Chapter 11: Visvarupa Darsana Yoga

Sanskrit Transliteration:

arjuna uvācha mad-anugrahāya paramaṁ guhyam adhyātma-saṁjñitam yat tvayoktaṁ vachas tena moho 'yaṁ vigato mama

Translation:

Arjuna said: Out of compassion for me, You have spoken the supreme secret concerning the Self. By these words, my delusion has been dispelled.

Commentary:

Arjuna acknowledges that Krishna's teaching, given out of compassion, has removed his delusion. The supreme secret about the Self has been revealed. This marks a significant turning point—intellectual confusion has cleared.

Learning:

Divine teaching, received with readiness, dispels confusion. When a qualified teacher shares truth with a receptive student, darkness lifts. The effect is not just accumulation of information but actual removal of delusion.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ śhrutau vistaraśho mayā tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣha māhātmyam api chāvyayam

Translation:

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

Commentary:

Arjuna summarizes what he has learned: the coming and going of all beings, and Krishna's eternal greatness. This knowledge has been received in detail. The "lotus-eyed one" is an epithet of beauty and grace.

Learning:

Before asking for more, acknowledge what you've received. Arjuna summarizes his learning before making his request. This shows genuine engagement and prepares for the next step.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

evam etad yathāttha tvam ātmānaṁ parameśhvara draṣhṭum ichchhāmi te rūpam aiśhvaraṁ puruṣhottama

Translation:

O Supreme Lord, You are as You have described Yourself. I now wish to see Your divine form, O Supreme Person.

Commentary:

Arjuna accepts Krishna's self-description and now wants to see the divine form directly. Hearing isn't enough—he desires direct vision of what has been described. This is the natural progression from faith to experience.

Learning:

Accepted teaching creates desire for direct experience. You believe what you've heard; now you want to see it yourself. This movement from faith to vision is a healthy spiritual progression.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

manyase yadi tach chakkyaṁ mayā draṣhṭum iti prabho yogeśhvara tato me tvaṁ darśhayātmānam avyayam

Translation:

If You think it is possible for me to see this, O Lord, O Master of Yoga, then show me Your imperishable Self.

Commentary:

Arjuna makes his request humbly: "If you think it possible..." He addresses Krishna as the Lord of Yoga and asks to see the imperishable Self. The request is respectful—acknowledging that such vision depends on divine will, not just human desire.

Learning:

Ask for spiritual experiences humbly, acknowledging they depend on grace, not just your wish. The genuine seeker requests rather than demands, recognizing that revelation is given, not taken.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhrī bhagavān uvācha paśhya me pārtha rūpāṇi śhataśho 'tha sahasraśhaḥ nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛitīni cha

Translation:

The Supreme Lord said: Behold, O Partha, My forms by hundreds and thousands—divine, of various types, of various colors and shapes.

Commentary:

Krishna agrees to show his divine form. It will include hundreds and thousands of forms, all divine, varied in type, color, and shape. The cosmic vision will be overwhelming in its diversity and scale.

Learning:

When divine revelation comes, it exceeds expectation. You ask to see the divine form; you receive hundreds of thousands. God's response is more generous than our request. Be prepared for abundance.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

paśhyādityān vasūn rudrān aśhvinau marutas tathā bahūny adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvāṇi paśhyāśhcharyāṇi bhārata

Translation:

Behold the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, the twin Ashvins, and the Maruts. Behold many wonders never seen before, O Bharata.

Commentary:

The vision will include all the celestial hosts—various classes of gods—plus wonders never before witnessed. What Arjuna is about to see has never been seen by any being. This is unprecedented revelation.

Learning:

Divine vision reveals what has never been witnessed before. The spiritual life can open dimensions that no one has explored in quite your way. Be prepared for the unprecedented.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

ihaikasthaṁ jagat kṛitsnaṁ paśhyādya sa-charācharam mama dehe guḍākeśha yach chānyad draṣhṭum ichchhasi

Translation:

Behold now, O Gudakesha, the entire universe—moving and unmoving—united in My body, and whatever else you wish to see.

Commentary:

The entire universe—all that moves and doesn't move—will be visible within Krishna's body. Plus, anything else Arjuna wants to see will be available. The cosmic form contains all that exists.

