Ask for meaning when reality overwhelms you.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपोनमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद |विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यंन हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ||११-३१||
ākhyāhi me ko bhavānugrarūpo namo.astu te devavara prasīda . vijñātumicchāmi bhavantamādyaṃ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim ||11-31||
Use this verse when you do not understand life’s direction.
Meaning
Tell me who You are in this fierce form. Salutations to You, O best of gods; be gracious. I wish to know You, the primal one, for I do not understand Your purpose.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna asks Krishna to explain the fierce form.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
When vision becomes overwhelming, Arjuna seeks understanding. This is a model for people: when life feels terrifying, ask for meaning instead of reacting blindly.
Read the traditional commentary
Overwhelmed past the point of mere description, Arjuna asks the most direct question: akhyahi me ko bhavan — 'tell me, who are You, of such fierce form?' The friend he thought he knew has become unrecognisable, and he humbly seeks understanding. He bows, says namah astu te, and again pleads prasida, 'have mercy'.
His honest admission is moving: na hi prajanami tava pravrttim — 'I do not understand Your working'. He confesses that the purpose behind this terrifying activity is beyond his grasp. This is the posture of true humility before mystery.
Arjuna does not pretend to comprehend; he asks. And his asking is not idle curiosity but a longing to know the adyam, the primal Being. There is wisdom here for every seeker: when Reality shows a face we cannot fathom, the right response is not to force an explanation but to bow, to ask sincerely, and to wait in reverence for the answer to be given.
In daily life
Turn confusion into prayerful inquiry.
In crisis, a person can ask: Krishna, what am I meant to understand here?
Try this today
Write one prayer asking for meaning and grace.
I ask Krishna for meaning with humility.Reflect
What situation do I need Krishna to explain?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘तव प्रवृत्तिम्’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on mystery, in other chapters
- Verse 10.2The Divine source of all things cannot be fully grasped by the mind — true knowledge begins in humble reverence.
- Verse 4.34Wisdom is earned through humility, sincere questioning, and service — approach those who have truly realized the truth.
- Verse 8.1 · ArjunaReal understanding begins when you have the courage to ask what a teaching truly means rather than pretending to know.
- Verse 9.11Do not judge the sacred by its outward appearance; the divine often comes clothed in the humble and ordinary.
Swipe left for 11.32 · Time acts beyond individual ego.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.31
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.31, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 11.31, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.31 mean?
Tell me who You are in this fierce form. Salutations to You, O best of gods; be gracious. I wish to know You, the primal one, for I do not understand Your purpose. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.31 for daily life?
Turn confusion into prayerful inquiry. In crisis, a person can ask: Krishna, what am I meant to understand here?
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.31 mean?
आख्याहि मे — tell me; कः भवान् — who are You; उग्ररूपः — of fierce form; नमः अस्तु ते — salutations to You; देववर — O best of gods.
Where does verse 11.31 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 31 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.32.