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Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 11.4

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

(Slokas 47 - 55)

 

                                When Arjuna asked Bhagawan Sri Krishna to kindly withdraw his Cosmic form and show his original form, the Blessed Lord said the following:

 

47. Srībhagavānuvācha
     mayā prasannēna tavārjunēdaṃ
     rūpaṃ paraṃ darśitam-ātma-yōgāt
     tējōmayaṃ viśvam-anantam-ādyaṃ
     yanmē tvadanyēna na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam

The Blessed Lord said, “Graciously by me, O Arjuna! This supreme form has been shown to you by My own yoga power - full of splendor, primeval, infinite, this universal form of Mine had never been seen by any other than Yourself.”


48. na veda-yajñādhyayanairna dānaihi
      na cha kriyābhirna tapōbhirugraiḥ
      evaṃ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṃ nṛlōkē
     draṣṭuṃ tvadanyēna kurupravīra

Neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by rituals, nor by severe penances can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than yourself, O great hero among the Kurus!


49. mā tē vyathā mā cha vimūḍha-bhāvō
      dṛṣṭvā rūpaṃ ghōram-īdṛṅ‍mamēdam
      vyapētabhīḥ prītamanāḥ punastvaṃ
      tadēva mē rūpamidaṃ prapaśya

Be not afraid nor bewildered on seeing such a terrible form of Mine as this; with your fear dispelled and with gladdened heart, now behold again this former form of Mine.

 

                      Bhagavan Sri Krishna said that even the gods (devas in heaven) are not able to see this infinite Form of His. It cannot be seen by either studying the Vedas (jnanam) or by penance (tapas) or by charity (daanam). But it was by God's Grace, that Arjuna was able to see this Form. Bhagwan Krishna also assured Arjuna not to be afraid and that He will change back to His original Form.


50. Sañjaya uvācha
      ityarjunaṃ vāsudēvas-tathōktvā
      svakaṃ rūpaṃ darśayāmāsa bhūyaḥ
      āśvāsayāmāsa cha bhītamēnaṃ
      bhūtvā punaḥ saumyavapur-mahātmā

Sañjaya said (to Dhṛtarāṣṭra):

Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva again showed His own form, and the great souled one, assuming His gentle form, consoled him who was so terrified.


51. Arjuna uvācha
      dṛṣṭvēdaṃ mānuṣaṃ rūpaṃ tava saumyaṃ janārdana ।
      idānīm-asmi saṃvṛttaḥ sachētāḥ prakṛtiṃ gataḥ

Arjuna said, “Having seen this, Your gentle human form, O Janārdana, I am now composed and restored to my own nature”.

 

                         Sanjaya said to the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Vaasudeva (another name for Lord Krishna) again showed his own form. Arjuna became calm again after seeing the gentle human form of Janārdana (another name for Bhagavan Sri Krishna).

 

52. Srībhagavānuvācha
      sudurdarśam-idaṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭavānasi yanmama
     dēvā apyasya rūpasya nityaṃ darśana-kāṅ‍‍kṣiṇaḥ

The Blessed Lord said, “Very hard indeed, it is to see this form of Mine, which you have seen. Even the gods are ever longing to behold this form”.

                                                                                      
53. nāhaṃ vēdairna tapasā na dānēna na chējyayā
      śakya ēvaṃvidhō draṣṭuṃ dṛṣṭavānasi māṃ yathā

Neither by (study of) the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity, nor by sacrifices can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me (in your present mental condition).

 

                 Bhagavan Sri Krishna now concludes by again reiterating that even the gods (devas in heaven) are not able to see this form of His. It cannot be seen by either studying the Vedas (jnanam) or by penance (tapas) or by charity (daanam).

A question arises in the devotee’s mind.

                How can the Lord be seen in His Cosmic Form if neither Knowledge of the Vedas or charity or penance are not good enough to see the Lord in His original form? What else can the devotee do to see Bhagavan in His Cosmic Form?

Bhagavan Sri Krishna answers that doubt in the following final two slokas.


54. bhaktya‍ā tvananyayā śakya aham-ēvaṃvidhō'rjuna
      jñātuṃ draṣṭuṃ cha tattvēna pravēṣṭuṃ cha parantapa

But by the single-minded devotion, can I, of this form, be known and seen in reality and also entered into, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes).

                            

“There was a discussion as to whether a man can see God with his physical eyes. No, God cannot be perceived with human eyes. When bhakti is practiced, the Sadhaka (one who single pointedly devotes time and energy in remembering Bhagawan in all activities), develops a superior sense organ, with which he has the power to see and hear super mundane things. With that spiritual eye, God can be seen, and the devotee comingles with him”-- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa


55. matkarmakṛn matparamō madbha‍ktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ
      nirvairaḥ sarvabhūtēṣu yaḥ sa māmēti pāṇḍava

He who does actions for Me, who looks upon Me as the supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears enmity towards none, he comes to Me, O Pandava!