Learning:

The divine body contains everything. All phenomena, all beings, all events exist within God. This vision of cosmic unity—everything in one—is the ultimate revelation of divine comprehensiveness.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

na tu māṁ śhakyase draṣhṭum anenaiva sva-chakṣhuṣhā divyaṁ dadāmi te chakṣhuḥ paśhya me yogam aiśhvaram

Translation:

But you cannot see Me with these eyes of yours. I give you divine vision. Behold My supreme yoga power.

Commentary:

Ordinary human eyes cannot see the cosmic form. Krishna grants divine vision (divya chakshus)—supernatural sight that enables perception of what is otherwise invisible. This is a gift, not a human capacity.

Learning:

Spiritual vision is a gift, not an achievement. Your natural faculties cannot perceive divine reality. Special sight must be given. This doesn't diminish effort; it acknowledges that grace completes what effort begins.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sañjaya uvācha evam uktvā tato rājan mahā-yogeśhvaro hariḥ darśhayām āsa pārthāya paramaṁ rūpam aiśhvaram

Translation:

Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken, O King, the great Lord of Yoga, Hari (Krishna), then showed Arjuna His supreme divine form.

Commentary:

Sanjaya (the narrator) describes the moment of revelation. Krishna, the great master of yoga, showed Arjuna the supreme lordly form. The vision is about to unfold.

Learning:

The moment of revelation is distinct from the teaching about it. Sanjaya marks this transition—from words to vision, from description to experience. Some truths must be seen, not just heard.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

aneka-vaktra-nayanam anekādbhuta-darśhanam aneka-divyābharaṇaṁ divyānekodyatāyudham divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṁ divya-gandhānulepanam sarvāśhcharya-mayaṁ devam anantaṁ viśhvato-mukham

Translation:

With many mouths and eyes, many wondrous aspects, many divine ornaments, many uplifted divine weapons, wearing divine garlands and garments, anointed with divine fragrances, all-wonderful, infinite, facing all directions.

Commentary:

The description begins: innumerable faces and eyes, countless wonders, divine ornaments and weapons, celestial garlands and clothes, divine scents. The form is completely wonderful, infinite, facing everywhere at once.

Learning:

The divine form overwhelms ordinary categories. "Many" and "infinite" and "all-wonderful"—language strains to capture what transcends it. The vision exceeds what words can convey.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

divi sūrya-sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitā yadi bhāḥ sadṛiśhī sā syād bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ

Translation:

If a thousand suns were to rise together in the sky, that radiance might resemble the splendor of that great being.

Commentary:

This famous verse attempts to convey the brilliance: imagine a thousand suns rising simultaneously—perhaps that might approach the radiance of this form. Even this comparison is approximate; the actual brilliance exceeds description.

Learning:

Some experiences require metaphor because direct description fails. A thousand simultaneous suns—the imagination stretches toward something that transcends imagination. The brightest light we know, multiplied, points toward what surpasses it.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛitsnaṁ pravibhaktam anekadhā apaśhyad deva-devasya śharīre pāṇḍavas tadā

Translation:

There, in the body of the God of gods, Arjuna then saw the entire universe, with its manifold divisions, united in one.

Commentary:

Within this cosmic body, Arjuna saw the entire universe—all its divisions and varieties—unified in one place. Diversity and unity displayed simultaneously. Everything exists within this divine form.

Learning:

Unity contains diversity. The cosmic vision doesn't erase differences but shows them all held together in one being. All the manifold divisions of existence are simultaneously present and unified.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tataḥ sa vismayāviṣhṭo hṛiṣhṭa-romā dhanañjayaḥ praṇamya śhirasā devaṁ kṛitāñjalir abhāṣhata

Translation:

Then Arjuna, filled with wonder, his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the divine one, and with joined palms began to speak.

Commentary:

Arjuna's response: overwhelming wonder, physical reaction (hair standing on end), prostration, and prayer. The vision evokes spontaneous reverence. He will now describe what he sees and express his awe.

Learning:

Genuine spiritual experience produces involuntary response. You can't contrive hair standing on end or spontaneous prostration. Authentic encounter with the divine overwhelms self-control and evokes natural reverence.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

arjuna uvācha paśhyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśheṣha-saṅghān brahmāṇam īśhaṁ kamalāsana-stham ṛiṣhīṁśh cha sarvān uragāṁśh cha divyān

Translation:

Arjuna said: O Lord, I see within Your body all the gods and all varieties of beings—Brahma the creator seated on the lotus, all the sages, and divine serpents.

