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The Bhagavad-Geeta - Chapter 11
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The Bhagavad-Geeta
Copyright 1988 by Dr. Ramanand Prasad - All Rights Reserved
Reproduction in for-sale media is prohibited.
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CHAPTER 11
VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM
Arjuna said: My illusion is dispelled by Your profound words, that
You spoke out of compassion towards me, about the supreme secret of
the Self. (11.01)
O Krishna, I have heard from You in detail about the origin and
dissolution of beings, and Your imperishable glory. (11.02)
O Lord, You are as You have said, yet I wish to see Your divine
cosmic form, O Supreme Being. (11.03)
O Lord, if You think it is possible for me to see this, then O Lord
of the yogis, show me Your imperishable Self. (11.04)
The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, behold My hundreds and thousands
of multifarious divine forms of different colors and shapes.
(11.05)
See the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Ashvins, and the
Maruts. Behold, O Arjuna, many wonders never seen before. (11.06)
O Arjuna, now behold the entire creation; animate, inanimate, and
whatever else you like to see; all at one place in My body. (11.07)
But, you are not able to see Me with your physical eye; therefore,
I give you the divine eye to see My majestic power and glory.
(11.08)
Sanjaya said: O King, having said this; Lord Krishna, the great
Lord of (the mystic power of) yoga, revealed His supreme majestic
form to Arjuna. (11.09)
(Arjuna saw the Universal Form of the Lord) with many mouths and
eyes, and many visions of marvel, with numerous divine ornaments,
and holding divine weapons. (11.10)
Wearing divine garlands and apparel, anointed with celestial
perfumes and ointments, full of all wonders, the limitless God with
faces on all sides. (11.11)
If the splendor of thousands of suns were to blaze forth all at
once in the sky, even that would not resemble the splendor of that
exalted being. (11.12)
Arjuna saw the entire universe, divided in many ways, but standing
as (all in) One (and One in all) in the body of Krishna, the God of
gods. (11.13)
Then Arjuna, filled with wonder and his hairs standing on end,
bowed his head to the Lord and prayed with folded hands. (11.14)
Arjuna said: O Lord, I see in Your body all the gods and multitude
of beings, all sages, celestial serpents, Lord Shiva as well as
Lord Brahmaa seated on the lotus. (11.15)
O Lord of the universe, I see You everywhere with infinite form,
with many arms, stomachs, faces, and eyes. Neither do I see the
beginning nor the middle nor the end of Your Universal Form.
(11.16)
I see You with Your crown, club, discus; and a mass of radiance,
difficult to behold, shining all around with immeasurable
brilliance of the sun and the blazing fire. (11.17)
I believe You are the imperishable, the Supreme to be realized. You
are the ultimate resort of the universe. You are the protector of
eternal Dharma, and the imperishable primal spirit. (11.18)
I see You with infinite power, without beginning, middle, or end;
with many arms, with the sun and the moon as Your eyes, with Your
mouth as a blazing fire whose radiance is scorching all the
universe. (11.19)
The entire space between heaven and earth is pervaded by You alone
in all directions. Seeing Your marvelous and terrible form, the
three worlds are trembling with fear, O Lord. (11.20)
These hosts of demigods enter into You. Some with folded hands sing
Your names and glories in fear. A multitude of Maharishis and
Siddhas hail and adore You with abundant praises. (11.21)
Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Saadhyas, Vishwedevas, Ashvins, Maruts,
Ushmapas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas; they all
amazingly gaze at You. (11.22)
Seeing your infinite form with many mouths, eyes, arms, thighs,
feet, stomachs, and many fearful teeth; the worlds are trembling
with fear and so do I, O mighty Lord. (11.23)
Seeing Your great effulgent and various-colored form touching the
sky; Your mouth wide open and large shining eyes; I am frightened
and find neither peace nor courage, O Krishna. (11.24)
Seeing Your mouths, with fearful teeth, glowing like fires of
cosmic dissolution, I lose my sense of direction and find no
comfort. Have mercy on me! O Lord of gods, refuge of the universe.
(11.25)
The sons of Dhritaraashtra along with the hosts of kings; Bheeshma,
Drona, and Karna together with chief warriors on our side are also
quickly entering into Your fearful mouths having terrible teeth.
Some are seen caught in between the teeth with their heads crushed.
(11.26-27)
As many torrents of the rivers rush toward the ocean, similarly,
those warriors of the mortal world are entering Your blazing
mouths. (11.28)
As moths rush with great speed into the blazing flame for
destruction, similarly all these people are rapidly rushing into
Your mouths for destruction. (11.29)
You are licking up all the worlds with Your flaming mouths,
swallowing them from all sides. Your powerful radiance is burning
the entire universe, and filling it with splendor, O Krishna.
