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Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 11.1

Vishwa Roopa Darshana Yoga (The Yoga of the Vision of The Cosmic Form )

(Slokas 1-14)

                 

                                       The eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called Vishwa Roopa Darshana Yoga (The Yoga of the Vision of The Cosmic Form). Arjuna says to Lord Krishna that his delusion is gone after listening to the Glories of the Lord from Bhagavan Krishna Himself. Then, he humbly requests Sri Krishna to show His Divine, Imperishable form. The Lord obliges his devotee’s wishes and shows Arjuna His Vishwa Roopam (Cosmic Form). Since Arjuna cannot see the Cosmic Form with his human eyes, Bhagavan Krishna gives him the “Divine Eye” (Divya Chakshu). Arjuna is overwhelmed and overjoyed. With extreme wonderment and devotion, Arjuna describes the Vishwa Roopam in extensive detail.

                                         Further, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that it is very difficult to see Him (the Lord) in this Cosmic Form and that any number of spiritual practices would not be enough to see Him in this form. Sri Krishna also explains what requisites are needed for seeing the Lord in this Cosmic Form.  

 

1.  Arjuna uvācha

mad-anugrahāya paramaṃ guhyamadhyātma-sañjñitam
yattvayōktaṃ vachastēna mōhō'yaṃ vigatō mama

Arjuna said:

By this word of the highest secret concerning the Self, which you have spoken out of compassion towards me, my delusion is gone.


2. bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṃ śrutau vistaraśō mayā
    tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣa māhātmyam api chāvyayam

O lotus-eyed Krishna, I have heard in detail from You about the origin and destruction of beings, and also of Your inexhaustible greatness.


3. ēvam-ētadyathāt thatvam-ātmānaṃ paramēśvara
    draṣṭum-ichchāmi tē rūpam-aiśvaraṃ puruṣōttama

O supreme Lord! as You have thus described Yourself, in that way, I wish to see Your divine form, O Purushottama!


4. manyasē yadi tachchakyaṃ mayā draṣṭum-iti prabhō
    yōgēśvara tatō mē tvaṃ darśayātmānam-avyayam

If You, O Lord! Think it is possible for me to see it, O Lord of yoga, then please show me Your Imperishable Self form.

             

                     In the first four slokas of Chapter 11, Arjuna tells Bhagavan Sri Krishna that his delusion is gone, after listening to the Glories of the Lord, described by Bhagavan Himself earlier (please refer to chapter 10). Arjuna also learned about the origin and destruction of all the living beings from Bhagavan Krishna. Now, Arjuna gets another desire and requests the Lord that he wants to see Him in his Divine, Imperishable form, only if Bhagavan thinks it is possible for Arjuna to see it.


5. Srībhagavānuvācha              
paśya mē pārtha rūpāṇi śataśō'tha sahasraśaḥ
nānāvidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛtīni cha

The Blessed Lord said:

Behold, O Partha! My forms, by hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, divine and of various colors and shapes.


6. paśyādityān-vasūn‍-rudrān-aśvinau marutas-tathā
    bahūnya dṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi paśyāścharyāṇi bhārata

Behold, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the (two) Aśvinī-kumāras and all the Maruts; behold O Bhārata, many wonders never seen before.


7. ihaikasthaṃ jagat-kṛtsnaṃ paśyādya sacharā charam
    mama dēhē guḍākēśa yachcha‍ān yad‍-draṣṭum-ichchasi

Now behold, O Gudakesa! In this body of Mine, the whole universe centered in one, the moving and the unmoving and whatever else you wish to see,

8. na tu māṃ śakyasē draṣṭum-anēnaiva sva-chakṣuṣā
    divyaṃ dadāmi tē chakṣuḥ paśya mē yōgam-aiśvaram

But you cannot see Me with your (own) eyes. (Therefore), I give you divine sight. Behold My lordly yoga.

 

                       When Arjuna requested thus, the Lord obliged His devotee’s wishes and said to Arjuna that He will show the whole universe, all the moving and the unmoving objects, and anything else that Arjuna wanted to see. Bhagavan also showed him the Adityas, the Rudras and the two Ashwin kumaras. He showed hundreds and thousands of divine forms, which were of different colors and shapes. But since Arjuna could not see this Cosmic Form with his own human eyes, the Lord provided him with “Divya Chakshu” (Divine eye).

                       I would like to point out that Sanjaya was also provided with the ability to see and hear from a distance, (from the King's palace), what was happening at the warfront, and report it to the blind king Dhritarashtra. This temporary ability was provided to Sanjaya by the sage Veda Vyasa with his yogic powers.

  At this point, the poet Vyasa tells us what Sanjaya saw and described in detail to Dhritarashtra, the blind king.

 

9. Sañjaya uvācha

    ēvam-uktvā tatō rājan-mahā-yōgēśvarō hariḥ
    darśayāmāsa pārthāya paramaṃ rūpam-aiśvaram

Sañjaya said:

Having thus spoken, O king! The great Lord of yoga, Hari, showed Partha, His supreme form, as the Lord (of the universe).


10. anēka-vak‍tra-nayanam anēkādbhuta-darśanam
      anēka-divyābharaṇaṃ divyānēkōdyat-āyudham

With numerous mouths and eyes, with numerous wonderful sights, with numerous divine ornaments, with numerous uplifted divine weapons (such a form the Lord showed)


11. divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṃ divya-gandhānulēpanam
       sarvāścharyamayaṃ dēvam-anantaṃ viśvatōmukham

 wearing divine garlands (necklaces) and apparels, anointed with celestial perfumes, all wonderful, resplendent, endless, facing all sides.


12. divi sūrya-sahasrasya bhavēd-yugapad-utthitā
       yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syād-bha‍āsastasya mahātmanaḥ

If the splendor of a thousand suns were to blaze out all at once (simultaneously) in the sky, that would be like the splendor of that mighty Being (great soul).


13. tatraikasthaṃ jagat-kṛtsnaṃ pravibhaktam-anēkadhā
      apaśyad-dēvadēvasya śarīrē pāṇḍavas-tadā

There, in the body of the God of gods, the Pandava (son of Pandu) then saw the whole universe, resting in one, with all its infinite parts.


14. tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭō hṛṣṭarōmā dhanañjayaḥ
      praṇamya śirasā dēvaṃ kṛtāñjalir-abhāṣata

Then, Dhanañjaya, filled with wonder, with his hair standing on end, bowed down his head to the Lord, spoke with joined palms.

 

                               Sanjaya said that Lord Hari (another name for Bhagavan Sri Krishna) showed Arjuna His numerous mouths and eyes, numerous ornaments and many uplifted weapons. The glorious splendor looked as if thousands of Suns blazed at the same time. Arjuna saw the entire universe in One. Then Arjuna, filled with wonder, with his hair standing on end, bowed down and described the Cosmic Form of the Lord, with joined palms in prayer position. This indicates the ecstasy that Arjuna was feeling on seeing the Lord.

                               It should be noted that it is impossible to describe the Infinite (God), with words that are finite. When Veda Vyasa tells us about the splendor of thousands of Suns blazing, it's only a number. It is impossible to describe the glories of the Lord, who is Absolute, in relative terms. The sage Vyasa tries to give us the best possible description of the Lord, One Who is indescribable.

 

                            How Arjuna described the Cosmic Form of the Lord, we will see in chapter 11.2

 

Hari Om!

Dr. Shanmugam