Commentary:

Arjuna describes his vision: all the gods, all categories of beings, Brahma the creator on his lotus throne, all sages, divine serpents. Everything that exists appears within the cosmic body.

Learning:

The creator himself is contained within the Supreme. Even Brahma, the creator god, appears within Krishna's form. This establishes the hierarchy—Krishna contains even the creator of the universe.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ paśhyāmi tvāṁ sarvato 'nanta-rūpam nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ paśhyāmi viśhveśhvara viśhva-rūpa

Translation:

I see You with infinite arms, stomachs, faces, and eyes—infinite in form on all sides. I see no end, no middle, no beginning in You, O Lord of the universe, O Universal Form.

Commentary:

The form has countless arms, bellies, faces, eyes—infinity in every direction. It has no beginning, middle, or end that Arjuna can perceive. The cosmic form is boundless, extending infinitely in all dimensions.

Learning:

The divine has no boundaries. You cannot find where God begins or ends. This is not vagueness but infinity—more real than limited things, not less. The finite mind encounters the infinite with wonder.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ chakriṇaṁ cha tejo-rāśhiṁ sarvato dīptimantam paśhyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣhyaṁ samantād dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam

Translation:

I see You wearing crowns, carrying maces and discuses, a mass of radiance shining everywhere, difficult to look at, blazing like fire and sun on all sides, immeasurable.

Commentary:

Royal regalia—crowns, weapons—combined with overwhelming radiance. The light is so intense it's hard to look at, like staring at fire and sun from every direction. The form is immeasurable—beyond any calculation.

Learning:

Divine majesty combines sovereignty with radiance. The crowns and weapons show lordship; the blinding light shows transcendence. Power and brilliance together create a form almost impossible to behold.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tvam akṣharaṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam tvam avyayaḥ śhāśhvata-dharma-goptā sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣho mato me

Translation:

You are the imperishable Supreme to be known; You are the supreme treasure house of this universe; You are the unchanging guardian of the eternal law; You are the everlasting Primal Person, in my view.

Commentary:

Arjuna declares what the vision reveals: Krishna is the imperishable that must be known, the ultimate repository of the universe, the protector of eternal dharma, the ancient original person. This is experiential theology—truth directly perceived.

Learning:

Vision leads to theological understanding. What Arjuna sees leads to what he knows. The cosmic form teaches: this is the eternal, the foundation, the guardian of truth, the original being. Experience generates comprehension.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam ananta-bāhuṁ śhaśhi-sūrya-netram paśhyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśha-vaktraṁ sva-tejasā viśhvam idaṁ tapantam

Translation:

I see You without beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, with countless arms, the sun and moon as Your eyes, Your mouth as blazing fire, heating this universe with Your radiance.

Commentary:

More aspects of the vision: no beginning, middle, or end; unlimited power; infinite arms; sun and moon as eyes; mouth of blazing fire; radiance that heats the universe. The cosmic form is time and power personified.

Learning:

The divine is the source of cosmic energy. Sun and moon are merely eyes; the universe is heated by divine radiance. All natural forces are expressions of this one being. Nothing energizes itself—all power flows from the source.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

dyāv ā-pṛithivyor idam antaraṁ hi vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśhaśh cha sarvāḥ dṛiṣhṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman

Translation:

The space between heaven and earth and all directions is pervaded by You alone. Seeing this wonderful and terrible form of Yours, O Great One, the three worlds tremble.

Commentary:

Krishna's form fills all space—between earth and sky, every direction. The form is both wonderful (adbhuta) and terrible (ugra). The three worlds (heaven, earth, underworld) tremble at this vision. Wonder mixes with fear.

Learning:

The divine is both wonderful and terrible. Authentic encounter includes both beauty and dread. The universe trembles before its source. This is not just pleasant spirituality but awe-inspiring encounter with overwhelming reality.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā viśhanti kechid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛiṇanti svastīty uktvā maharṣhi-siddha-saṅghāḥ stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣhkalābhiḥ

Translation:

Hosts of gods are entering into You; some, frightened, praise You with joined palms. Saying "Svasti" (may all be well), the great sages and perfected beings glorify You with abundant praises.

Commentary:

Within the vision, Arjuna sees celestial hosts streaming into Krishna—some fearfully, some worshipfully. Great sages offer blessings and praises. The reaction to the cosmic form is worship mixed with awe.

Learning:

Even celestial beings respond to the divine with fear and worship. The highest spiritual attainments don't eliminate reverence—the sages and perfected ones still praise with joined palms. Proximity to God increases, not decreases, awe.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

rudrādityā vasavo ye cha sādhyā viśhve 'śhvinau marutaśh choṣhmapāśh cha gandharva-yakṣhāsura-siddha-saṅghā vīkṣhante tvāṁ vismitāśh chaiva sarve

Translation:

The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, the twin Ashvins, Maruts, ancestors, Gandharvas, Yakshas, demons, and perfected beings—all gaze upon You with wonder.

Commentary:

All categories of celestial beings—various classes of gods, ancestors, celestial musicians, nature spirits, even demons, and perfected souls—all watch with amazement. Every type of being beholds this form with wonder.

Learning:

The cosmic form astounds all beings, regardless of their nature. Gods and demons alike are amazed. The divine transcends the categories that divide other beings—all stand equally astonished before the infinite.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

rūpaṁ mahat te bahu-vaktra-netraṁ mahā-bāho bahu-bāhūru-pādam bahūdaraṁ bahu-daṁṣhṭrā-karālaṁ dṛiṣhṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās tathāham

Translation:

Seeing Your great form with many faces and eyes, O mighty-armed one, with many arms, thighs, and feet, many bellies, many terrible tusks—the worlds are terrified, and so am I.

Commentary:

The magnitude is overwhelming: countless faces, eyes, limbs, bellies, fearsome tusks. The worlds tremble; Arjuna himself is terrified. The shift from wonder to fear is evident—the cosmic form is frightening.

Learning:

Spiritual vision includes terror, not just comfort. The authentic divine is so far beyond human scale that fear is appropriate. This isn't spiritual failure but accurate response to encountering the truly infinite.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

nabhaḥ-spṛiśhaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśhāla-netram dṛiṣhṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā dhṛitiṁ na vindāmi śhamaṁ cha viṣhṇo

Translation:

Touching the sky, blazing, multicolored, with gaping mouths and huge fiery eyes—seeing You, my inner self is trembling; I find no steadiness or peace, O Vishnu.

Commentary:

The form reaches the sky, blazes with many colors, has mouths agape and enormous burning eyes. Arjuna's innermost being trembles; he cannot find stability or calm. The vision is destabilizing.

Learning:

Divine encounter can shatter inner equilibrium. Peace and steadiness, usually sought, may temporarily vanish in authentic vision. This isn't pathology but the appropriate effect of finite meeting infinite.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

daṁṣhṭrā-karālāni cha te mukhāni dṛiṣhṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni diśho na jāne na labhe cha śharma prasīda deveśha jagan-nivāsa

Translation:

Seeing Your mouths with terrible tusks, resembling the fires of cosmic dissolution, I lose my sense of direction and find no shelter. Be gracious, O Lord of gods, O refuge of the universe.

Commentary:

The fearsome tusked mouths look like the fires that destroy the universe at the end of time. Arjuna is disoriented—he cannot tell directions—and has lost all sense of safety. He pleads for grace.

Learning:

When overwhelmed by divine vision, the only response is to ask for grace. Human resources are exhausted; only divine mercy can help. "Be gracious"—this is the prayer when you've reached your limit.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

amī cha tvāṁ dhṛitarāṣhṭrasya putrāḥ sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ bhīṣhmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśhanti daṁṣhṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni kechid vilagnā daśhanāntareṣhu sandṛiśhyante chūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ

Translation:

All these sons of Dhritarashtra, along with hosts of kings—Bhishma, Drona, Karna—together with our chief warriors too, are rushing into Your fearsome mouths with terrible tusks. Some are caught between the teeth, their heads crushed.

Commentary:

The vision turns prophetic: Arjuna sees the warriors of both armies—including Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and his own allies—rushing into Krishna's mouths, being crushed between the teeth. The battle's outcome is revealed: all will die.

Learning:

The cosmic form reveals what time holds. All the warriors, friends and foes, are already doomed. The future is visible in the divine vision. Death comes to all, regardless of which side they're on.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo 'mbu-vegāḥ samudram evābhimukhā dravanti tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrāḥ viśhanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti

Translation:

As many torrents of rivers flow toward the ocean, so these heroes of the human world are entering into Your blazing mouths.

