Conversation 11
Vision of the Universal Form
Arjuna said:
11:1. Out of compassion you revealed to me this Highest Mystery of the Divine Atman. It has dispelled my ignorance.
11:2. You told me, O Lotus-eyed, how all beings arise and disappear. I have learned also about Your Imperishable Greatness.
11:3. As You describe Yourself, O Great Lord, I am thirsting to see You in Your Divine Form, O Supreme Spirit!
11:4. If you hold me worthy to see It, O God, then show me Your Eternal Being, O Lord of Yoga!
The Blessed Lord said:
11:5. Behold, O Partha, My Forms, hundreds and thousands, Divine, multicolored, multifarious!
11:6. Behold adityas, vasus, rudras, asvins, maruts. Behold countless miracles, O Bharata!
11:7. Behold in My Being, O Gudakesha, the entire universe — moving and nonmoving — with all what you desire to see!
11:8. But truly you are not capable of seeing Me by your eyes, so I endow you with divine eyes. Behold My Supreme Yoga!
Sanjaya said:
11:9. Having uttered this the Great Lord of Yoga showed to Arjuna His Universal Form
11:10. with countless eyes and mouths, with many miraculous sights, with numerous divine adornments, brandishing numerous divine weapons,
11:11. in divine garments and necklaces, anointed with divine fragrant oils, with faces to all sides, all-wonderful, flaming, infinite.
11:12. And even if the shining of thousand suns would blaze forth in the sky it cannot be compared to the Glory of this Great Soul.
11:13. In It Arjuna saw the whole universe subdivided into many worlds, but united into one in the Body of the Highest Deity.
11:14. Then astonished Arjuna bowed his head to the Deity, joined his palms and spoke.
Arjuna said:
11:15. In You, O God, I see gods, all kinds of beings, the Lord-Brahman seated in a wonderful lotus asana, all rishis, and wondrous celestial serpents.
11:16. With countless arms, bellies, mouths, eyes — everywhere I see You — unlimited are Your manifestations. My eyes can see neither the beginning, nor the middle, nor the end of Your Glory, O Infinite, Boundless Lord!
11:17. I behold Your Radiance, Your infinite omnipresent Light with discs, diadems, and scepters. Like blazing flame, or a dazzling sun You radiate the rays of light hard to look at.
11:18. You are beyond my thinking, O Imperishable Lord, the Supreme Goal, the Foundation of the universe, the Immortal Keeper of the eternal dharma, the Primordial Soul — thus my mind conceives You!
11:19. There is neither the beginning of You, nor the middle, nor the end! You are unlimited in Your Power! Your arms are countless! Like suns and moons are Your eyes! When I behold Your Face It blazes like sacrificial fire and scorches the worlds with Your Glory!
11:20. You alone fill heavens and all planets and all which is extended invisibly between them. The whole triune world trembles in front of You, O Mighty One, in front of Your appalling Face!
11:21. Hosts of gods surrender to You folding palms in awe. All appeal to You! And armies of saints praising You make hymns that sound throughout the entire universe.
11:22. And hosts of rudras, adityas, vasus and sadhyas, visvas, asvins, maruts, ancestors, gandharvas, asuras, yakshas, gods — all are admiring You!
11:23. Seeing Your mighty Form with eyes and mouths of untold number, with rows of fearsome teeth, with vast breast, with countless hands and feet the worlds are trembling and so am I.
11:24. Like a rainbow in heaven You are shining with dazzling light — with mouths wide open and giant flaming eyes. You permeate my Atman … As I behold You my strength fades away, my peace vanishes…
11:25. Like flaming glittering swords are Your numerous teeth in the open fearful jaws. The sight of them terrifies me, I do not know where to hide from the vision of You. Be merciful, O Lord, the Refuge of the worlds!
11:26. Dhritarashtra’s sons and many rulers from various countries of the Earth, Bhishma, Drona and Karna, and heroes from the both belligerent parties —
11:27. all they are rushing into Your open moths where rows of teeth glitter fearfully. Like mighty millstones they grind all warriors clutched between them turning their bodies to ashes.
11:28. As waters of rivers rapidly and violently rush towards the great ocean even so these mighty warriors, rulers of the Earth rush headlong into Your open burning mouths.
11:29. As a moss swiftly flies into a flame to die in it so do they rush into the dreadful jaws to disappear in them and find death there.
