Bhagavad Gita — Vishwarupa Darshana Yoga, Shloka 52
Vishwarupa Darshana Yoga
श्रीभगवानुवाच । सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम । देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः ॥ ११.५२ ॥
śrībhagavān uvāca | sudurdarśam idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛṣṭavān asi yan mama | devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ || 11.52 ||
The Blessed Lord said: Very difficult to behold is this form of Mine which you have seen; even the gods ever long to behold this form.
The Blessed Lord said: Very hard to behold is this form of Mine which you have seen; even the gods ever long to see this form.
The Lord said: This form of mine which you have seen is very difficult to see; even the gods are continually desirous of the sight of this form.
The verse elevates the rarity of the experience; translators differ mainly in emphasis—either on difficulty (‘hard to behold’) or on desirability (‘long to see’), both present in the Sanskrit.
FAQs
By stressing rarity, the verse can reduce comparative anxiety: spiritual experiences are not standardized achievements but context-dependent disclosures.
Even higher beings (‘devas’) are portrayed as seekers of this vision, implying that ultimate reality exceeds conventional cosmological status.
It reinforces the uniqueness of Arjuna’s encounter and prepares for the claim that devotion, not mere ritual attainment, is decisive.
It encourages valuing depth of understanding over status or credentials, since even ‘higher’ positions do not guarantee ultimate insight.