Introduction🔗

Arjuna now makes his final plea in these verses. 'Show me Your form that I am familiar with, ' he says, 'the One that I am comfortable with. I am grateful and overwhelmed by the visions that You have shown me, but what I am comfortable with is Your four-handed form, holding the discus and mace, as the Protector of the Universe. I am not comfortable; I am indeed fearful of the terrifying form of You as the Destroyer, however real it may be.' All of us are in the same situation as Arjuna.

We all have fixed ideas of what divinity is, what motherhood is, what love is, and what friendship is. Existence does not work that way. Existence does not differentiate between good and bad, between beautiful and ugly.

In the Vishnu Sahasranama, which is recited by Bhisma as he was awaiting his liberation, he describes Vishnu as 'Peaceful, emanating bliss…' If instead, Bhisma had used words to describe the fearsome attributes of Vishnu such as: 'Frightful destroyer, with burning mouths…' and so on, how many would recite the Sahasranama?

It is a different matter that most people who go through the motions of reading and reciting the thousand names of Vishnu do not understand a word of what they are saying!

But if you do understand what the words mean, and if you are not in equilibrium, you will be disturbed. These words, understood to be negative by your logical mind, will create severe emotional turbulence within you.

A yogi is one who has passed beyond these turbulences. Arjuna at this point in time is yet to reach this stage. He still seeks the safety and comfort of the four handed divine Protector that he is used to, rather than the terrifying Mahakala.

To understand that a balanced mind will help us to cognize the true nature of the Divine. GOALS: