वांस् तथा भूतविशेषसंघान् ।

ब्रह्माणमीशं कमलासनस्थमृषींश् च सर्वानुरगांश् च दिव्यान् ॥

paśyāmi devāṃs tava deva dehe

sarvāṃs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṃghān

brahmāṇam īśaṃ kamalāsana-stham

ṛṣīṃś ca sarvān uragāṃś ca divyān

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Within your body, O God, I see all the gods and every order of being, Brahmā enthroned on his lotus, all the sages, and the luminous serpents.

ekras · bhāṣya

I see in your body all the devas, all the bhuta-vishesha-samghas, Brahma the Isha seated on the lotus, all the rishis, the divya uragas. The disciple is now reporting what the divya chakshus reveals. Each class of beings is named at the place where it is seen within Krishna's cosmic body.

Shankara reads the verse as the disciple's first inventory after the rupa-darshana has begun. Devas — the gods. Bhuta-vishesha-samghas — the assemblies of distinct beings. Brahma kamala-asana-stha — Brahma seated on the lotus, the cosmic creator at his throne. Rishis — the seers. Uragas divyah — the supra-cosmic serpents. Each class is at its station within the visible body.

Madhusudana reads with characteristic precision: Brahma kamala-asana-stha is the chief among all named figures in the verse — the four-faced cosmic creator at his lotus, with the assemblies of devas and rishis around him, the divya uragas in their celestial coils. The disciple reports what he sees, naming the cosmically positioned figures one by one.

Ramanuja reads with characteristic warmth: each class of beings is held within Bhagavan's body-mode at the appropriate cosmic locus. The disciple's report is the bhakta's way of naming what he is being shown.

Madhva reads on the bheda-frame: each named class is paratantra; the holding is svatantra Hari's.

Vallabha reads through pushti-marga: each class is prasada made cosmic-visible.

Shridhara reads cleanly: the disciple's first inventory of the visible content.

Context

where

Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga · meter triṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 11.14

Seized by wonder, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to the ground, pressed his palms together, and spoke to the Lord.

What's going on

Within your body, O God, I see all the gods and every order of being, Brahmā enthroned on his lotus, all the sages, and the luminous serpents.

Sūtras through this verse (46)

AbhinavaguptaclassicalA

Knowing and acting are one powerbetween

7.1Together they cover everything to be known.───→here11.15───→11.18Sat names the union of the two powers.

RāmānujaclassicalB

The śāstra is one bracket (2.12 → 18.66)between

11.1Arjuna confirms the bracket from inside.───→here11.15───→18.66The teaching closes with one command.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlybetween

10.14Faith comes only from the Lord's own giving.───→here11.15───→11.55Grace-soul acts only when the Lord wills.

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AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionbetween

11.1Now: experience what was taught.───→here11.15───→11.55See the world as Śiva's own body.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalC

Vision is the structural centerbetween

11.8The eye is given, never earned by work.───→here11.15───→11.49Cosmic returns to gracious; ananya means non-dual.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departurebetween

9.4He pervades, yet is not in any of it.───→here11.15───→11.46Cosmic and gracious one self-luminous.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalG

Saṃvit: one referent under many namesbetween

8.3Brahman, ātman, all facets of one Lord.───→here11.15───→11.34Consciousness itself swallows the cosmos.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalH

Bhakti as non-dual recognitionbetween

9.22Consciousness tending its own self-knowing modes.───→here11.15───→11.49Ananya bhakti is non-dual recognition.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalI

Anugraha: grace as the active powerbetween

11.8The eye is given; seeing is grace.───→here11.15───→11.35By grace-nature, the secret discloses itself.

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

11.1The aiśvarya-delusion now to be removed.───→here11.15───→12.1Sa-guṇa or nir-guṇa, which path wins?

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

9.27Whatever you do, do it as offering.───→here11.15───→11.55Five clauses, one shelter: mat-karma-kṛt.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionbetween

10.10I give the buddhi-yoga to those who love.───→here11.15───→11.54Undivided love beholds it.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyabetween

9.32Even the lowest birth reaches Me through this.───→here11.15───→11.55Five clauses for the one who is Mine.

RāmānujaclassicalI

Vibhūti as evidence for antaryāminbetween

11.13Arjuna sees all at once.───→here11.15───→13.2The whole vibhūti clinches sāmānādhikaraṇya.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata similebetween

9.34Set toward Me, the seeker's whole posture.───→here11.15───→11.55He is the one telos.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalE

Field and field-knower as Parameśvaraapproach

───→here11.15───→13.1One knower in every field — Parameśvara.

RāmānujaclassicalK

Tri-guṇa diagnostic for the bhaktaapproach

───→here11.15───→13.20Both natures cause the body's binding.

