You Are The Ultimate
I am the Creator, the Created and the Creation. I Am the beginning, the middle and the end. All else is illusion. He who knows this glory and power of mine, is fully united in Me. Know Me and be liberated.
śrībhagavānuvāca bhūya eva mahābāho śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ I yatte'haṁ prīyamāṇāya vakṣyāmi hitakāmyayā II 10.1
10.1 Lord Kṛṣṇa says: Listen carefully again, Oh mighty-armed Arjuna! Because you are My dear friend, I shall speak further on the Supreme knowledge for your welfare.
na me viduḥ suragaṇāḥ prabhavaṁ na maharṣayaḥ I ahamādirhi devānāṁ maharṣīṇāṁ ca sarvaśaḥ II 10.2
10.2 Neither the hosts of deities nor the great sages know My origin, My opulence. I am the source of the deities and the sages.
yo māmajamanādiṁ ca vetti lokamaheśvaram I asaṁmūḍhaḥ sa martyeṣu sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate II 10.3
10.3 He who knows Me as the unborn, without beginning, and supreme Lord of all the worlds, Only he, who has this clarity, is wise and freed from all bondage.
buddhirjñānam asaṁmohaḥ kṣamā satyaṁ damaḥ śamaḥ I sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhavo 'bhāvo bhayaṁ cābhayameva ca II 10.4
ahiṁsā samatā tuṣṭis tapo dānaṁ yaśo 'yaśaḥ I bhavanti bhāvā bhūtānāṁ matta eva pṛthagvidhāḥ II 10.5
10.4,5 Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happiness, distress, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, non-violence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity, fame and infamy, all these various qualities of living beings are created by Me alone.
maharṣayaḥ sapta pūrve catvāro manavastathā I madbhāvā mānasā jātā yeṣāṁ loka imāḥ prajāḥ II 10.6
10.6 The seven great sages and before them, the four great Manus, endowed with My power, They arose from My mind and all the living beings populating the planet descend from them.
etām vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ I so 'vikampena yogena yujyate nātra saṁśayaḥ II 10.7
10.7 He who knows all this glory and powers of mine, truly, he is fully united in Me; Of that there is no doubt.
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate I iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāvasamanvitāḥ II 10.8
10.8 I am the source of all the spiritual and material worlds. Everything arises from Me. The wise who know this are devoted to Me and surrender their heart to Me.
maccittā madgataprāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam I kathayantaśca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca II 10.9
10.9 With mind and lives absorbed on Me, always enlightening one another and talking about My glories, the wise are content and blissful. ```
``` teṣāṁ satatayuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prītipūrvakam I dadāmi buddhiyogaṁ taṁ yena māmupayānti te II 10.10
10.10 To those who are always engaged in Me with love, I give them enlightenment by which they come to Me.
teṣāṁ evānukampārtham aham ajñānajaṁ tamaḥ I nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvastho jñānadīpena bhāsvatā II 10.11
10.11 Out of compassion to them, I destroy the darkness born out of their ignorance by the shining lamp of knowledge.
Vibhūti Yogaḥ Ch 10
arjuna uvāca
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān I puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādidevamajaṁ vibhum II 10.12
10.12 Arjuna says: You are the supreme truth, supreme sustenance, supremely purifier, the primal, eternal and glorious Lord.
āhustvāmṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣiṛnāradastathā I asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me II 10.13
10.13 All the sages like Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa have explained this. Now you are personally explaining to me.
sarvametadṛtaṁ manye yanmāṁ vadasi keśava I na hi te bhagavan-vyaktiṁ vidurdevā na dānavāḥ II 10.14
10.14 Oh Keśava, I accept all these truths that You have told me. Oh Lord, neither he gods nor the demons know You.
svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣottama I bhūta-bhāvana bhūteśa devadeva jagatpate II 10.15
10.15 Surely, You alone know Yourself by Yourself, Oh Perfect One, the origin of beings, Oh Lord of beings, Oh God of gods, Oh Lord of the world.
vaktum arhasy aśeṣeṇa divyā hy ātma-vibhūtayaḥ I yābhir vibhūtibhir lokān imāṁstvaṁ vyāpya tiṣṭhasi II 10.16 10.16 Only You can describe in detail Your divine glories by which You pervade this universe.
kathaṁ vidyāmahaṁ yogiṁs tvāṁ sadā paricintayan I keṣu keṣu ca bhāveṣu cintyo'si bhagavanmayā II 10.17
10.17 How may I know You by contemplation? In which forms should I contemplate on You, Oh Lord?
vistareṇātmano yogaṁ vibhūtiṁ ca janārdana I bhūyaḥ kathaya tṛptirhi śṛṇvato nāsti me'mṛtam II 10.18
10.18 Tell me in detail of your powers and glories, Oh Janārdana. Again, please tell for my satisfaction as I do not tire of hearing your sweet words.
śrībhagavānuvāca hanta te kathayiṣyāmi divyā hyātmavibhūtayaḥ I prādhānyataḥ kuruśreṣṭha nāstyanto vistarasya me II 10.19
10.19 Kṛṣṇa says, 'Yes, Oh Kuruśreṣṭha, I will talk to you surely of My Divine glories; but only of the main ones as there is no end to the details of My glories.
ahamātmā guḍākeśa sarvabhūtāśayasthitaḥ I ahamādiśca madhyaṁ ca bhūtānāmanta eva ca II 10.20
10.20 I am the Spirit, Oh Guḍākeśa, situated in all living beings. I am surely the beginning, middle and end of all beings.
ādityānāmahaṁ viṣṇur jyotiṣāṁ raviraṁśumān I marīcirmarutāmasmi nakṣatrāṇāmahaṁ śaśī II 10.21
10.21 Of the Ādityas, I am Viṣṇu. Of the luminaries, I am the bright sun. Of the Maruts, I am Marīcī. Of the Nakṣatras, I am the moon.
vedānāṁ sāmavedo'smi devānāmasmi vāsavaḥ I indriyāṇāṁ manaścāsmi bhūtānāmasmi cetanā II 10.22
10.22 Of the Vedas, I am the Sāma Veda. Of the gods, I am Indra. Of the senses, I am the mind and in living beings, I am the consciousness.
rudrāṇāṁ śaṅkaraścāsmi vitteśo yakṣarakṣasām I vasūnāṁ pāvakaścāsmi meruḥ śikhariṇāmaham II 10.23
10.23 Of the Rudras, I am Śaṅkara and of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, I am Kubera, god of wealth. Of the Vasus, I am fire and of the peaks, I am Meru.
purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim I senānīnāmahaṁ skandaḥ sarasāmasmi sāgaraḥ II 10.24
10.24 Of the priests, understand, O Pārtha, that I am the chief Brihaspati. Of the warriors, I am Skanda. Of the water bodies, I am the ocean.
maharṣīṇāṁ bhṛgurahaṁ girāmasmyekamakṣaram I yajñānāṁ japayajño'smi sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ II 10.25
10.25 Of the great sages, I am Bhrigu. Of the vibrations, I am the OM. Of the sacrifices, I am the chanting of holy names. Of the immovable objects, I am the Himālayas.
aśvatthaḥ sarvavṛkṣāṇāṁ devarṣīṇāṁ ca nāradaḥ I gandharvāṇāṁ citrarathaḥ siddhānāṁ kapilo muniḥ II 10.26
10.26 Of all the trees, I am the Banyan tree and of all the sages of the gods, I am Nārada. Of the Gandharvas, I am Chitraratha. Of the realized souls, I am the sage Kapila.
uccaiḥśravas amaśvānāṁ viddhi mām amṛtodbhavam I airāvataṁ gajendrāṇāṁ narāṇāṁ ca narādhipam II 10.27
10.27 Of the horses, know me to be Ucchaiṣravas born of the nectar generated from the churning of the ocean; Of the elephants, Airāvata and of men, the king.