Commentary:

Like rivers rushing to the sea, warriors rush into the cosmic mouths. The flow is natural, inevitable, irresistible. All beings return to their source as surely as rivers reach the ocean.

Learning:

Death is not accident but homecoming—the return of streams to the ocean. All beings naturally flow back to their source. The imagery is both terrifying and, in a sense, reassuring: this is how things are meant to be.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ pataṅgā viśhanti nāśhāya samṛiddha-vegāḥ tathaiva nāśhāya viśhanti lokās tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛiddha-vegāḥ

Translation:

As moths rush swiftly into a blazing fire for destruction, so also do these beings enter Your mouths with great speed for their destruction.

Commentary:

Another image: moths flying into flame, accelerating toward their own destruction. The beings rush into the cosmic mouths just as mindlessly, with full speed, toward annihilation. The attraction to death is as compelling as moths to fire.

Learning:

There is something in beings that rushes toward their own end. Like moths unable to resist flame, we accelerate toward what destroys us. This isn't pessimism but observation of how limited beings behave.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṁ bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣhṇo

Translation:

You are licking all the worlds with Your flaming mouths, swallowing them from all sides. Your fierce radiance fills the entire universe and scorches it, O Vishnu.

Commentary:

The cosmic form is actively consuming—licking up, swallowing worlds from every direction. Fierce radiance fills and scorches the universe. This is Time as destroyer, actively devouring all existence.

Learning:

The divine includes the destructive. God is not only creator but destroyer—consuming worlds, scorching with radiance. This aspect, while terrifying, is authentic. Spiritual maturity includes accepting divine destructiveness.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo namo 'stu te deva-vara prasīda vijñātum ichchhāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛittim

Translation:

Tell me who You are in this terrible form. Salutations to You, O supreme God; be gracious. I wish to know You, the Primal One, for I do not understand Your purpose.

Commentary:

Arjuna asks for explanation. Despite everything he knows, this form is confusing. He bows, asks for grace, and requests understanding. He doesn't comprehend what this terrible activity signifies.

Learning:

Even after vision, understanding may lag. Arjuna sees but doesn't fully comprehend. He asks the right question: "What does this mean?" Vision without interpretation remains incomplete.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhrī bhagavān uvācha kālo 'smi loka-kṣhaya-kṛit pravṛiddho lokān samāhartum iha pravṛittaḥ ṛite 'pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣhyanti sarve ye 'vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣhu yodhāḥ

Translation:

The Supreme Lord said: I am Time, the great destroyer of worlds, here engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without your participation, all the warriors standing in the opposing armies shall cease to exist.

Commentary:

Krishna's stunning answer: "I am Time, destroyer of worlds." He has come to annihilate. Even if Arjuna does nothing, all these warriors will die. Their destruction is already determined by Time itself.

Learning:

Time destroys all. This is not pessimism but truth. Whatever exists in time is subject to time's consuming power. Recognizing this changes how you relate to temporary things and to your own mortality.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tasmāt tvam uttiṣhṭha yaśho labhasva jitvā śhatrūn bhuṅkṣhva rājyaṁ samṛiddham mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sāchin

Translation:

Therefore arise and gain glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a prosperous kingdom. They are already slain by Me; be merely an instrument, O Arjuna.

Commentary:

The practical conclusion: since death is already determined, Arjuna should simply act. He will gain glory, victory, and kingdom. But the actual killing is already done by Time—Arjuna is merely the visible instrument of what is already accomplished.

Learning:

You are an instrument, not the ultimate cause. Actions that seem yours are actually working out a larger design. This doesn't eliminate responsibility but changes its nature. Act, but know you're participating in something larger.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

droṇaṁ cha bhīṣhmaṁ cha jayadrathaṁ cha karṇaṁ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān mayā hatāṁs tvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣhṭhā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān

Translation:

Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other brave warriors have already been slain by Me. Do not be distressed. Fight! You shall conquer your enemies in battle.

Commentary:

Specific warriors are named—including the most formidable opponents—as already killed by Krishna. Arjuna shouldn't grieve; he should fight. Victory is assured because the outcome is already determined in the divine plan.