Madhusūdanaclassicalmadhusudan_bhagavad_arpana

Madhusudan Bhagavad Arpanabetween · other

9.22Yogakshema as offering returned───→here11.15───→11.55Five offering-clauses

MadhusūdanaclassicalD

Offer the act to the Lord and it stops bindingbetween

9.22The undivided ones the Lord himself sustains.───→here11.15───→11.55The whole Gītā distilled to five offering-clauses.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesbetween

9.22Constant thought of Me is self-contemplation itself.───→here11.15───→11.55The five-clause crystal is bhakti named whole.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherbetween

11.1I worship the unborn, the self-luminous teacher.───→here11.15───→11.55With awe I praise him, Kāśirāja, my teacher.

MadhusūdanaclassicalH

Krishna with form is the ground beneath formless Brahmanbetween

10.8From Me everything flows; wise ones know this and worship.───→here11.15───→11.55The crystal verse names the saguṇa in absolute form.

MadhusūdanaclassicalK

Arjuna's grief has two roots, not onebetween

11.1Arjuna marks the universal moha cured.───→here11.15───→18.73Confusion gone, memory gained — the cure complete.

JayatīrthaclassicalC

Refuting Śaṅkara-style readings, named or unnamedbetween

7.13Why this declaration? The gloss must answer.───→here11.15───→11.16Aneka- is not just two-or-more.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsbetween

8.4Adhiyajña clause: viṣṇur eva.───→here11.15───→11.16Many-armed is Viṣṇu, not a pantheon.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitbetween

9.25Each worship reaches its own destination.───→here11.15───→11.55Five-clause sādhana names the apex.

JayatīrthaclassicalG

Citation as proof — śruti, smṛti, MB, Aṣṭādhyāyī, Pañcarātrabetween

7.5Parā-prakṛti backed by Pañcarātra.───→here11.15───→11.16Aṣṭādhyāyī 5.4.78 settles aneka-.

JayatīrthaclassicalI

Lakṣaṇā-control — literal preferred when availablebetween

7.5Surrounding clause picks literal Śrī.───→here11.15───→11.16Aneka- means many; no upacāra needed.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markbetween

9.32The unsheltered take shelter and reach Me.───→here11.15───→11.54Undivided love — sādhana stripped, grace-clothed.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractbetween

9.32The unsheltered run to their cowherd-Lord.───→here11.15───→11.54The form revealed is Krishna in blue, not abstract.

VallabhaclassicalH

Stilling the mind — into the Lordbetween

6.47Stilling the mind into Vāsudeva — not into nothing.───→here11.15───→11.54Vision opens only to the love-stilled mind.

VallabhaclassicalI

A closed three-source citation gridbetween

9.32Even the unsheltered reach the highest goal.───→here11.15───→11.54Bhāgavata + Brahmasūtra fuse at the vision-verse.

VallabhaclassicalJ

Strategic silence — pointers, not absencesbetween

1.31The despondency catalogue goes to Viṭṭhaleśa.───→here11.15───→11.21The cosmic-form catalogue is bracketed.

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

11.1By high compassion He showed the world-form.───→here11.15───→11.43Teacher, and teacher's teacher beyond compare.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homebetween

9.34Mind on Me, bowed to Me — you reach Me.───→here11.15───→11.54By undivided love alone — knowable, seen.

ŚrīdharaclassicalH

The grammar of single-pointednessbetween

9.22The undivided are my one foundation.───→here11.15───→11.54Undivided love alone unlocks the world-form.

ŚrīdharaclassicalD

The path that turns no one awayexit

9.32Women, śūdras, all, also reach the goal.───→here11.15───→

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsbetween

9.34Mind on Me, devoted — you reach Me.───→here11.15───→11.54Bhakti without rival is the seeing-instrument.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalF

Saṅgati — anticipation-and-resolutionbetween

9.1Chapter 7's residue of wonder forces 9's disclosure.───→here11.15───→11.54The saguṇa-bhakta privileged ahead of 12.1.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalJ

Sañjaya's frame — evidentiary, not ornamentalbetween

1.2Dṛṣṭvā tu — Sañjaya speaks to be heard later.───→here11.15───→11.50Sañjaya names the viśva-rūpa as witness.

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathbetween · v2

9.30Even the wrong-doer───→here11.15───→11.54Only by undivided bhakti

RamsukhdasclassicalF

Surrender — the single shelterbetween

9.30Even a great wrongdoer, fixed on Me, is good.───→here11.15───→11.55Five clauses join into one shelter.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here11.15───→

Ekrasmodernforgiveness

Forgivenessapproach · other

───→here11.15───→12.13Friendly, compassionate

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handbetween

9.22Pinky finger. Shraddha, faith. Gaurav lands shraddha with the Sushma Swaraj six-───→here11.15───→11.32Wrist, kalai. Kala, time. 'Kalo'smi loka-kshaya-krit pravriddhah.' Gaurav arrive

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingbetween

10.42With one part I pervade this whole world, and stand.───→here11.15───→11.55Acting for Me, holding Me supreme — that is the road.