āyudhānāmahaṁ vajraṁ dhenūnāmasmi kāmadhuk I prajanaścāsmi kandarpaḥ sarpāṇāmasmi vāsukiḥ II 10.28
10.28 Of the weapons, I am the thunderbolt. Of the cows, I am Kamadhenu; For begetting children, I am the god of love. Of the snakes, I am Vasuki.
anantaścāsmi nāgānāṁ varuṇo yādasām aham I pitṛṇāmaryamā cāsmi yamaḥ saṁyamatāmaham II 10.29
10.29 Of the serpents, I am Ananta. Of the water deities, I am Varuṇa. Of the ancestors, I am Aryama and of the ones who ensure discipline, I am Yama.
prahlādaścāsmi daityānāṁ kālaḥ kalayatāmaham I mṛgāṇāṁ ca mṛgendro'haṁ vainateyaśca pakṣiṇām II 10.30
10.30 Of the Daitya (demons), I am Prahlad and of the reckoners, I am time. Of the animals, I am the king of animals (lion) and of the birds, I am Garuda.
pavanaḥ pavatāmasmi rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāmaham I jhaṣāṇāṁ makaraścāsmi srotasāmasmi jānhavī II 10.31
10.31 Of the purifiers, I am the wind. Of the wielders of weapons, I am Rāma. Of the water beings, I am the shark and of the flowing rivers, I am Jahnavi (Gaṅgā).
sargāṇāmādirantaśca madhyaṁ caivāhamarjuna I adhyātmavidyā vidyānāṁ vādaḥ pravadatāmaham II 10.32
10.32 Of all creations, I am surely the beginning and end and the middle, O Arjuna. Of all knowledge, I am the spiritual knowledge of the Self. Of all arguments, I am the logic.
akṣarāṇāmakāro'smi dvandvaḥ sāmāsikasya ca I ahaṁevākṣayaḥ kālo dhātāhaṁ viśvatomukhaḥ II 10.33
10.33 Of the letters, I am the 'A'. Of the dual words, I am the compounds and surely I am the never-ending time. I am the Omniscient who sees everything.
mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham udbhavaśca bhaviṣyatāï I kīrtiḥ śrīrvākca nāriṇāṁ smṛtirmedhā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā II 10.34
10.34 I am the all-devouring death and I am the creator of all things of the future. Of the feminine, I am fame, fortune, beautiful speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience.
bṛhatsāma tathā sāmnāṁ gāyatrī chandasām aham I māsānāṁ mārgaśīrṣo'ham ṛtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ II 10.35
10.35 Of the Sāma Veda hymns, I am the Bṛhat Sāma and of all poetry, I am the Gāyatrī. Of the months, I am Mārgaśīrṣa and of the seasons, I am Spring.
dyūtaṁ chalayatām asmi tejas tejasvinām aham I jayo'smi vyavasāyo'smi sattvaṁ sattvavatām aham II 10.36
10.36 Of all the cheating, I am Gambling. Of the effulgent things, I am the Effulgence. I am Victory, I am Effort, I am the Goodness (sattva) of those who are with satva (good) quality.
Vibhūti Yogaḥ Ch 10
vṛṣṇīnāṁ vāsudevo'smi pāṇḍavānāṁ dhanañjayaḥ I munīnāmapyahaṁ vyāsaḥ kavīnāmuśanā kaviḥ II 10.37
10.37 Of the descendants of Vṛṣṇi, I am Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa. Of the Pāṇḍavas, I am Arjuna. Of the sages, I am also Vyāsa and of the seer, I am Uśāna.
daṇḍo damayatām asmi nītirasmi jigīṣatām I maunaṁ caivāsmi guhyānāṁ jñānaṁ jñānavatāmaham II 10.38
10.38 Of rulers, I am their Sceptre. Of the victorious, I am Statesmanship. Of all secrets, I am also Silence. Of the wise, I am Wisdom.
yaccāpi sarvabhūtānāṁ bījaṁ tadahamarjuna I na tadasti vinā yat syān mayā bhūtaṁ carācaram II 10.39
10.39 Also, of whatever beings exist, I am the seed, O Arjuna. There is nothing that exists without Me in all creations, moving and unmoving.
nānto'sti mama divyānāṁ vibhūtīnāṁ parantapa I eṣa tūddeśataḥ prokto vibhūtervistaro mayā II 10.40
10.40 There is no end to My Divine glories, Oh Parantapa. What have been says by Me are examples of My detailed glories.
yad yad vibhūtimat sattvaṁ śrīmad ūrjitameva vā I tat tad evā'vagaccha tvaṁ mama tejoṁśa saṁbhavam II 10.41 10.41 You should know that whatever glories exist or whatever beautiful and glorious exists, all that surely is born of just a portion of My splendour.
athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna I viṣṭabhyāhamidaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat II 10.42
10.42 Of what use is to know about the many manifestations of this kind, O Arjuna? I pervade this entire world with just a part of Myself.
iti śrīmad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṁvāde vibhūtiyogo nāma daśamo'dhyāyaḥ II
'In the Upaniṣad* of Śrimad Bhagavad Gītā, the scripture of yoga dealing with Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra, the science of Brahman, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṁvād, dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna, this is tenth chapter named, Vibhūti Yogaḥ, 'The Yoga of Divine Manifestations.'
Kṛṣṇa now explains His glories, Yoga of Divine manifestations, Vibhūti Yogaḥ. In the last chapter, Kṛṣṇa gave the technique or the cogniiton of feeling deeply connected with the Whole, with Existence. Now He goes in great detail explaining how He is the Ultimate and how He expresses Himself.
When Kṛṣṇa, the Ultimate Master, talks about Himself, He talks as Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Cosmic Kṛṣṇa. In this chapter especially, He is at the peak of His Cosmic Consciousness, before He reveals Himself as that Consciousness to Arjuna in the next chapter.
Every word that the great Jagadguru, the Universal Master utters here, is a gift to Arjuna and to humanity. The verses in this chapter are the authority on which Bhagavad Gītā rests, that make it a sacred scripture.
Because You Are My Dear Friend (10.1)
A Master's relationship with his disciple is in many forms. Usually it is described in five forms. Here, Kṛṣṇa refers to the fourth relationship, sakha bhāva, as His friendship with Arjuna. He is the Master to His disciple Arjuna as well as Arjuna's friend.
Usually, as an individual ego, we see the Whole as our enemy. We are like small waves in a big ocean. However, suddenly, the wave starts thinking that the ocean is its enemy. When it is created, while it exists or when it drops, the wave is connected to the ocean. However, the wave thinks that it is in some way different from the ocean. Not only that, the wave starts fighting with the ocean. For the wave to realize that it is fully connected to the ocean, it must be consumed by the ocean. The ego must dissolve. The individual identity of the wave must disappear. This is the first step to Enlightenment.
Existence Is Your Friend!
There are two ways of living. First, we can embrace and welcome Reality, in which case our root pattern must dissolve because only then can we face reality. This Reality is God. God is not some entity hidden in some remote corner of Universe. He is the Reality around us. God is not remote, He is immediate. Divine is immediate!
The second way of living is how most of us live: We create a shell, a dream world around ourselves to defend a false ego which has no substance in Reality. This is what is meant by māyā—illusion.
If you live with the attitude of enmity with the Whole, even when you live, you will constantly be tortured. When you live with the feeling of friendliness or sakha bhāva, with the attitude that Existence is your friend, your own, you feel a deep easiness.
Listen! The first thing Kṛṣṇa teaches as rājavidya rājaguhyaṁ (secret of all secrets), is that Existence is not your enemy. It responds to your thoughts. It continuously cares for you. It is Intelligence.
The ultimate secret that Kṛṣṇa wants to reveal is that Existence, Parāśakti, Brahman, is your friend, not your enemy. It is Intelligence.
Next, in this chapter, Kṛṣṇa says, 'I am That.' He says, 'I am the Whole of Existence.' He says, 'I am the same energy. Not only you don't need to have enmity, you can have deep love.' Now, He explains how to feel connected to Existence. In the next chapter, Viśvarūpa Darśana Yoga, He gives the Cosmic experience to Arjuna that He is the Whole, the Cosmic Consciousness.
First, He removes enmity, then, He creates the feeling of connection, deep friendliness. Finally, He gives the advaitic (non-dual) experience, estalishing Arjuna in Living Advaita. These three chapters elevate Arjuna step-by-step.
