Bhagavad Gita 11.46 · Arjuna
The form I can love
किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्तं
इच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव।
तेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन
सहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते॥
kirīṭinaṃ gadinaṃ cakrahastaṃ icchāmi tvāṃ draṣṭumahaṃ tathaivatenaiva rūpeṇa caturbhujena sahasrabāho bhava viśvamūrte
I long to see You as before, crowned, with mace and discus in hand. Take that four-armed form again, thousand-armed one, form of the universe.
What it means
Arjuna asks for the gentler divine form he knows, Vishnu with four arms, a crown, a mace and a discus. Not the thousand-armed universe, but a form he can look at, love and speak to. The infinite, he's learning, can also be close and personal.
The story
This is a turning point for the whole Gita. Arjuna has seen that God is everything, and still wants a form to love. The next chapter will explain why loving a personal form is such a powerful path.
In your life
Imagine a photo of a loved one you keep on your desk. A whole person can't fit in a picture, but it helps you feel close. Keep one image or reminder of what you love near you today.
The infinite can also be close.