Learning:

What seems future is already accomplished in divine vision. The warriors Arjuna fears are already dead from the cosmic perspective. This knowledge should free him from fear. Act in time; the eternal has already decided.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sañjaya uvācha etach chhrutvā vachanaṁ keśhavasya kṛitāñjalir vepamānaḥ kirīṭī namaskṛitvā bhūya evāha kṛiṣhṇaṁ sa-gadgadaṁ bhīta-bhītaḥ praṇamya

Translation:

Sanjaya said: Having heard these words of Keshava, the crowned Arjuna, trembling, with joined palms, bowed down, and spoke again to Krishna with faltering voice, overwhelmed with fear, prostrating again.

Commentary:

Sanjaya describes Arjuna's state: trembling, bowing, voice faltering from fear, prostrating repeatedly. The revelation has shaken him profoundly. His response is continued worship despite terror.

Learning:

Authentic spiritual experience may leave you trembling and faltering. This isn't weakness but appropriate response. You can still worship while overwhelmed—fear and devotion coexist in genuine encounter with the holy.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

arjuna uvācha sthāne hṛiṣhīkeśha tava prakīrtyā jagat prahṛiṣhyaty anurajyate cha rakṣhāṁsi bhītāni diśho dravanti sarve namasyanti cha siddha-saṅghāḥ

Translation:

Arjuna said: It is fitting, O Hrishikesha, that the world rejoices and is attracted by Your glory. The demons flee in fear to all directions, and the hosts of perfected beings bow to You.

Commentary:

Arjuna affirms the appropriateness of various responses: the world's joy, attraction to Krishna's glory, demons' flight, sages' reverence. All reactions—joy, fear, worship—are fitting responses to this revelation.

Learning:

Different beings respond differently to the divine, and all responses are appropriate. Some rejoice, some flee, some bow. The divine evokes the response suited to each being's nature. There's no single "right" reaction.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

kasmāch cha te na nameran mahātman garīyase brahmaṇo 'py ādi-kartre ananta deveśha jagan-nivāsa tvam akṣharaṁ sad-asat tat paraṁ yat

Translation:

And why should they not bow to You, O Great One, who are greater than Brahma, the original creator? O infinite Lord of gods, refuge of the universe, You are the imperishable, the being, the non-being, and that which is beyond.

Commentary:

Of course they should bow—Krishna is greater than even the creator. He is infinite, supreme among gods, shelter of the universe, imperishable, the ground of both existence and non-existence, and what transcends both.

Learning:

The divine is greater than the creator and beyond the duality of being and non-being. Nothing in existence or beyond is outside the divine. This is the ultimate affirmation of divine supremacy.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣhaḥ purāṇas tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam vettāsi vedyaṁ cha paraṁ cha dhāma tvayā tataṁ viśhvam ananta-rūpa

Translation:

You are the primal God, the ancient Person, the supreme treasure of this universe, the knower and what is to be known, the supreme abode. By You of infinite form the entire universe is pervaded.

Commentary:

Krishna is the first god, the ancient being, the ultimate treasure, both knower and known, the highest dwelling. His infinite form pervades everything. All categories of existence are comprehended in him.

Learning:

The divine is both subject and object—the knower and what is known. There is nothing outside to limit the divine or to be known by another. Complete self-sufficiency characterizes ultimate reality.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

vāyur yamo 'gnir varuṇaḥ śhaśhāṅkaḥ prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaśh cha namo namas te 'stu sahasra-kṛitvaḥ punaśh cha bhūyo 'pi namo namas te

Translation:

You are Vayu (wind), Yama (death), Agni (fire), Varuna (water), the moon, Prajapati (creator), and the great-grandfather. Salutations, salutations to You a thousand times, and again more salutations!

Commentary:

Krishna is identified with all the major cosmic forces and deities. A thousand salutations are offered, and then more. Repetition expresses the inexhaustibility of appropriate reverence.

Learning:

Reverence cannot be exhausted. A thousand bows aren't enough; more are needed. When you've honored the divine appropriately, you haven't—more is always due. Worship is never finished.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

namaḥ purastād atha pṛiṣhṭhatas te namo 'stu te sarvata eva sarva ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ sarvaṁ samāpnoṣhi tato 'si sarvaḥ

Translation:

Salutations from the front and from behind. Salutations to You from all sides, O All! You of infinite prowess and boundless might pervade everything; therefore You are everything.

Commentary:

Bowing from every direction—front, behind, all sides. Because Krishna pervades everything with infinite power, he is everything. All-pervasion equals identity with all. This is the logic of divine presence.

Learning:

If God pervades everything, God is everything. This isn't pantheism (everything is equally divine) but panentheism (everything exists in God). The divine presence in all makes all, in some sense, divine.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ he kṛiṣhṇa he yādava he sakheti ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi yach chāvahāsārtham asat-kṛito 'si vihāra-śhayyāsana-bhojaneṣhu eko 'thavāpy achyuta tat-samakṣhaṁ tat kṣhāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

Translation:

Whatever I said rashly, thinking You were my friend, addressing You as "Krishna," "Yadava," "friend"—not knowing Your majesty, through negligence or affection, and whatever disrespect I showed in jest while relaxing, resting, sitting, or eating, alone or in company, O Achyuta—I ask forgiveness from You, the immeasurable.

Commentary:

Arjuna apologizes for past casual treatment. He called Krishna "friend" and familiar names without knowing his true nature. He was disrespectful in jest during intimate moments. He begs forgiveness from the immeasurable one.

Learning:

Intimacy with the divine doesn't excuse irreverence. Arjuna realizes his casual treatment, though based on friendship, was inappropriate given Krishna's true nature. Familiarity should deepen, not diminish, respect.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

pitāsi lokasya charācharasya tvam asya pūjyaśh cha gurur garīyān na tvat-samo 'sty abhyadhikaḥ kuto 'nyo loka-traye 'py apratima-prabhāva

Translation:

You are the father of this world, of moving and unmoving beings. You are its most venerable, most exalted teacher. No one equals You—how could anyone surpass You in all the three worlds, O One of incomparable power?

Commentary:

Krishna is the father of all existence, the supreme teacher worthy of highest honor. None equals him; surpassing is impossible. His power is unmatched in all worlds.

Learning:

The divine is both father and teacher—source and guide. Nothing can equal or exceed God. This recognition brings humility and properly orients the worshipper to the worshipped.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

tasmāt praṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṁ prasādaye tvām aham īśham īḍyam piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum

Translation:

Therefore, bowing and prostrating my body, I ask Your grace, O adorable Lord. As a father tolerates a son, a friend a friend, a lover a beloved—please bear with me, O God.

Commentary:

Arjuna prostrates completely and asks for grace. He hopes Krishna will tolerate his past familiarity as father with son, friend with friend, lover with beloved. Divine grace is needed to cover human inadequacy.

Learning:

Ask for divine tolerance of your inadequacies. We cannot relate to the infinite adequately, but we can ask for grace to cover our shortcomings. The divine relationships—parent, friend, beloved—offer models of forbearing love.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛiṣhito 'smi dṛiṣhṭvā bhayena cha pravyathitaṁ mano me tad eva me darśhaya deva rūpaṁ prasīda deveśha jagan-nivāsa

Translation:

Having seen what was never seen before, I am delighted, yet my mind is disturbed with fear. Show me that familiar form, O God. Be gracious, O Lord of gods, O refuge of the universe.

Commentary:

Arjuna has experienced both delight and terror. He asks to see Krishna's familiar form again. The cosmic vision is too overwhelming; he needs to return to what he can bear. He asks for grace.

Learning:

You may need to return from overwhelming vision to familiar form. Spiritual experience at the limit of human capacity requires grace to integrate. Sometimes the most spiritual thing is to ask for the comforting, familiar presence again.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ chakra-hastam ichchhāmi tvāṁ draṣhṭum ahaṁ tathaiva tenaiva rūpeṇa chatur-bhujena sahasra-bāho bhava viśhva-mūrte

Translation:

I wish to see You as before, with crown, mace, and discus in hand. O thousand-armed one, O Universal Form, please assume that four-armed form.

Commentary:

Arjuna wants the four-armed Vishnu form—majestic but comprehensible, with crown and divine weapons. The thousand-armed cosmic form is too much. He requests the form he can worship with.

Learning:

We need a form we can worship with. The infinite must become accessible. The request for a comprehensible form isn't spiritual failure but practical wisdom. God accommodates human limitation with approachable forms.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhrī bhagavān uvācha mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ rūpaṁ paraṁ darśhitam ātma-yogāt tejo-mayaṁ viśhvam anantam ādyaṁ yan me tvad anyena na dṛiṣhṭa-pūrvam

Translation:

The Supreme Lord said: By My grace, through My own power, O Arjuna, I have shown you this supreme form—radiant, universal, infinite, primeval—which no one else has ever seen.