Let us study this scripture, Yogaśāśtra, with intense devotion and deep sincerity. Along with Arjuna, we will grow into Completion.
Kṛṣṇa says, 'For your benefit, because you are My dear friend, I shall speak to you further, giving knowledge that is better than what I have already explained.' Kṛṣṇa explains His glory not for His own sake but for Arjuna's sake. When Kṛṣṇa declared, 'I am God,' Arjuna became enlightened. How? What do you need to create this experience?
Trust God has Intelligence, and Surrender
See, the experiences of Kṛṣṇa, Śiva, Buddha and Mahāvīra, are all one and the same. When they express the Enlightenment, why are there different reactions? When they express their Enlightenment and declare their Divinity, some become enlightened and some run away.
How can we also become enlightened when we listen to Kṛṣṇa's words? How can we listen? With what mood are we supposed to receive the words?
Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa's disciple, is totally in love with Kṛṣṇa. He has totally surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. He is not ready to suspect anything. By now, he is clear. His head, his logic has stopped analyzing.
This Truth should be declared only to a person who is totally, intimately, feeling connected to the Divine. Arjuna has completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. What is surrender?
When you truly surrender, when you offer yourself at the feet of the Master, your ego disintegrates, and you will be bubbling with joy and bliss. If you understand that Existence is your friend and it deeply cares for you, you will not feel the need to live according to a script for life. Instead, you will have tremendous courage and trust in yourself to live life spontaneously.
Existence constantly cares for you. Trust the Intelligence in you. Be Complete and welcome life as it flows. Kṛṣṇa says, 'If you continuously merge in Me, I will take care of all your needs and necessities. You will be My responsibility.' Just understand. When we surrender ourselves to Existence, it carries us in Its very arms. We won't feel the pain of life.
Feel Deeply Connected to KṚṣṆa
Kṛṣṇa says, Because you are My dear friend, you are deeply connected to Me, I am revealing this truth to you. Now, all we need is the mood of deeply in love with Kṛṣṇa. If we can open ourselves to Kṛṣṇa when He describes His glories, His vibḥūti, it will not be words. We will feel it. ```
First, Kṛṣṇa removed the enmity between jivātma (Self) and paramātma (supreme Self). Arjuna is the jivātma. Kṛṣṇa is the paramātma. We may not be aware but we continuously maintain enmity with paramātma, Existence. That is why we suspect life. We don't trust Existence. When we have the deep love—the connection with Existence, even when we die, we know that He knows where to keep us. We will be utterly relaxed as we know He will protect and guide us. So now itself, our mind should be prepared to fall in tune with this energy; to obey, to surrender to the Ultimate will.
First, Kṛṣṇa removes the enmity between the individual Self and Existence. Now, He explains the glory of Existence. Next, He gives the experience that the individual Self, jivātma and the Supreme Self, paramātma are the same.
Step-by-step, He leads Arjuna from viśiṣiṭādvaita (a school of thought which says that the individual self is a part of Existence, with its own attributes to dvaita, duality), to Advaita (non-duality, truth that the individual self is Existence), to beyond advaita into anubhūti, experience.
Listen! Completion makes us understand that we are connected with the whole Universe–this is the essence of viśiṣṭādvaita. Completion makes us understand that we are deeply connected to the paramātma (supreme Self)—this is the essence of dvaita. Completion makes us understand that we are not one, but we are the Ultimate infinity, with each one infinitely powerful, which is the essence of Advaita.
I am asking you to trust Existence, not based upon my intellectual knowledge but from my personal experience. If you trust my words, when you trust Existence and relax from your tensions and problems, be sure that you will be taken care of. Miracles will happen in your life. When you put your energy totally on trust, an alchemy takes place in you. Here, if we can relax and feel deeply connected to what Kṛṣṇa says, we will experience the state that Kṛṣṇa is now going to express about His glories.
I Am The Source, I Am everything (10.2-10.3)
Kṛṣṇa says, 'Neither the devatās (gods) nor the ṛṣis know Me.' He means that neither people who work in the line of comforts and luxury nor the people who work in the line of religion and tapas (penance) know Him. 'But, I am their origin, aham ādiḥ (10.2).'
Whether we live a spiritual or a materialistic life, our root is our Consciousness. Understand, whenever Kṛṣṇa says, 'Me, Me, Me, aham, aham, aham.' He is referring to the Enlightened Consciousness.
I know, I can see how this whole scene of the Gītā between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa happened. After Kṛṣṇa's teachings Arjuna completely and totally melted in front of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa explains, 'Oh my dear! Understand, I am everything—vetti loka maheśvaram (10.3). I have come down. I have happened in this body to liberate you.'
The moment the Master says He is God, if you are centered on greed, you catch him and beg him to give you all the boons. If you are centered on fear, again, you catch him and say, 'Please protect me from this or that.'
The moment we demand, Divinity disappears because we have brought in the business mind. Parāśakti, the Cosmic Energy does Her job using the forms of people who have surrendered their form to Her. Because I vacated, She is lives in my body. All you need to do is—just get out of your system. The Divine will get in.
Listen. When you feel connected, the Cosmic energy will guide you. Only if we have trust in the Master can the ultimate gain happen to us. Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that feeling connection to the Master is the basic need to understand this Truth. That is why the East gave so much importance to the Living Guru.
I Am Everything, Complete With Everything (10.4-10.7)
Kṛṣṇa says, 'Whatever you have, a good name or a bad name, it is created by Me.' Then be certain that whatever you have is a gift from the Divine.
Kṛṣṇa asks us to complete with Life as it is. Only when we accept ourselves as we are, can we accept others. Only then we will feel deep friendliness with others. Deep friendliness with others is spirituality. Whether we believe it or not, we have a deep enmity towards others and ourselves. We live in constant self-doubt, self-hatred and self-denial.
The first thing you need to do is—Completion with yourself and
accept yourself as you are. When Kṛṣṇa says, 'Happiness and distress, birth and death, fear and fearlessness, non-violence and equanimity, austerity, charity, name and fame...all these various qualities of living beings are created by Me alone,' He means be complete with Life as it is, be authentic to all aspects of your life: your inner image, outer image, others' image and life's image. If all the four images reach their peak possibility, it is Enlightenment.
The moment we create the space of completion and complete with life as it is, we experience Divinity in everything. We don't exclude anything. The moment we complete, a cognitive shift happens in us. As of now our mind is centered on enmity. The moment we declare completion with ourselves and with life, we become centered on bliss.
Kṛṣṇa explains His glory. He says, 'I am everything.' He declares, 'I am the Universal Consciousness. The person who truly knows My glories and powers, engages in yoga, the union of individual consciousness with the Divine consciousness, and undoubtedly attains liberation. (10.7)'
Listen! When you are complete with you, the Universe will be complete with you. When you are incomplete with you, the Universe will be incomplete with you. Completion with you is sātori. Completion with the Cosmos is samādhi.
One needs to do nothing except understand and accept what Kṛṣṇa is. The Master says that understanding and completing alone liberates us.
Experience The Light Of Knowledge (10.8-10.11)
Now, instead of understanding these statements intellectually, try experiencing them. Let us feel connected to the Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, to our very Life source.
Let us enter into meditation, because all the following verses in this chapter must be experienced.
We may think, 'Why does He explain His glory in a detailed way?' He makes us understand, wherever we see the glory, wherever we see the Divine radiating, there lies the greatness. We experience life as Divine and a blessing. It happens when we trust Divine, when we don't have vested interests and when we do not beg for anything from life.
Only when we understand, 'I want just Him, nothing else'; 'I want the pure experience of the Divine, nothing else,' we experience the whole of Existence in a totally different way. The cognitive shift starts happening in us.
I can imagine how Arjuna felt when Kṛṣṇa revealed these glories for the first time. 'Oh Arjuna, I am that. I am this. I am everything.' Arjuna surely must have felt that he was expanding. When Kṛṣṇa reveals His glories and expands, Arjuna also expands. When we deeply feel connected to the Master and He expresses His glory, we expand. Here, Arjuna is enjoying the same mood that Kṛṣṇa enjoys.