  

Bhagavan says that by single-pointed devotion (Ananya Bhakthi) to Him alone, a person can see this Cosmic Form of His and also entered into, which would mean becoming one with the Lord.

(“Identifying ourselves with the Self (Atman) is called bhakti” – Adi Sankara.)

The Lord gives more options for his devotee.

They are

1) A person who does actions for the Lord and for the sake of the Lord only (Karma Yoga).

2) One who looks upon Him as the supreme.

3) One who is devoted to the Lord (Bhakti Yoga).

4) One who is free from attachment.

5) One who does not have any enmity towards anyone, that person comes to the Lord, meaning he becomes one with God.

 

      Now, Let us discuss the exact meaning of the words in the final sloka # 55.

    There are five ways to reach God as per Bhagavan Sri Krishna. They are as follows:

1) Matkarma-kṛn - “One who does actions for Me” (and Me alone).

– this has been explained in extensive detail in chapter 3 (Karma Yoga),

where Sri Krishna says, that “your duty is to work only but not to the fruits of (results of) your action”.

 

2) Matparamō – “one who looks upon Me as the Supreme”.

 

3) Madbha‍ktaḥ - “My devotee” (Bhakti Yoga) - this implies single pointed devotion to the Lord and the Lord only in every day-to-day activity.

 

4) Saṅgavarjitaḥ - “one who is free from attachment”. (to things and beings).

 

5) Nirvairaḥ sarvabhūtēṣu – “one who has enmity towards no one”.

This is the “Brahmi State” where the sage (yogi) does not differentiate between any being, whether humans or animals or birds. The yogi also looks upon both gold and stone in the same way. (“Samatvam yoga ucyate” says Sri Krishna in Chapter 2, meaning “Evenness of mind is yoga”.)

 

yaḥ sa māmēti pāṇḍava – “that person comes to Me, O Pandava” (Arjuna).

 

    Why should one be detached in this world?

    One may ask “why is attachment such a bad thing?”

I am tempted here to go into a little detail about a time when Lord Krishna decides to depart from this world in this incarnation (avatar) as Sri Krishna. At that time, the teaching He imparted to his devotee Uddhava is called “Uddhav Gita”. In Uddhav Gita, Sri Krishna tells Uddhava not to get attached to things and beings. He even tells Uddhava not to get attached to “this body called Krishna” and meditate on the Self (atman).

          Sri Krishna further says that “the more the attachment is, the more severe will be the pain when the wrench comes”. (That means when the friend or family member we are very attached to departs either by death or moves to another country or state, the pain of separation will be more severe).    

 

Om tat sat iti Srimad Bhagavadgitasu Upanishatsu Brahmavidyayam yogasastre

Sri Krishnarjuna samvade Vibhutiyogo nama ekadasho dhyaayaha.

Thus, in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad-Gita, the Science of the Eternal, the Scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the eleventh discourse entitled Vishwa Roopa Darshana Yoga (The Yoga of the Vision of The Cosmic Form).

 

Summary of the eleventh chapter:

                           The eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called Vishwa Roopa Dharshana Yoga (The Yoga of the Vision of the  Cosmic Form). Arjuna tells 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 (by His Grace), grants him divine eyes (vision).

                         Arjuna is overwhelmed and overjoyed at the sight of Lord’s divine form. With extreme wonderment and devotion, Arjuna describes the Vishwa Roopam in extensive detail. After that, he gets scared and requests the Lord to show His original form with mace, discus (chakram) and gada.  The Lord again responds to the wishes of his devotee by withdrawing the Cosmic form.

                         Then, Bhagavan Krishna tells Arjuna that the Cosmic Form cannot be seen by either studying the Vedas (jnana) or by penance (tapas) or by charity (daanam). Bhagavan says that by single-minded devotion (Bhakthi) alone a person can see this Cosmic form and entered into and become One with the Lord.

                    The Lord concludes by saying that one who does actions for the sake of God only (Karma Yoga), or one who looks upon Him as the supreme or one who is totally devoted to the Lord (Bhakthi Yoga) and is free from attachment and does not have any enmity towards anyone, that person comes to the Lord, meaning he becomes One with God.

 

Thus concludes Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad-Gita titled “Vishwa Roopa Darshana Yoga”

(The Yoga of the Vision of The Cosmic Form)

 

 

   Hari Om!

Dr. Shanmugam