The personal form restores the heart.
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra
सञ्जय उवाच |इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वास्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः |आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनंभूत्वा पुनः सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा ||११-५०||
sañjaya uvāca . ityarjunaṃ vāsudevastathoktvā svakaṃ rūpaṃ darśayāmāsa bhūyaḥ . āśvāsayāmāsa ca bhītamenaṃ bhūtvā punaḥ saumyavapurmahātmā ||11-50||
Use this verse for comfort after overwhelm.
Meaning
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Arjuna, Vasudeva showed His own form again and comforted the frightened Arjuna by becoming gentle once more.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna returns to His gentle form and reassures Arjuna.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The chapter shows Krishna’s full range: cosmic and personal, terrifying and tender. The personal form restores relational peace.
Read the traditional commentary
Sanjaya narrates the gracious return. Krishna, here called Vasudeva, withdraws the overwhelming cosmic vision and shows once again svakam rupam — His own gentle, familiar form. Becoming saumya-vapuh, of soft and pleasing appearance, the mahatma comforts and reassures the frightened Arjuna.
The word asvasayamasa — 'He consoled' — is the heart of this verse. The great revelation ends not in terror but in tenderness. Krishna does not leave His devotee shattered by the immensity he was shown; He restores the warm, approachable presence and steadies the trembling heart.
This is the rhythm of authentic spiritual experience. We may be stretched and even broken open by encounters with the vast, but we are meant to be brought back gently to ground, consoled and restored. The Divine that expands us also reassures us.
After the storm of the cosmic vision comes the calm of the familiar face, and in that calm Arjuna can finally breathe again.
In daily life
Use personal devotion to recover from overwhelm.
A person can chant a familiar Krishna name after studying heavy cosmic teachings.
Try this today
Repeat your comforting Krishna name 11 times.
Krishna comforts my heart with His gentle presence.Reflect
Which name of Krishna comforts me?
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Quick check
What does ‘आश्वासयामास च’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on compassion, in other chapters
- Verse 16.2True spiritual strength shows itself as gentleness, compassion, and an unwavering refusal to harm.
- Verse 10.11Divine grace works from within, dispelling ignorance as effortlessly as a lamp dispels darkness.
- Verse 4.7When righteousness declines, a restoring force always arises — injustice is never the final word.
- Verse 18.8Quitting your duty just because it is hard or uncomfortable earns none of renunciation's reward.
Swipe left for 11.51 · Gentle devotion restores inner balance.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 11.50
Who says Bhagavad Gita 11.50, and to whom?
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra in verse 11.50, in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 11.50 mean?
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Arjuna, Vasudeva showed His own form again and comforted the frightened Arjuna by becoming gentle once more. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 11.50 for daily life?
Use personal devotion to recover from overwhelm. A person can chant a familiar Krishna name after studying heavy cosmic teachings.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 11.50 mean?
इति अर्जुनम् — thus to Arjuna; वासुदेवः — Vasudeva (Krishna); तथा उक्त्वा — having spoken so; स्वकम् रूपम् — His own form; दर्शयामास भूयः — showed again.
Where does verse 11.50 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 50 of 55 in Chapter 11, Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. The next verse is 11.51.