Arjuna asks, 'Oh Lord! It is so beautiful. I never feel bored. Please tell me again and again, all of your glories.'
Always Engage In Me
Kṛṣṇa reveals who He is and how He is shining. He talks about Līlā dhyāna, meditating on the Divine play of the Lord. What the eyes see intensely gets registered in the mind. What gets registered in the mind, the eyes see intensely. When the mind is engaged in the Divine, when the heart is captivated by the Divine, we automatically live every moment remembering the Divine. We enjoy talking to each other about the Divine glories because all around us, we see these glories. We are so full of Divine ecstasy and bliss, so fully complete and not wanting anything, because we see life overflowing with Divine bliss and glory.
Kṛṣṇa says, 'With mind and lives absorbed on Me, always enlightening one another and talking about My glories, the wise are content and blissful. To those who are always engaged in Me with love, I give them enlightenment for which they come to Me, yena mām upayānti te (10.10).'
Kṛṣṇa here talks about satsang, the collection of people whose hearts, minds and bodies are immersed in Him. They are filled with bliss and love for their Lord and Master. He promises He will provide them the intelligence to enlighten them and bring them to Him.
Master Destroys Ignorance (10.12-10.18)
The Master defines Himself in the last verse: 'I destroy the darkness of ignorance within them, with the shining lamp of wisdom, jñāna-dīpena bhāsvata (10.11) through My compassion.'
The Saṃskṛit word 'Guru', meaning Master, has two syllables: gu refers to darkness and ru to light. The Master leads the disciple from darkness into light with compassion. This darkness of ignorance is the identification that one has with one's self, one's material attachments, which surely leads to sorrow.
Arjuna becomes the perfect disciple. All that Arjuna seeks is that his Lord and Master tells him more about Himself, His glories, 'I just need to know how I should approach You, how I should see You. Tell me more, I can never tire of listening to Your words.'
Arjuna is in love with His Master. When you are in such deep love as Arjuna is now, and as the Gopīs were with Kṛṣṇa in Briṇdāvan, there is nothing to be said. Arjuna knows that there is no need for Kṛṣṇa to say anything now. Yes, he would be delighted if Kṛṣṇa were to speak of His glories, His līlā. However, Arjuna is in such a state of meditation, ready for his ultimate experience, that whatever his Master says or does would not matter to him.
Anything that he can listen about his Master is nectar to his ears. He is in a state of complete immersion. You too, as the reader, make your plea to Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Jagadguru, so that He may tell you about His glory, and you may meditate upon His glory. As He promised, He will provide the light of wisdom for you to be enlightened.
I Am The Beginning, Middle And End (10.19-10.38)
Divine pervades every bit of this entire Universe. When It exists in every atom, when it is the essence of all that exists, how can we describe or comprehend it in its entirety? So Kṛṣṇa explains the main manifestations that give a glimpse of the unfathomable Divine.
Kṛṣṇa declares that He is everything that really matters. He is the ultimate consciousness in all beings and He is the beginning, middle and end of all beings. He declares that He pervades the entire space and time and beyond (10.20).
Kṛṣṇa is both the macrocosm and the microcosm: the Brahmāṇḍa, Cosmos and the pindāṇda, individual being. His energy permeates all living and non-living entities and He decides upon their nature. He is the Creator. He is the Created. He is also the Creation.
Among the gods, Kṛṣṇa says He is Vasava (Indra), the king of gods. Of the Rudras, Kṛṣṇa says He is Śaṅkara, rudrāṇāṁ śankaraś cāsmi (10.20). Of the water bodies, Kṛṣṇa says He is the mighty ocean, infinite in expanse and essential to all life forms. Of the great sages, Kṛṣṇa says He is Bhṛgu, one of the Saptaṛṣis. Of the vibrations, Kṛṣṇa says He is the transcendental OṀ—girāṁ asmy ekam akṣaram (10.25). OṀ is the primal sound from which the Universe manifested itself. It is the praṇava, the mystic symbol.
Of the different types of sacrifices, Kṛṣṇa says He is the japa or chanting of holy names—yajñānāṁ japa-yajño asmi (10.25). Of the immovable objects, He is the mighty and majestic Himalayas, the abode of snow, sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ (10.25).'
Kṛṣṇa says among the trees He is the banyan tree, aśvatthaḥ sarva vṛkṣānāṁ (10.26).
I Am the Complete Being
Among the Siddhas, the Self-realized persons, Kṛṣṇa says He is Kapila, the complete sage. Kapila is the author of the Sāṅkhya Yoga system of philosophy. He is also the founding father of Mahānirvāṇi Pīṭha—Kapila Sarvajña Pīṭha.
Listen. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the greatest follower of Sāṅkhya Yoga of Mahānirvāṇi Pīṭha, the oldest apex body of sanātana-dharma. So, here Bhagavān introduces Himself saying, 'Among the perfect complete beings, I am Kapila—siddhānāṁ kapilo muniḥ (10.26).'
Of the purifying elements, Kṛṣṇa says He is the formless and pure wind—pavanaḥ pavatām asmi (10.31). Of the various branches of knowledge, He is the ultimate spiritual knowledge, Self-realization, adhyātma vidyā vidyānāṁ (10.32). He is never-ending time and Creator of this Universe, Brahma. Kṛṣṇa says He is the Creator and Destroyer.
There is No End To My Glories (10.39-10.42)
Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, 'Enough has been said. You can take no more. Whatever I have said, whatever more I can say, will only be a drop in the ocean, a small fragment of what I am. There is nothing that is not Me, nothing that can exist outside of Me, and nothing that has not been created from and by Me.'
He has given the background to Arjuna, so that he is prepared to see His formless form. Arjuna is now in total surrender and in deep gratitude.
Relax. Drop yourself and let the Divine, let this Cosmic energy prevail. Let Him be. Let the Divine be. This surrender mood can transform your Whole consciousness. It can make you experience the ultimate truth that Kṛṣṇa explains: His vibhūti, His Divine glory.
When you are blissful, whatever you see looks Divine and glorious. May you reach that bliss. Let us pray to Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Universal energy, Existence, to guide us all and to give us all the experience of eternal bliss, Nityānanda.
Krsna: The Cosmic Window ...
How does one experience Universal consciousness? What exactly happens? What basic qualification does one need for this experience? Krsna explains and gives the direct, pure experience with His very Cosmic Presence! ...
arjuna uvāca madanugrahāya paramaṁ guhyaṁ adhyātma-saṁjñitam I yat tvayoktaṁ vacas tena moho'yaṁ vigato mama II 11.1
11.1 Arjuna says: 'O Lord! By listening to Your wisdom on the supreme secret of Existence and your glory, I feel that my delusion has disappeared.'
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ śrutau vistaraśo mayā I tvattaḥ kamalapatrākṣa māhātmyamapi cāvyayam II 11.2
11.2 O Lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa! I have listened from You in detail about the creation and destruction of all living beings, also Your inexhaustible greatness.
evaṁetadyathāttha tvam ātmānaṁ parameśvara I draṣṭumicchāmi te rūpam aiśvaraṁ puruṣottama II 11.3
11.3 O Parameśvara, Lord Supreme, though You are here before Me as You have declared Yourself, I wish to see the Divine Cosmic Form of Yours, Puruṣottama, Supreme Being.
manyase yadi tacchakyaṁ mayā draṣṭumiti prabho I yogeśvara tato me tvaṁ darśayātmānamavyayam II 11.4
11.4 O Prabhu, my Lord, if You think it is possible for me to see Your Cosmic Form, then please, O Yogeśvara, Lord of Yoga and all mystic power, kindly show me that Imperishable Universal Self.
