Chapter7 Shloka24 - Shrimad Bhagvad Gita

Shrimad Bhagvad Gita

Chapter 7 : Adhyatma Yoga - The Yoga of Absolute

Ch 07 : Sh 24

अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धयः ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम्‌ ॥

Transliteration

avyaktaṃ vyaktim āpannaṃ manyante mām abuddhayaḥ |
paraṃ bhāvam ajānanto mamāvyayam anuttamam || 24 ||

Translation

Not knowing My higher nature, immutable and unsurpassed, the ignorant think of Me as an unmanifest entity who has now become manifest.

Purport

This is one of the most important Shlokas, particularly in the present environment where a lot of confusion has been created by some anti-Hindu forces and even some groups of Hindus, about the shape of God.

The above Shloka gives a very clear answer. Bhagvan Shri Krishna made a clear declaration that he is not an un-manifest entity neither His physical form is conditional. Those who think that God is un-manifest(without shape) is wrong.

Bhagvan Shri Krishna explains He is immutable and unsurpassed. He does not change or mutate.
Some people may ask a question here, what is Incarnation then?
The answer to this question exists in Ch4: Sh6, where Bhagvan Shri Krishna has explained that Incarnation is the re-adjustment of his Maya and not his forms. He subdues is Maya to appear in front of people in a particular form.

Although I am birthless, imperishable and immutable and the lord of all living beings, yet by subduing my nature, I appear in this world in My original transcendental form by my divine potency.
(Ch4: Sh6)

Whatever change in physical appears is due to the variation in physical potency of God, which is called Maya, but God has its own original divine forms. He is not a shapeless entity. Above shloka removes all confusion on this subject.