Bhagavad Gita 11.4: meaning and translation
Chapter 11: Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga. Arjuna says
Arjuna asks: if Krishna thinks it is possible for him to see it, then may Krishna, the lord of yoga (Yogeśvara), show him his imperishable self.
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Bhagavad Gita 11.4
मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो ।योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् ॥
Manyase yadi tachchhakyam maya drashtumiti prabhoYogeshvara tato me tvam darshayatmanamavyayam
manyase yadi tacchakyaṃ mayā draṣṭumiti prabho |yogeśvara tato me tvaṃ darśayātmānamavyayam ||
Our explanation Arjuna asks: if Krishna thinks it is possible for him to see it, then may Krishna, the lord of yoga (Yogeśvara), show him his imperishable self.
हिंदी अर्थ अर्जुन विनती करते हैं कि यदि कृष्ण मानते हैं कि अर्जुन उसे देख सकते हैं, तो योगेश्वर कृष्ण उन्हें अपना अविनाशी स्वरूप दिखाएँ।
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Word by word
- मन्यसे manyase · you think (present, 2nd person singular) Dictionary: man, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 783, col. 1 “to think, believe, imagine, suppose, conjecture”
- यदि yadi · if (indeclinable) Dictionary: yadi, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 844, col. 3 “if, in case that”
- तत् tat · that (pronoun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
- शक्यम् śakyam · possible (gerundive (to be done) (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: śakya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1045, col. 1 “able, possible, practicable”
- मया mayā · by "me" (Arjuna) (pronoun, instrumental singular) Dictionary: 1. mad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 777, col. 2 “base of the first pers. pron. in the sg. number (esp. in comp.)”
- द्रष्टुम् draṣṭum · to see (infinitive (to do)) Dictionary: 1. dṛś, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 491, col. 2 “to see, behold, look at, regard, consider”
- इति iti · thus (closes the thought) (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. iti, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 165, col. 1 “in this manner, thus”
- प्रभो prabho · O Lord (noun (masculine), vocative singular) Dictionary: pra-bhu, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 684, col. 3 “a master, lord, king”
- योगेश्वर yogeśvara · O Lord of yoga (compound (masculine), vocative singular) Dictionary: yogeśvara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 857, col. 3 “a master or adept in the Yoga”
- ततः tataḥ · then (indeclinable) Dictionary: tatas, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 432, col. 2 “thereupon, then, after that”
- मे me · to "me" (Arjuna) (pronoun, dative singular) Dictionary: 1. mad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 777, col. 2 “base of the first pers. pron. in the sg. number (esp. in comp.)”
- त्वम् tvam · you (pronoun, nominative singular) Dictionary: yuṣmad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 855, col. 3 “the base of the 2nd pers. pron. as used in comp.”
- दर्शय darśaya · show (causative imperative, 2nd person singular) Dictionary: 1. dṛś, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 491, col. 2 “to see, behold, look at, regard, consider”
- आत्मानम् ātmānam · yourself (noun (masculine), accusative singular) Dictionary: ātman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 135, col. 1 “is used as reflexive pronoun for all three persons and all three genders”
- अव्ययम् avyayam · imperishable (adjective (masculine), accusative singular) Dictionary: 2. a-vyaya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 111, col. 3 “not liable to change, imperishable, undecaying”
Old translations
Kashinath Trimbak Telang, 1882. Public domain. Page 92.
If, O lord! you think that it is possible for me to look upon it, then, O lord of the possessors of mystic power1! show your inexhaustible form to me.
Footnotes (the translator’s own) - Madhusûdana takes power to mean capacity of becoming small or great, of obtaining what is wanted, &c.; the so-called eight Bhûtis. ↩
Compare 3 translations
Kashinath Trimbak Telang, 1882. Public domain. Page 92.
If, O lord! you think that it is possible for me to look upon it, then, O lord of the possessors of mystic power1! show your inexhaustible form to me.
Footnotes (the translator’s own) - Madhusûdana takes power to mean capacity of becoming small or great, of obtaining what is wanted, &c.; the so-called eight Bhûtis. ↩
You are reading this one
Annie Besant, 1895. Public domain. Page 103.
If thou thinkest there is strength in me to see It, O Lord, Lord of Yoga, then show me Thine imperishable SELF.