11:30. Devouring everything in all directions the fire of your countless tongues burns to ashes all creatures. The space is filled with Your Radiance! The world is blazing under Your all-pervading rays, O Lord!
11:31. Reveal to me Your essence! Your vision is terrifying me beyond all measure! I prostrate myself in front of You! Have mercy on me, O Mighty Lord! What is concealed in You I aspire to know! But Your present form is dreadful for me!
The Blessed Lord said:
11:32. I am the Time that brings despair to the world, that slays all people, manifesting its law on the Earth. No one of the warriors arraying here for battle will escape death. You alone will not cease to live.
11:33. Therefore, arise! And reach your glory, vanquish your enemies, and enjoy the power of your kingdom! They are already slain by My Will. You provide just the outer appearance, slay them by your hand.
11:34. Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and all the warriors present here are already doomed to die. Therefore, fight boldly, O Arjuna! And the victory on this battlefield will be yours!
Sanjaya said:
11:35. Having heard the words said by the Lord, Arjuna trembling and prostrating, addressed Krishna again with voice faltering of fear:
11:36. The worlds are right to rejoice in praising You in songs and hymns beholding Your Magnificence, O Hrishikesha. Hosts of saints prostrate in front of You and demons scatter in fear.
11:37. And how can they not venerate the Great Atman that is superior to Brahman! O Infinite One! The Lord of all righteous men! Refuge of all worlds! Eternal! You are both Being and Non-being, and That Which is beyond Them!
11:38. Among gods no one is superior to You! The Primordial One! The Supreme Refuge of all the living! You pervade the entire universe! O Cognizable! O Omniscient! The whole universe is contained in Your Form!
11:39. You are the God of wind, the God of life, the God of death, the God of fire, the God of water. You are the Moon, the Father, the Progenitor of all beings. Be praised thousand times, again and again! Be ever praised!
11:40. All prostrate in front of You! Hail to You from all sides! There is neither limit to Your Might nor measure to You Power! You include everything since You are Everything!
11:41. If I sometimes inadvertently addressed You as my friend: “O Krishna! O my friend!”, I did this out of my emotions being unaware of Your Greatness,.
11:42. And while resting, joking, playing, eating, or having fun I did not show the due respect to You — being alone with You or with other friends — I beseech You: forgive me my sin, O Immeasurable!
11:43. The Father of the worlds and of all the moving or non-moving! The most honorable and glorious Guru! There is nothing comparable to You! Who can excel You? Who in the all worlds can surpass You Glory?
11:44. I prostrate myself in awe before You and implore You: be forbearing with me! Be my father, be my friend! As loving one with his beloved even so you bear with me!
11:45. I beheld You Glory seen no one before. I am shivering with fear and joy. I implore You: assume Your previous form! Have mercy on me. O the Lord of gods, the Refuge of worlds!
11:46. I strive to see former You in Your glittering crown and with kingly mace in hand! Show me Your form, which is known and dear to me! Hide this multi-armed form of Yours unbearable for mortals!
The Blessed Lord said:
11:47. Arjuna! By My Grace you came to know My supreme and eternal Form, which is revealed only in Yoga, in mergence with the Atman. Of the men around no one but you have seen it.
11:48. Neither merits, nor knowing the Vedas, nor offerings, nor exploits of ascetics, nor profoundness of knowledge — nothing is able to reveal this concealed Form of Mine that you saw.
11:49. Allay your confusion and trepidation, do not be afraid about seeing My awesome Form. Forget your fear! Cheer up your spirit! Behold My form well known to you!
Sanjaya said:
11:50. Having said these words Krishna assumed His usual appearance and comforted shocked Arjuna. The Great assumed again His gracious from.
Arjuna said:
11:51. Seeing again Your gracious human appearance I am coming to oneself and regaining my normal state.
The Blessed Lord said:
11:52. That Form of Mine which you have seen is very hard to see. Even gods are ever eager to see It.
11:53 One cannot see Me such as you have seen even if he knows all the Vedas, performs ascetic exploits, makes offerings.
11:54. Only love can behold Me thus, O Arjuna! Only love can contemplate Me in My innermost Essence and merge with Me.
11:55. He who does everything (only) for Me, for whom I am the Supreme Goal, who loves Me, who is not attached, devoid of enmity — that one comes to Me, O Pandava.
Thus in the upanishads of the blessed Bhagavad Gita, the Science of Eternal, the Scripture of yoga, says the eleventh conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjuna, entitled:
Vision of the Universal Form.