``` śrībhagavānuvāca paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ I nānāvidhāni divyāni nānāvarṇākṛtīni ca II
11.5 Bhagavān says: O My dear Pārtha, behold now My hundreds and thousands of forms, of infinite divine sorts, of infinite colors and shapes.
paśyādityān vasūn rudrān aśvinau marutastathā I bahūny adṛṣṭa-pūrvāṇi paśyāścaryāṇi bhārata II
11.6 O Bhārata, see here the different manifestations of the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Aśvins, the Māruts and all other gods. Behold the many wonderful forms which noone has ever seen before.
ihaikasthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ paśyādya sacarācaram I mama dehe guḍākeśa yac cānyad draṣṭumicchasi II
11.7 O Arjuna, see at once now in this body of Mine, the whole Universe completely in this one place, all the moving and the unmoving, and see everything else you desire to see also.
na tu māṁ śakyase draṣṭum anenaiva svacakṣuṣā I divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ paśya me yogamaiśvaram II
11.8 But you cannot see Me with your own physical eyes. Let Me give you the Divine eye; Behold My Divine power and opulence!
sañjaya uvāca evamuktvā tato rājan mahāyogeśvaro hariḥ I darśayāmāsa pārthāya paramaṁ rūpamaiśvaram II
11.9 Sañjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, the great Lord of Yoga, Mahā Yogeśvara Hari (Kṛṣṇa), showed to Arjuna His Supreme Cosmic form.
aneka-vaktra-nayanam anekādbhuta darśanam I aneka-divyābharaṇaṁ divyānekodyatāyudham II
11.10 Infinite mouths and eyes, with infinite wonderful sights, infinite divine ornaments, with numerous divine weapons uplifted.
divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṁ divya-gandhānulepanam I sarvāścarya-mayaṁ devam anantaṁ viśvatomukham II
11.11 Arjuna saw this Universal form wearing Divine garlands and clothing, anointed with celestial fragrances. All wonderful, brilliantly resplendent, endless, with all-pervading faces on all sides.
divi sūryasahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitā I yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syād bhāsastasya mahātmanaḥ II
11.12 If the splendor of a thousand suns were to blaze all together in the sky, it would be like the splendor of that Great Supreme Lord.
tatraikasthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ pravibhaktamanekadhā I apaśyad devadevasya śarīre pāṇḍavastadā II
11.13 There, in the body or Universal form of the God of gods, the Pāṇḍava then saw the whole Universe resting in One place, with all its infinite expansions divided into many, many thousands.
tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo hṛṣṭaromā dhanañjayaḥ I praṇamya śirasā devaṁ kṛtāñjalirabhāṣata II
11.14 Then, Dhanañjaya, filled with wonder and astonishment, his hair standing on end, then bowed his head to the Supreme Lord and began to pray with joined palms.
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arjuna uvāca
paśyāmi devāṁstava deva dehe sarvāṁstathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān I brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-sthaṁ ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁśca divyān II
11.15 Arjuna says; O dear God, I see all the gods assembled in Your body and various other living beings too. I see Brahma, the Lord of creation seated on the lotus, as well as Īśam (Śiva), and all the sages and celestial serpents.
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktranetraṁ paśyāmi tvām sarvato'nantarūpam I nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punastavādiṁ paśyāmi viśveśvara viśvarūpa II
11.16 I see Your infinite form on every side, with many arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes; Neither the end, nor the middle nor the beginning do I see, Viśveśvara, Lord of the Universe, O Viśvarūpa, Cosmic form.
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca tejorāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam I paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād dīptānalārka-dyutim-aprameyam II
11.17 I see You with crown, club and discus; a mass of radiance shining everywhere, difficult to look at, blazing all round like the burning fire and Sun in infinite brilliance.
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tvamakṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ tvamasya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam I tvamavyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā sanātanastvaṁ puruṣo mato me II
11.18 You are the imperishable; the Supreme Being worthy to be known. You are the great treasure house of this Universe. You are the imperishable Protector of the eternal order. I believe You are the Eternal being.
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anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam ananta-bāhuṁ śaśisūrya netram I paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśavaktraṁ svatejasā viśvam idaṁ tapantam II
11.19 I see you without a beginning, middle or end, infinite in power and many arms, The sun and the moon being Your eyes, the blazing fire your mouth, the wholeUuniverse scorched by Your radiance.
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dyāvāpṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaśca sarvāḥ I dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpamugraṁ tavedaṁ lokatrayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman II
11.20 This space between earth and the heavens and everything is filled by You alone O Great Being, having seen Your wonderful and terrible form, the three worlds tremble with fear.
amī hi tvāṁ surasaṅghā viśanti kecidbhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti I svastī tyuktvā maharṣisiddhasaṅghāḥ stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ II
11.21 Many celestials enter into You; some praise You in fear with folded hands; many great masters and sages hail and adore you.
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā viśve'śvinau marutaś coṣmapāśca I gandha-rvayakṣāsura siddhasaṅghā vīkṣante tvaṁ vismitāś caiva sarve II
11.22 The Rudra, Āditya, Vasu, Sādhyā, Viśvedeva, Aśvin, Marut, Ūṣmapa and a host of Gandharva, Yakṣa, Asura and Sidhha are all looking at You in amazement.
rūpaṁ mahatte bahuvaktranetraṁ mahābāho bahubāhūrupādam I bahūdaraṁ bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālaṁ dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās tathāham II
11.23 Having seen Your immeasurable form with many mouths and eyes, with many arms, thighs and feet, with many stomachs and frightening tusks, O Mahābāho, Mighty-armed, the worlds are terrified and so am I.
nabhaḥspṛśaṁ dīptamanekavarṇaṁ vyāttānanaṁ dīptaviśāla netram I dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntarātmā dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo II
11.24 Seeing You, Your form touching the sky, flaming in many colors, mouths wide open, large fiery eyes, O Viṣṇu, I find neither courage nor peace; I am frightened.
daṁṣṭrākarālāni ca te mukhāni dṛṣṭvaiva kālānalasannibhāni I diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa II
11.25 Having seen your fearsome mouths with blazing tusks like the fire of the end of the universe, I know not the four directions nor do I find peace. O Lord of the Deva, O refuge of the Universe, be gracious.
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ sarve sahaivāvanipālasaṅghaiḥ I bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūtaputrastathāsau sahāsmadīyairapi yodhamukhyaiḥ II
11.26 All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra with many kings of the earth, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, the son of the charioteer, Karṇa, with our warrior chieftains.
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni I kecidvilagnā daśanāntareṣu sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāñgaiḥ II
11.27 Into Your mouths with terrible tusks, fearful to behold, they enter. Some are seen caught in the gaps between the tusks and their heads crushed.
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo'mbuvegāḥ samudram evābhimukhā dravanti I tathā tavāmī naralokavīrā viśanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti II
11.28 Even as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, so too these warriors in the world of men enter Your flaming mouths.
yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ pataṅgā viśanti nāśāya samṛddhavegāḥ I tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokās tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddhavegāḥ II
11.29 Just as moths hurriedly rush into the fire for their own destruction, So too these creatures rush hastily into Your mouths of destruction.
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ I tejobhir āpūrya jagatsamagraṁ bhāsastavo'grāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo II
11.30 Swallowing all worlds on every side with your flaming mouths You lick in enjoyment. O Viṣṇu, Your fierce rays are burning, filling the whole world with radiance.
ākhyāhi me ko bhavānugrarūpo namo'stu te devavara prasīda I vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim II
11.31 Tell me who You are, so fierce in form; salutations to You, O Supreme; have mercy. Indeed I know not Your purpose but I desire to know You, the Original Being.