Śabda · lemmas (17 unique · 20 occurrences)

देहे deha — body · locative neuter singular noun
सर्वान् sarva ×2 — all, entire · accusative masculine plural noun · also at 1.27, 2.55, 2.71, 4.21, 4.32, 6.24
पश्यामि √dṛś — to see (verbal root) · present indicative 1st person singular verb
संघान् saṃgha — assembly, community (sam- + √hṛ 'collect') · accusative masculine plural noun
दिव्यान् divya — divine, celestial, of the gods · accusative masculine plural noun

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देवान्·देव deva ×2 — god, deity, celestial being; the devas · accusative masculine plural noun / vocative masculine singular noun
च ca ×2 — and; (homonym: also the consonant ca)
तव tvad — you (2nd person pronoun stem) · genitive singular noun
तथा tathā — thus, in that manner; likewise
भूत bhūta — being, creature; element; past, gone · compound
विशेष viśeṣa — distinction, particular, specialty (vi- + √śiṣ) · compound
ब्रह्माणम् brahman — Brahman (the Absolute); also: the Veda; sacred utterance · accusative masculine singular noun
ईशम् īśa — lord, ruler (from √īś) · accusative masculine singular noun
कमलासन kamalāsana — lotus-seated; epithet of Brahmā (kamala + āsana) · compound
स्थम् stha — standing, situated (suffix) · accusative masculine singular noun
ऋषीन् ṛṣi — seer, sage · accusative masculine plural noun
उरगान् uraga — serpent ('breast-goer', ura + ga) · accusative masculine plural noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01Arjuna sees Brahmā 'seated on the lotus' — what does it mean that the creator is himself contained within the body of the one he was created by? Does the cosmic form collapse the hierarchy of creation?
02Six commentators use the same verse yet split on whether the serpents (uragāḥ) are 'divine (divyāḥ)' or 'blazing/radiant (dīptāḥ)' — how does a single Sanskrit word-choice alter the cosmological status of the nāga lineages?

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03Vallabha counts these as seventeen verses of a single unit structured around the sixteen-part (ṣoḍaśa-kalā) manifestation — what is the significance of treating Arjuna's description as itself a structurally complete act of worship rather than mere narration?
04Śrīdhara offers two readings of kamala-āsana (Meru-pericarp vs. Kṛṣṇa's navel-lotus): what hermeneutical principle allows both readings to coexist, and what theological work does each reading do?
05Why does Madhusūdana begin not with the content of the vision but with an exclamation about his own fortune (bhāgya)? What does the framing of vision-as-grace do to the epistemological status of what is seen?
06The verse catalogues devas, bhūta-viśeṣa-saṃghāḥ, Brahmā, ṛṣis, and uragāḥ — what principle of classification organizes this particular list, and which category is conspicuously absent from the first verse of Arjuna's description?
07Madhva is silent on this verse. In a school that insists on eternal real distinction (nitya-bheda) between all entities, what difficulties might a verse showing all beings contained within a single divine body pose — and how does the tradition typically resolve them?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When you enter a room full of people — colleagues, strangers, rivals — and feel overwhelmed by their variety, the Śaṅkara-inflected practice is this: recognize that the bewildering multiplicity (nānā-saṃsthāna-viśeṣa) is all appearing within a single field of awareness. You are not one object among many; you are the space in which all of them appear. The hierarchies in the room — the senior manager, the newcomer, the powerful and the powerless — are phenomenal arrangements, not ultimate facts.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

In Rāmānuja's frame, every person you encounter today — from the office superior to the person cleaning the corridor — is a real attribute (viśeṣaṇa) of the same divine substance. Serving any one of them is not a detour from devotion but its direct expression. Notice today whether your service to 'higher-status' and 'lower-status' beings in your environment carries the same quality of attention — the cosmic form asks for non-differential recognition of the divine body in all ranks.

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Dvaita

Dvaita insists that your distinctness from every other person — and from Hari — is not a problem to be dissolved but the condition of genuine relationship. Today, when you feel the pull to merge your identity with a group or a powerful personality, remember: you are a distinct jīva, a real servant with your own irreplaceable perspective. Your task is not to disappear into the collective but to offer your particular service from your particular station.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha reads this vision as prasāda — sheer grace-overflow. A practical corollary: when something beautiful or overwhelming presents itself to you today (a landscape, a piece of music, a sudden act of kindness), resist the reflex to analyze or appropriate it. Receive it as Kṛṣṇa's own self-display, offered to you as a gift. The correct response is not commentary but the wordless joy of acceptance — the response Arjuna himself models across these seventeen verses.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's double reading of kamala-āsana invites a practice of layered seeing: look at any situation and ask, 'What is the cosmological reading (the institutional hierarchy, the structural logic), and what is the devotional reading (who in this situation is seated on whose lotus, who depends on whose generosity)?' Often the devotional geography reverses the institutional one. The most structurally powerful person in the room may be nourished by someone the org-chart puts below them.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana begins with wonder at his own fortune before describing what he sees. The application: before beginning any significant perception — a meeting, a difficult conversation, a creative project — pause and acknowledge the gift of the capacity to perceive at all. This is not sentiment but a structural move: grounding perception in gratitude (bhāgya-recognition) prevents the ego from claiming the vision as its own achievement, which is the first step toward both jñāna and bhakti.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 11, Verse 15: Krishna to Arjuna — Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga