Bhagavad_Gita: Chapter 11 - Viśvarūpa Darśana Yoga (The Yoga of the Universal Form)

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Chapter 11 - Viśvarūpa Darśana Yoga (The Yoga of the Universal Form)

1. Arjuna said, "To show favor to me, You have told me that most profound mystery concerning the Self; by that, this delusion of mine has been dispelled."
2. O Krsna, I have heard in detail about the origin and dissolution of all beings, which come from You, as well as Your immutable greatness.
3. O Supreme Lord, as You have described Yourself, so You are. I wish to behold Your divine form, O Supreme Person.
4. If you think, O Lord, that it can be seen by me, then, O Lord of Yoga, reveal Yourself fully to me.
5. The Lord said, "Behold, O Arjuna, My forms, hundreds upon thousands, manifold, divine, varied in hue and shape."
6. Behold, O Arjuna, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins, and the Maruts—many marvels never seen before.
7. Behold here, O Arjuna, the entire universe with its mobile and immobile things, all centered in My body, and whatever else you desire to see.
8. But you will not be able to see Me with your own eyes. I give you a divine eye, so behold My Lordly Yoga!
9. Sanjaya said, "O King, having spoken, Sri Krishna, the great Lord of Yoga, then revealed to Arjuna the supreme, lordly form."
10. With innumerable mouths and eyes, many marvelous aspects, numerous divine ornaments, and numerous divine weapons.
11. Wearing celestial garlands and raiments, anointed with divine perfumes, full of wonders, resplendent, boundless, and facing all directions.
12. If a thousand suns were to rise at once in the sky, the resulting splendour would be like the splendour of that mighty One.
13. There, Arjuna beheld the whole universe, with its manifold divisions gathered together in one single spot within the body of the God of gods.
14. Then, Arjuna, overcome with amazement, his hairs standing on end, bowed his head to the Lord and spoke with folded hands.
15. Arjuna said, "O Lord, I behold in Your body all the gods, and all the diverse hosts of beings—Brahma, Siva, who is in Brahma, the seers, and the lustrous snakes."
16. With manifold arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes, I behold Your infinite form on all sides. I see no end, no middle, nor the beginning of You, O Lord of the universe, O You of Universal Form.
17. I behold You as a mass of light, shining everywhere, with a diadem, mace, and discus, hard to behold, blazing like a burning fire and the sun, and immeasurable.
18. You are the Imperishable, Supreme One to be realized. You are the Supreme Substratum of this universe. You are immutable, the guardian of the eternal law; I know You are the Supreme Person who is everlasting.
19. I behold You as having no beginning, middle, or end; Your might is infinite. You are endowed with an innumerable number of arms. The sun and moon are Your eyes, and Your mouth emits burning fire. With Your own radiance, You are warning the entire universe.
20. You alone have pervaded the interspace between heaven and earth, and all the quarters. Beholding your marvelous and terrible form, O Mahatman, the three worlds are greatly overwhelmed with fear.
21. Verily, the hosts of Devas enter into You. Some, in fear, extol You with clasped hands, crying "Hail!" The bands of great seers and Siddhas praise You with meaningful hymns.
22. The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvas, the Asvins, the Maruts, and the Manes, as well as the hosts of Gandharvas, Yaksas, Asuras, and Siddhas—all gaze upon You in amazement.
23. Beholding Your great form with many mouths and eyes, many arms, thighs, and feet, many stomachs, and terrible with many teeth, the worlds tremble, and I too quake, O mighty-armed one.
24. When I behold You touching the Supreme Heaven, shining, multicolored, with yawning mouths and large, resplendent eyes, my inner being trembles in fear. I am unable to find support or peace, O Vishnu.
25. Viewing Your mouths, presenting awe-generating fangs and looking like the consuming fire of final destruction, I know not the quarters of the globe nor do I find repose. Be gracious, O Lord of the Devas! O Abode of the universe!
26. All these sons of Dhrtarastra, together with the hosts of monarchs, Bhisma, Drona, and Karna, along with the leading warriors of our side,
27. Hasten to enter Your fearful mouths with terrible fangs, crushing some of those caught between the teeth to powder.
28. As many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, so do these heroes of the world of men enter into Your flaming mouths.
29. As moths rush swiftly into a blazing fire, leading to their destruction, so do these men swiftly rush into Your mouths, leading to their destruction.