śrī bhagavānuvāca kālo'smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho lokān samāhartumiha pravṛttaḥ I ṛte'pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve ye'avasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣu yodhāḥ II
11.32 Śrī Bhagavān says: I am the mighty world-destroying Time, I am now destroying the worlds. Even without you, none of the warriors standing in the hostile armies shall live.
tasmāt tvamuttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham I mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvameva nimittamātraṁ bhava savyasācin II
11.33 Get up and gain glory. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the prosperous kingdom. I have slain all these warriors; you are a mere instrument, O Savyasācī (Arjuna).
droṇaṁ ca bhīṣmaṁ ca jayadrathaṁ ca karṇaṁ tathānyānapi yodhavīrān I mayā hatāṁstvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣṭā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān II
11.34 Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and other brave warriors have already been slain by Me; destroy them. Do not be be afraid; fight and you shall conquer your enemies in battle.
sañjaya uvāca etacchrutvā vacanaṁ keśavasya kṛtāñjalirvepamānaḥ kirīṭī I namaskṛtvā bhūya evāha kṛṣṇaṁ sagadgadaṁ bhītabhītah praṇamya II
11.35 Sañjaya said: Having heard this speech of Keśava, the crowned Arjuna with joined palms, trembling, prostrating himself, again addressed Kṛṣṇa, voice choking, bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.
arjuna uvāca
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā jagat prahṛṣy atyanurajyate ca I rakṣāṁsi bhītāni diśo dravanti sarve namasyanti ca siddhasaṅghāḥ II
11.36 Arjuna says: O Hṛṣīkeśā, it is but right that the world delights and rejoices in Your praise. Rākṣasas fly in fear in all directions and all hosts of sages bow to You.
kasmācca te na nameran mahātman garīyase brahmaṇo'pyādikartre I ananta deveśa jagan-nivāsa tvam akṣaraṁ sad-asat tat paraṁ yat II
11.37 And why should they not bow to Thee, O Great Soul, greater than all else, the Creator of even Brahma the Creator. O Lord of Lords, O Infinite Being, O Abode of the Universe, You are the imperishable, that which is beyond both seen and the unseen.
tvamādidevaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇas tvamasya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam I vettāsi vedyaṁ ca paraṁ ca dhāma tvayā tataṁ viśvam ananta rūpa II
11.38 You are the primal God, the ancient Being, the Supreme refuge of the Universe. You are the knower and the One to be known. You are the Supreme Abode. O Being of Infinite forms, by You alone is the Universe pervaded.
vāyur yamo'gnir varuṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaś ca I namo namaste'stu sahasrakṛtvaḥ punaśca bhūyo'pi namo namaste II
11.39 You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the Moon, Prājapati and the great-grandfather of all. Salutations unto You a thousand times and again, salutations unto You!
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namaḥ purastādatha pṛṣṭataste namo'stu te sarvata eva sarva I ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ sarvaṁ samāpnoṣi tato'si sarvaḥ II
11.40 Salutations to You, before and behind! Salutations to You on every side! O All! Infinite in power and Infinite in prowess, You are everything and everywhere.
sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yaduktaṁ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti I ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi II
11.41 Whatever I have rashly says from carelessness or love, addressing You as Kṛṣṇa, Yādava, my friend regarding You merely as a friend, unaware of this greatness of Yours.
yac cāvahāsārtham asatkṛto'si vihāraśayyāsana bhojaneṣu I eko'tha va'py acyuta tat samakṣaṁ tat kṣāmaye tvām aham aprameyam II
11.42 In whatever way I may have insulted You in fun, while at play, resting, sitting or at meals, when alone with You or in company, O Acyuta, O immeasurable One, I implore You to forgive me.
pitāsi lokasya carācarasya tvamasya pūjyaśca gururgarīyān I na tvatsamo'sty abhyadhikaḥ kuto'nyo lokatraye'py apratima-prabhāva II
11.43 You are the father of this world, moving and unmoving. You are to be adored by this world. You are the greatest guru; there is none who exists equal to You. O Being of unequalled power, how then can there be another, superior to You in the three worlds?
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tasmātpraṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṁ prasādaye tvāṁaham īśam īḍyam I pite'va putrasya sakhe'va sakhyuḥ priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum II
11.44 Therefore, bowing down, I prostrate my body before You and crave Your forgiveness, adorable Lord. Even as a father forgives his son, a friend his friend, a lover his beloved, You should, O Deva, forgive me.
adṛṣṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛṣito'smi dṛṣṭvā bhayena ca pravyathitaṁ mano me I tadeva me darśaya devarūpaṁ prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa II
11.45 After seeing this form that I have never seen before, I am filled with gladness but at the same time I am disturbed by fear. Please bestow Your grace upon me and show me Your form as the Supreme Personality, O Lord of Lords, O refuge of the Universe.
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakra-hastam icchāmi tvāṁ draṣṭumahaṁ tathaiva I tenaiva rūpeṇa caturbhujena sahasrabāho bhava viśvamūrte II
11.46 O thousand armed Universal Form! I wish to see Your form with crown, fourarmed with mace, disc in Your hand. I yearn to see You in that form.
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śrī bhagavānuvāca mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt I tejo-mayaṁ viśvamam anantamādyaṁ yanme tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam II
11.47 Bhagavān says: Dear Arjuna, I have favoured you with this Transcendental form within the material world of My internal power. No one before you has seen this unlimited, brilliant form.
na veda-yajñādhyayanairna dānaiḥ na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ I evaṁ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛ-loke draṣṭuṁ tvadanyena kuru-pravīra II
11.48 O best among Kuru warriors, no one has ever before seen this Universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas nor by performing sacrifices or charities, can this form be seen. Only you have seen this form.
mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍhabhāvo dṛṣṭvā rūpaṁ ghoramīdṛṅmamedam I vyapetabhīḥ prītamanāḥ punastvaṁ tadeva me rūpamidaṁ prapaśya II
11.49 Do not be disturbed any longer by seeing this terrible form of Mine. Dear devotee, be free from all disturbances. With a peaceful mind, you can now se the form you wish to see.
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sañjaya uvāca
ityarjunaṁ vāsudevastatho'ktvā svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayāmāsa bhūyaḥ I āśvasayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur-mahātmā II
11.50 Sañjaya said: Kṛṣṇa, while speaking to Arjuna, revealed His form with four arms, Then assuming His human form He consoled the terrified Arjuna.
arjuna uvāca
dṛṣṭvedaṁ mānuṣaṁ rūpaṁ tava saumyaṁ janārdana I idānīmasmi saṁvṛttaḥ sacetāh prakṛtiṁ gataḥ II
11.51 Arjuna says: Seeing this wonderful human form, My mind is now calm and I am restored to my original nature. ```
śrībhagavānuvāca sudurdarśamidaṁ rūpaṁ dṛṣṭavānasi yanmama I devā apyasya rūpasya nityaṁ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ II 11.52
11.52 Bhagavān says: The four-armed form that you have seen is rare to behold. Even the celestials are forever aspiring to see this form.
nāhaṁ vedairna tapasā na dānena na cejyayā I śakya evaṁvidho draṣṭuṁ dṛṣṭavānasi māṁ yathā II 11.53 11.53 The four armed form that you have seen with your Transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by study of the Vedas, nor by undergoing penances or charity or worship; one cannot see Me as I am, by these means.
bhaktyā tvananyayā śakya aham evaṁ vidho'rjuna I jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṁ ca parantapa II 11.54
11.54 My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can you understand Me as I am, standing before you, being seen directly. Only in this way can you reach Me, O Parantapa.
mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ I nirvairaḥ sarvabhūteṣu yaḥ sa māmeti pāṇḍava II 11.55
11.55 My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged entirely in My devotional service, who surrenders to Me as the Supreme, free from attachment, full of love for every entity, surely comes to Me.
iti śrīmad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṁvāde viśvarūpadarśanayogo nāmaekādaśo'dhyāyaḥ II
In the Upaniṣad of Śrimad Bhagavad Gītā, the scripture of yoga dealing with Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra, the science of Brahman, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṁvād, dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna, this is eleventh chapter named, Viśvarūpa Darśan Yogaḥ, 'Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form.'
V*iśvarūpa Darśan Yogaḥ*–Vision of the Cosmic form. This chapter has a very special significance. Kṛṣṇa shows His Cosmic form to Arjuna, giving the experience of Universal Consciousness. At Arjuna's request, Kṛṣṇa reveals His Divine Self, that of Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa.
If you are in love with Kṛṣṇa, this is the chapter to know Him and enjoy Him. He does not give any teachings. He gives the pure experience directly: 'I am Everything'. In the previous chapter, Kṛṣṇa gave the intellectual expression to a person deeply in love. Kṛṣṇa can be God only when a person achieves the maturity of Arjuna.
Let us now examine three questions:
Can Universal consciousness be experienced? What is the basic qualification for this experience? What happens in our being when we experiences it? These three questions are explained beautifully by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We shall understand and explore the wonderful possibility of experiencing Kṛṣṇa as the Cosmic window.