You are reading this one
Swami Swarupananda, 1909 (first printed 1907). Public domain. Page 213.
If, O Lord, Thou thinkest me capable of seeing it, then, O Lord of Yogis, show me Thy immutable Self.
You are reading this one
Cite this verse
The translation: K. T. Telang, The Bhagavadgîtâ (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. VIII, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1882), p. 92. Bhagavad Gita 11.4.
The translation: Annie Besant, The Bhagavad Gîtâ, or The Lord's Song (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1895), p. 103. Bhagavad Gita 11.4.
The translation: Swami Swarupananda, Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita (Mayavati: Prabuddha Bharata Press, 1909; first printed in Prabuddha Bharata, 1907–1909), p. 213. Bhagavad Gita 11.4.
Our explanation: “Bhagavad Gita 11.4: meaning and translation.” Pujadeep. Updated October 27, 2026. https://pujadeep.com/bhagavad-gita/11/4/
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Bhagavad Gita 11.4
मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो ।
योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् ॥
“If, O lord! you think that it is possible for me to look upon it, then, O lord of the possessors of mystic power! show your inexhaustible form to me.”
(K. T. Telang, The Bhagavadgîtâ (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. VIII, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1882), p. 92, public domain)
“If thou thinkest there is strength in me to see It, O Lord, Lord of Yoga, then show me Thine imperishable SELF.”
(Annie Besant, The Bhagavad Gîtâ, or The Lord's Song (London: Theosophical Publishing Society, 1895), p. 103, public domain)
“If, O Lord, Thou thinkest me capable of seeing it, then, O Lord of Yogis, show me Thy immutable Self.”
(Swami Swarupananda, Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita (Mayavati: Prabuddha Bharata Press, 1909; first printed in Prabuddha Bharata, 1907–1909), p. 213, public domain)
Sanskrit: G. A. Natesan & Co., Madras, 1922.
https://pujadeep.com/bhagavad-gita/11/4/ Nothing is sent from this site. Your own app sends it, to the chat you choose. The picture quotes the translation you chose on this page, with its name and year.
Sanskrit text: The Bhagavad-Gita, or The Lord's Song, with the text in Devanagari and an English translation, 1922. Meanings: written for Pujadeep and checked against the cited edition. Source and changes
Questions families ask
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 11.4?
Arjuna speaks this verse, in chapter 11 (Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga).
Where does the Sanskrit text come from?
Sanskrit text: The Bhagavad-Gita, or The Lord's Song, with the text in Devanagari and an English translation, 1922. Meanings: written for Pujadeep and checked against the cited edition. See the source
Is the meaning on this page a translation?
Explanation written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against the cited edition. It is not a translation and not the only way to read the text. Free to quote with credit.
Source and licence
- Sanskrit text
- The Bhagavad-Gita, or The Lord's Song, with the text in Devanagari and an English translation (Annie Besant, G. A. Natesan & Co., Madras, 1922). Public domain. The Sanskrit on these pages was read from this printing’s page images.
- Translation
- The Bhagavadgîtâ with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ, translated by Kâshinâth Trimbak Telang (The Sacred Books of the East, vol. VIII, ed. F. Max Müller) (Kashinath Trimbak Telang, F. Max Müller, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882). Public domain. Shown verbatim, as printed.
- Translation
- The Bhagavad Gîtâ, or The Lord's Song, translated by Annie Besant (Annie Besant, Theosophical Publishing Society, London, 1895). Public domain. Shown verbatim, as printed.
- Translation
- Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, with Sanskrit Text; Paraphrase with Word-by-word Literal Translation; English Rendering and Comments, Index, &c., by the Swami Swarupananda (Himalayan Series, No. XX) (Swami Swarupananda, The Editors and Publishers, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati, Prabuddha Bharata Press, Mayavati, Almora, Himalayas, 1909). Public domain. Shown verbatim, as printed.
- Common wording
- In this text, 32 words follow today's common wording, checked against sanskritdocuments.org; Sanskrit Wikisource; Gita Press, Gorakhpur; GRETIL, Göttingen and Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
- Our explanation
- Explanation written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against the cited edition. It is not a translation and not the only way to read the text. Free to quote with credit.
- Checked
- Checked against the cited edition, October 27, 2026.