11-31

आख्याहि मे को भवान् उग्र रुपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद ।
विज्ञातुम् इच्छामि भवन्तम् आद्यम्
न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ॥ ३१ ॥

AkhyAhi me ko bhavAn ugra rupo
namo'stu te devavara prasIda |
vijJAtum icchAmi bhavantam Adyam
na hi prajAnAmi tava pravRttim || 31 ||

मे आख्याहि [me AkhyAhi] Tell me भवान् कः [bhavAn kaH] who You are उग्र रूपः [ugra rUpaH] in this terrible form. देववर [devavara] Lord, You are supreme among the favorable. नमः अस्तु ते [namaH astu te] Salutations to You. प्रसीद [prasIda] Be pleased. न हि प्रजानामि [na hi prajAnAmi] I have no idea तव प्रवृत्तिम् [tava pravRttim] about your course of action. विज्ञातुम् इच्छामि [vijJAtum icchAmi] I wish to know आद्यम् भवन्तम् [Adyam bhavantam] You, prevailing as You are from beginning-less time.

Arjuna concludes-

Lord, I asked You to show Your entire form with unbounded power ( 11-4 ). That resulted in uncovering this highly terrifying form. Tell me, what is the purpose of this terrible form? What have You set out to do? I would like to know that part of You.

I don’t know Your course of action, please tell me. O Lord of everything, salutations to You! Be pleased! After describing the reason why this terrible form was uncovered, please assume Your original pleasant form again.

Lord Krishna demonstrated His ownership of the entire universe. This demonstration came from His limitless affection toward those who take refuge in Him.

The Lord, when asked about the motivation to uncover this terrible form, tells His motive in the next Shloka- My terrible form was uncovered as a reminder that even without Arjuna’s efforts, I Myself have set out to kill all these kings headed by the sons of Dhrtarashtra. The intention of this reminder is to set Arjuna to work in His occupation of war.