30. Devouring all the worlds on every side with your flaming mouths, you lick them up. Your fiery rays, filling the whole universe with their radiance, scorch it, O Vishnu.
31. Tell me, who are You with this terrible form? Salutations to You, O Supreme God. Be gracious to me. I desire to know You, the Primal One. I do not know Your activities.
32. The Lord said, "I am the world-destroying Time. Manifesting myself fully, I have begun to destroy the worlds here. Even without you, none of the warriors arrayed in the hostile ranks will survive."
33. Therefore, arise, win glory. Conquering your foes, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. By Me they have already been slain. You be merely an instrument, O Arjuna, you great archer!
34. Slay Drona, Bhisma, Jayadratha, Karna, as well as other mighty warriors who have been doomed by Me. Do not feel distressed. Fight; you shall conquer your rivals in the battle.
35. Sanjaya said, Having heard this speech of Krsna, Arjuna did Him obeisance; and trembling with awe, he bowed down again, and with folded palms, his voice choked with emotion, he spoke to Krsna.
36. Arjuna said, Rightly it is, O Krsna, that Your praise should move the world to joy and love. The rakshasas flee in fear on all sides, and all the hosts of siddhas bow down to You.
37. (a) And why should they not, O Mahatma, bow down to You who are great, being the first Creator, even of Brahma? (b) O Infinite, Lord of gods, O You who have the universe as Your abode! You are the imperishable individual self, the existent and the non-existent, and that which is beyond both.
38. (a) You are the Primal God and the Ancient One. You are the Supreme resting place of the universe... (b)...You are the Knower and the object of knowledge, and the Supreme Abode. Through You, O infinite of form, is this universe pervaded.
39. (a) You are Yayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Sashanka, Prajapati, and the great-grandsire. (b) Hail to You a thousand times! Hail to You again and yet again!
40. (a) Salutations to You from before and behind! Salutations to You from all sides, O All!৷৷. (b) ৷৷. O You of infinite prowess and heroic action, which are measureless! You pervade all beings, and therefore, You are all.
41. Unaware of Your majesty, and either out of negligence or love, or considering You to be a friend, whatever I have said rudely, such as 'O Krsna, O Yadava, O Comrade,'
42. And whatever disrespect has been shown to You in jest, while playing, resting, sitting, or eating, whether alone or in the presence of others, O Acyuta—I implore You for forgiveness, You who are incomprehensible.
43. You are the father of this world, of all that moves and does not move. You are its teacher and the one most worthy of reverence. There is none equal to You. How then could there be in the three worlds another greater than You, O Being of matchless greatness?
44. Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I implore Your mercy, O adorable Lord. As a father listens to his son or a friend to his friend, it is fitting, O Lord, that You, who are dear to me, should bear with me who am dear to You.
45. Seeing something never seen before, I am delighted. But my mind is also filled with awe. Show me, O Lord! Your other form. O Lord of the gods! Be gracious, O Abode of the universe!
46. I wish to see You ever as before, with crown and mace and discus in hand. Assume again that four-armed shape, O Thou the thousand-armed, of Universal Form!
47. The Lord said, "By My grace, O Arjuna, this Supreme Form, luminous, universal, infinite, and primal—never seen before by anyone but you—has been revealed to you through My own free will."
48. Neither through the study of the Vedas, nor by sacrifices, nor by recitations of the scriptures, nor by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by strict austerities can I be realized in a form like this in the world of men by anyone else but you. O Arjuna!
49. You need not fear any longer, nor be perplexed, looking upon this awe-inspiring form of Mine. Free from fear and with a gladdened heart, behold once again that other form of Mine.
50. Sanjaya said, Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Sri Krsna once more revealed His own form. The Mahatman, assuming a benign form again, reassured him who had been struck with awe.
51. Arjuna said, "Having beheld Your human and pleasing form, O Krsna, I am now composed in mind and have been restored to my normal nature."
52. The Lord said, "It is very hard to behold this form of Mine which you have seen. Even the gods everlong to behold this form."
53. Sri Krishna says, "I cannot be seen in such a form as You have seen Me, not by the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice."
54. But by single-minded devotion, O Arjuna, it is possible to truly know, to see, and to enter into Me, who am of this form, O harasser of foes.
55. Whoever works for Me, regards Me as the highest and is devoted to Me, free from attachment and without animosity towards any creature, they come to Me, O Arjuna.