I Wish To See Your Divine Form (11.1-11.4)
Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself as not just an Incarnation but as also the very Source from which everything flows. He is the Source of all sources, the Cause of all causes, the source of all the worlds and Universes.
Arjuna's questions have all disappeared; his incompletions, delusions have dissolved. It is not that Arjuna is not aware of Kṛṣṇa's Divinity. Arjuna chose to have the Master lead him 'unarmed' as his charioteer, while Duryodhana chose Kṛṣṇa's vast Nārāyaṇi Senā, the Yādava army.
Kṛṣṇa clears any lingering self-doubts that Arjuna may have by explaining to him what He, the Master of the Universe is. He tells Arjuna who He really is. After detailing all His glories, Kṛṣṇa concludes, that He supports all of Existence within just a fragment of His Divine Self.
Yet, Arjuna hesitates, 'If you think I can behold Your form, O Prabho,' which indicates that there is some fear, some self-doubt. Arjuna says: 'O Yogeśvara, Master of all mystic power, please show me Your imperishable Cosmic Self, darśaya-ātmānam avyayam (11.4).'
Arjuna is an evolved disciple. He pleads, 'Let what may happen be decided by You. If it may please You, may I have your darśan. I have no right to ask You. As Your devotee, who surrenders to You, I ask of You to please show me Your entire splendor, Your wisdom, Your truth and all that you really are!'
Let Me Give You The Divine Eye (11.5-11.8)
Before Kṛṣṇa gives darśan of the Universal form, He makes an important, beautiful statement, 'O Arjuna! You cannot see my form with ordinary eyes. To behold this form, you would need divya netra, the divine third eye.
'divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ...(11.8)' Let me give you the divine eye to enable you to see and experience Me.' From this verse, He starts giving the Viśvarūpa Darśan—Vision of His Cosmic Form.
Kṛṣṇa says, 'O Arjuna, may you start seeing whatever exists, sthāvara and jaṅgama (immovable and movable), the Universe that no ordinary man can see. Even the great sages have not seen or aware of this sight.' Kṛṣṇa, in His infinite compassion and love for Arjuna, shows him all these wonderful Universal forms.
Here is a wonderful phenomenon. Now Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna the power to see what is happening in the whole Universe, not only in the present, but in the past and the future also!
Darśan, Seeing the Divine Form is Possible
Here are the three questions that are the essence of the whole chapter.
Can the Divine form be seen? What is the qualification to see the Divine form? What really happens when you see the Divine form?
I tell you out of courtesy the simple truth, 'Yes, it can be experienced.' This is the solid truth; a promise that this can be experienced. I have no vested interest in convincing you of this possibility. Never think, 'This is not for me.' It is for everybody! The first thing that you need to know is that—it is possible. Only then what Kṛṣṇa says will work on our being. All that you need is complete trust in the Master that what He says will happen. I promise you it will.
Next, what is the qualification? By giving this experience to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa proves that there is no need for any qualification because Arjuna himself has no qualification. Arjuna neither took the responsibility nor understood fully the teachings of Kṛṣṇa. He was simply fortunate to be in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. You too are fortunate to be here and not caught in some traffic jam! There were thousands of possibilities for you to be elsewhere, but you chose to be here. This is the only qualification.
In fact, you are the Arjuna who missed Kṛṣṇa in an earlier form. You are here now, listening or reading, not by any mere accident or Divine coincidence. You are here now for a reason. That is qualification enough. Make sure that you do not miss Kṛṣṇa again this time!
First, we acknowledge the possibility of having the experience. Next, the qualification: simply by being here we are qualified for the experience.
Next, what happens when you have the experience?
Kṛṣṇa's words: 'Arjuna, you cannot see Me with these ordinary eyes. You need the divine eye, the third eye, divyacakṣu. To see My Cosmic form, I give you the divine eye. (11.8)'
The vision of 360 degrees is what Kṛṣṇa means by divyacakṣu, trinetra, divine eye or third eye, also called ājñā cakra. When this eye opens you will see 360 degrees not only in the horizontal but in the vertical dimension too. You will see and experience the whole Existence as You. This experience is what Kṛṣṇa calls Cosmic Consciousness.
After this verse, neither Kṛṣṇa nor Arjuna speaks. Suddenly, it is Sañjaya who is speaking.
A Thousands Blazing Suns (11.9-11.14)
These verses show the unlimited, never-ending, wonderful, allpervading nature of the Lord. Anyone who has had this experience is reborn. The body expands to fill everything. The entire Universe is part of the body. There is no separation of the individual and the whole. The whole is part and the part is whole. At another level the whole Universe exists within you. Arjuna saw in the Universal form, unlimited mouths, eyes and wonderful visions. Now Arjuna sees 360 degrees in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. He sees the Whole as his own being.
There is no boundary to Kṛṣṇa's Universal form. The word Viṣṇu, which is His real form, means one who expands infinitely. The splendor that Sañjaya talks about is beyond anything the mind can comprehend, because it is the source of all splendor.
Arjuna is awestruck and is in silence. Wherever he looked was Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa in many forms, many shapes, many non-forms and non-shapes. In the body of the Supreme Lord, Arjuna saw the whole Universe divided and at the same time united in one form. The vision that Arjuna beheld enveloped him completely. He was, in fact, part and experience of that vision as well.
Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa grew up together as friends. In this one moment, that relationship was redefined. When Arjuna beheld the Cosmic form of Kṛṣṇa, all thoughts of friendship disappeared. He became the typical dāsa, servant. Hands trembling, hair on end, tears in his eyes, Arjuna bowed down deep and started speaking in deep ecstasy. Ecstasy cannot be willed. Arjuna is in adoration, in awe. He realizes the presence of an energy that has no equal. In fact, Arjuna at this moment is beyond the five defined bhāvas. He is in the state of mahā bhāva.
Worlds Tremble In Fear (11.15-11.24)
As Arjuna is in the same Consciousness as the Lord, this verse should actually start with 'Bhagavān uvāca' meaning 'the Lord says!' These statements are said to come from Him for us to record.
These are such beautiful ways that he describes the form. He does so to inspire us to achieve this form and this experience.
He says, 'O Lord! I can see all the gods and deities in Your body. I can see the special union of living entities. I can see Brahma seated on the lotus flower. I can see all the sages and divine serpents. O Viśveśvara, Lord of the Universe, I see many arms, stomachs, faces, eyes and your limitless form. O Viśvarūpa, Universal form, I cannot see your beginning, middle or end (11.16).'
Arjuna sees the glowing form everywhere adorned with various crowns and discs. Some of what he sees is formless energy. He perceives radiance more powerful than a thousand suns, blazing, impossible to look at even with his divine eye.
Suddenly the scene changes. Arjuna is terrified. What Arjuna sees disturbs him.
'O All pervading Viṣṇu! I see You with burning fire in your gaping mouth, heating up the entire Universe, touching the sky. My heart trembles in fear and I have no courage to behold You.' Until now Arjuna was saying there was no beginning, middle or end. Now he says the form is touching the sky; an indication that he is settling, coming down from the experience. '
When Arjuna had his first glimpse of the Cosmic Vision of Kṛṣṇa, he identified with the Vision. There was no separation. Now, suddenly there is separation. Along with separation, there is fear!
Tell Me Who You Are (11.25-11.31)
From the macro perspective, Arjuna comes down to see the same destruction being played out at the battlefield at Kurukṣetra. From this verse we should say, 'Arjuna uvāca!' meaning 'Arjuna says'. It is no longer the divine state that Arjuna talks from. The moment he started feeling the fear, he descended to his normal state. Understand, only your fear separates you from Cosmic consciousness.
Arjuna exclaims that he sees the Kaurava warriors along with Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, all rushing into Kṛṣna's fearful mouths, with their heads smashed between His teeth, ground into nothing. He describes the whole scene. He sees heavy losses on both sides; his own side, his warriors and generals also. The vision of destruction implies that he too is mortal. Arjuna is terrified.
'Who are You?', asks Arjuna. 'What are You here for? You are so fierce.
I see men disappearing into You as rivers rush into the mighty oceans. Like moths rushing into fire, I see creatures speed into destruction within You. You terrify me. Have mercy upon me.'