(11.30)
Tell me who are You in such a fierce form? My salutations to You, O
best of gods, be merciful! I wish to understand You, the primal
Being, because I do not know Your mission. (11.31)
The Supreme Lord said: I am death, the mighty destroyer of the
world, out to destroy. Even without your participation all the
warriors standing arrayed in the opposing armies shall cease to
exist. (11.32)
Therefore, you get up and attain glory. Conquer your enemies and
enjoy a prosperous kingdom. All these (warriors) have already been
destroyed by Me. You are only an instrument, O Arjuna. (11.33)
Kill Drona, Bheeshma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other great warriors
who are already killed by Me. Do not fear. You will certainly
conquer the enemies in the battle, therefore, fight! (11.34)
Sanjaya said: Having heard these words of Krishna; the crowned
Arjuna, trembling with folded hands, prostrated with fear and spoke
to Krishna in a choked voice. (11.35)
Arjuna said: Rightly, O Krishna, the world delights and rejoices in
glorifying You. Terrified demons flee in all directions. The hosts
of Siddhas bow to You in adoration. (11.36)
Why should they not, O great soul, bow to You, the original creator
who is even greater than Brahmaa? O infinite Lord, O God of gods, O
abode of the universe, You are both Sat and Asat, and the
imperishable Brahman that is beyond both (Sat and Asat). (11.37)
You are the primal God, the most ancient Person. You are the
ultimate resort of all the universe. You are the knower, the object
of knowledge, and the supreme abode. The entire universe is
pervaded by You, O Lord of the infinite form. (11.38)
You are Vaayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Shashaanka, and Brahmaa as well
as the father of Brahmaa. Salutations to You a thousand times, and
again and again salutations to You. (11.39)
My salutations to You from front and from behind. O Lord, my
obeisances to You from all sides. You are infinite valor and the
boundless might. You pervade everything, and therefore You are
everywhere and in everything. (11.40)
Considering You merely as a friend, not knowing Your greatness, I
have inadvertently addressed You as O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend;
merely out of affection or carelessness. (11.41)
In whatever way I may have insulted You in jokes; while playing,
reposing in bed, sitting, or at meals; when alone, or in front of
others; O Krishna, I implore You for forgiveness. (11.42)
You are the father of this animate and inanimate world, and the
greatest guru to be worshipped. No one is even equal to You in the
three worlds; how can there be one greater than You? O Being of
Incomparable Glory. (11.43)
Therefore, O adorable Lord, I seek Your grace by bowing down and
prostrating my body before You. Bear with me as a father to his
son, as a friend to a friend, and as a husband to his wife, O Lord.
(11.44)
I am delighted by beholding that which has never been seen before,
and yet my mind is tormented with fear. Show me that (four-armed)
form. O God of gods, the refuge of the universe have mercy! (11.45)
I wish to see You with a crown, holding mace and discus in Your
hand. O Lord with thousand arms and universal form, appear in the
four-armed form. (11.46)
The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, being pleased with you I have
shown you, through My own yogic powers, this supreme, shining,
universal, infinite, and primal form of Mine that has never been
seen before by anyone other than you. (11.47)
Neither by study of the Vedas, nor by Yajna, nor by charity, nor by
rituals, nor by severe austerities, can I be seen in the cosmic
form in this human world by anyone other than you, O Arjuna.
(11.48)
Do not be perturbed and deluded by seeing such a terrible form of
Mine as this. With fearless and cheerful mind, now behold My
four-armed form. (11.49)
Sanjaya said: Lord Krishna, having thus spoken to Arjuna, revealed
His four-armed form. Then assuming His gentle human form, Mahatma
Krishna consoled Arjuna who was terrified. (11.50)
Arjuna said: O Krishna, seeing this gentle human form of Yours, I
have now become composed and I am normal again. (11.51)
The Supreme Lord said: This (four-armed) form of Mine that you have
seen is very difficult, indeed, to see. Even the gods are ever
longing to see this form. (11.52)
Neither by study of the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity,
nor by ritual, can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me.
(11.53)
However, through single-minded devotion alone, I can be seen in
this form, can be known in essence, and also can be reached, O
Arjuna. (11.54)
The one who does all works for Me, and to whom I am the supreme
goal, who is my devotee, who has no attachment, and is free from
enmity towards any being attains Me, O Arjuna. (See also 8.22)
(11.55)
CHAPTER 11 - VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM
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The Bhagavad-Geeta
Copyright 1988 by Dr. Ramanand Prasad - All Rights Reserved
Reproduction in for-sale media is prohibited.
%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%:%
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