Death is the ultimate fear. Even the great warrior Arjuna trembles when faced with death. For the first time, Arjuna realizes that Master cannot be put in a frame. The primal energy that the Master is has to be experienced, without expectations and fears. No one expects Kṛṣṇa to be terrifying. So Arjuna pleads, 'Please have mercy upon me. I bow down to You, namo 'stu te deva-vara prasādi (11.31).'
Get Up And Gain Glory, Be Not Afraid (11.32-11.34)
Kṛṣṇa explains in these verses what He really is.
'I am time, kālo asmi' says Kṛṣṇa. 'I devour and destroy the world, loka-kṣaya-kṛt (11.32).'
This is one of the most potent truths uttered by Kṛṣṇa in Gītā. For the first time, He takes off His mask and says, 'I am the Destroyer. I am Kāla, time,' says the Lord, 'and I destroy.' Time never stands still. It moves on. Nothing can stop the flow of time or move time forward. Time destroys.
The future constantly moves into the present, and then into the past. Kṛṣṇa is stating a simple fact here. 'With or without you,' He says, 'all these warriors will be dead. As Time, I shall devour them. It is not you who are the cause. O Savyasāci (Arjuna), by just being the instrument of their destruction, nimitta-mātraṁ bhava, get up and be the gainer of fame, wealth and power, tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham. (11.33).'
As Mahākāla, Time personified, Kṛṣṇa destroys all, the good and the bad. Time moves on and destroys the present into past, future into present and past. As time, Kṛṣṇa is neutral. He knows what will happen in the future and yet He does not influence it.
When one completes with Kṛṣṇa, when one surrenders to Him, to His Will, things happen as they should. We do what we need to, without worrying about what is to happen and how. We then are in the flow of time; we are in the flow of Kṛṣṇa's energy.
When Kṛṣṇa speaks of destroying and wiping out the world, He is talking about the destruction of the illusory physical and material world. He is the destroyer of fantasies, identities. What Mahākāla, Time, destroys, is the psychodrama that is being played out on the battlefield. As the Supreme Consciousness, He too is the energy of Śiva, the Rejuvenator. Śiva's aspect of Kālabhairava is the time that Kṛṣṇa refers to. He is the controller of past, present and future and all that happens in time.
When one surrenders to this Supreme Consciousness, one loses all fear of time. One completes and flows with time. Whatever one does is the right thing at the right time. When one loses fear of time, one also loses fear of death. All that dies is recreated.
Kṛṣṇa once again takes responsibility for this destruction. Now Kṛṣṇa consoles Arjuna. 'You have seen the truth of what happens. They have been destroyed already. Do not lose heart. Do what you have to do. Fight and destroy what remains, which is just the illusion of your fears.'
You Are Everything And Everywhere (11.35-11.44)
Arjuna is so overwhelmed by the fearsome sight of Kṛṣṇa as Mahākāla, devouring everything, that all Arjuna can do is to sing Kṛṣṇa's praises. He no longer has any self-doubt about the Universal consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, who till a while ago was his friend and charioteer. Whatever names and descriptions he is aware of to address this Supreme being, he uses now. Arjuna's devotion is at its peak. He salutes Kṛṣṇa as the source of all beings, the creator of Brahma. Since Kṛṣṇa extends everywhere and there is no place where He is not present, Arjuna salutes Him in all directions.
Completion with Master is Enlightenment
Having seen the infinity of Kṛṣṇa's form, Arjuna remembers that he had treated Kṛṣṇa like a friend, so casually. Remorse fills his being. Arjuna cries out, 'Please forgive me as a father would a son, a lover his beloved and a friend, his mate.'
Arjuna is demonstrating the power of completion with the Master, the ultimate relationship; in this case his incompletion is the guilt that seems to arise from the deepest of love. One of the important complications you carry in your life is doubt about yourself and doubt about your Master. You will project that self-doubt on your Master. Complete with that self-doubt. Only then you will have complete relationship with the Master.
Arjuna completes with his guilt, his self-doubt and drops it in front of his Lord and Master saying, 'Forgive me.' One by one negativities pour out of Arjuna and he is getting cleansed and complete in the presence of the Master.
I tell you, completion with Master is Enlightenment! If you just have completion with the Master, nothing else is required! His space will just gush into you and just raise your inner space.
Arjuna is one of the greatest examples of sakha bhāva, friendship relationship between Master and disciple. Kṛṣṇa has revealed Himself as the Supreme God to him. Now Arjuna has moved from sakha bhāva, friendship, to mahā bhāva, enlightened relationship.
Your Familiar Form (11.45-11.46)
Arjuna now makes his final plea. 'Show me Your form that I am familiar with,' he says, 'I am grateful and overwhelmed by the Visions that You have shown me.
A Yogī is one who has passed beyond these turbulences. He understands that the Divine is without attributes, neither peaceful and comforting, nor fearful and terrifying. These manifestations are also illusions. Beyond these apparent manifestations, Divinity just is. Arjuna seeks the safety and comfort of the four-handed Divine Protector, Caturbhuja Viṣṇu, rather than the terrifying Mahākāla. When we realize that both are masks of the Divine, that neither is His true Self and that both are His true Self, then and only then are we rid of illusions, and are liberated.
Only You Have Seen This Form (11.47-11.55)
Kṛṣṇa consoles Arjuna. He is again His compassionate Self to His disturbed disciple. He tells Arjuna that no one has had this great privilege of seeing His Cosmic form. No penances, no rituals, no scriptural reading and no charities would gain this Vision for any one. 'You are terrified. That is OK. See Me now in My normal form that you are used to worshipping.'
It is Kṛṣṇa who decides how He reveals Himself to His devotees and disciples. It is a gift from the Master. Kṛṣṇa now appears first in His four-handed beautiful Divine form that Arjuna is comfortable with, and finally as Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa, gentle human form. Arjuna has now seen Kṛṣṇa in all His forms. The true Universal form of Virāṭa rūpa or Viśvarūpa, that Arjuna found fearsome; the beautiful, much gentler, adorable form with four hands, caturbhuja, and finally back to the human form that Arjuna has always known.
Experience You As Universe and Universe As You
Kṛṣṇa concludes this chapter with a clear direction of what a devotee should do to reach Him. It is as simple as 1, 2, 3.
'Work for Me,' He says, 'work for My mission, mat karma kṛn. Surrender to Me as the supreme with no reservations, mat paramo mad bhaktaḥ. Have no attachment to whatever you do, surrender the fruits of your action to Me, sanga varjitaḥ. Look upon everyone as your own Self, without dislike and hatred, nirvairaḥ sarva bhūteṣu (11.55).'
What Kṛṣṇa says here is very significant. 'Work for Me. Enrich for Me, mat karma kṛn,' He says. 'He who works for Me comes to Me, yah sa mām eti pāṇḍavaḥ.' All disciples and devotees must understand this. Devotion is not about keeping a statue or a photo and praying to it. What is really needed is authenticity in action and your effort to enrich others and yourself, which is in tune with what the Master teaches.
Please listen. Rūpa means the parts of you which you remember and associate yourself with, and make others experience as you, is rūpa. Usually, whatever you associate yourself with and show as you to others is rūpa.
Viśvarūpa means cognizing the whole viśva (universe) as you and making the the whole viśva cognize you as viśva. Listen! Enriching is the direct process to cognize you as viśva or viśva (universe) as you.
Enriching is directly successful in life because with more and more enriching, you will less and less cognize yourself as this six-feet body and you will more and more cognize yourself with the people, who carry the completion space you are living. See, when you enrich others with the space you are living, they will feel your strength, you will feel their strength.
I tell you, take up enriching yourself and others as your cognition. Suddenly you will realize, not only you are rūpa, the center of your life, you are Viśvarūpa, the center of the Cosmic life. I am giving you practical tips from my personal life. You are not just center of your life, you are centre of the whole Cosmic life. Enriching is the direct process to transform you from rūpa to Viśvarūpa.
May the blessings of Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord be upon you all! Dissolve into the Universal consciousness. Be in Nityānanda, eternal bliss!