Commentary:

Krishna confirms the vision was given by his grace and power. This supreme cosmic form—radiant, all-encompassing, infinite, original—has never been shown to anyone else. Arjuna has received unique revelation.

Learning:

Some revelations are unique gifts. Not everyone receives the same vision. What you've been given may be unprecedented. Value such experiences and recognize them as unearned grace, not spiritual achievement.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair na cha kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ evaṁ-rūpaḥ śhakya ahaṁ nṛi-loke draṣhṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra

Translation:

Not by Vedic study, sacrifice, charity, rituals, or severe austerities can this form be seen in the human world by anyone other than you, O foremost of the Kurus.

Commentary:

The cosmic form cannot be attained through ordinary spiritual practices—study, sacrifice, charity, rituals, austerities. None of these can produce this vision. It comes only through special grace, and Arjuna alone has received it.

Learning:

The highest experiences transcend religious technique. You cannot earn or produce them through practice alone. Grace exceeds what merit deserves. This isn't to discourage practice but to recognize its limitation.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

mā te vyathā mā cha vimūḍha-bhāvo dṛiṣhṭvā rūpaṁ ghoram īdṛiṅ mamedam vyapeta-bhīḥ prīta-manāḥ punas tvaṁ tad eva me rūpam idaṁ prapaśhya

Translation:

Do not be afraid or bewildered by seeing this terrible form of Mine. Free from fear, with glad heart, behold again this form of Mine.

Commentary:

Krishna reassures Arjuna: don't be distressed or confused by the terrible vision. Release fear, be happy again, and see his familiar form. Divine compassion responds to human limitation with comfort.

Learning:

Divine reassurance follows overwhelming revelation. After the terror comes the comfort. God doesn't leave you in fear but guides you back to peaceful relationship. Fear may be the door; peace is the room.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

sañjaya uvācha ity arjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśhayām āsa bhūyaḥ āśhvāsayām āsa cha bhītam enaṁ bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur mahātmā

Translation:

Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva (Krishna) again showed His own form. The Great One, assuming His gentle form, consoled the frightened Arjuna.

Commentary:

Sanjaya narrates: Krishna showed his own (familiar) form again and consoled the frightened Arjuna by assuming his gentle aspect. The cosmic terror gives way to personal comfort.

Learning:

The divine can be both terrifying and gentle. After revealing the overwhelming cosmic form, Krishna returns to the gentle personal form that can comfort and console. Both aspects are real; the gentle one allows relationship.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

arjuna uvācha dṛiṣhṭvedaṁ mānuṣhaṁ rūpaṁ tava saumyaṁ janārdana idānīm asmi saṁvṛittaḥ sa-chetāḥ prakṛitiṁ gataḥ

Translation:

Arjuna said: O Janardana, seeing this gentle human form of Yours, I am now composed, my mind is restored, and I have returned to my normal nature.

Commentary:

Relief! Seeing Krishna's gentle human form, Arjuna feels composed again. His mind has recovered; he's back to his normal state. The overwhelming vision has passed; he can function again.

Learning:

Return to normalcy after peak experience is good. You can't live at the peak—you need to function in ordinary reality. Being "restored to normal nature" isn't spiritual decline but necessary integration.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

śhrī bhagavān uvācha su-durdarśham idaṁ rūpaṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi yan mama devā apy asya rūpasya nityaṁ darśhana-kāṅkṣhiṇaḥ

Translation:

The Supreme Lord said: This form of Mine that you have seen is very difficult to behold. Even the gods are ever longing to see this form.

Commentary:

Krishna confirms the rarity of what Arjuna experienced. This form is extremely difficult to see—even the gods perpetually desire a glimpse. What Arjuna saw exceeds what celestial beings can access.

Learning:

Some experiences are so rare that even celestial beings long for them without obtaining. If you receive such grace, recognize its extraordinary nature. Don't take for granted what gods themselves desire.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na chejyayā śhakya evaṁ-vidho draṣhṭuṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi māṁ yathā

Translation:

Not by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form, as you have seen Me.

Commentary:

The cosmic form cannot be obtained through any religious practice—Vedic study, austerity, charity, or sacrifice. What Arjuna experienced was purely gracious revelation, not the result of any technique.

Learning:

The deepest revelation exceeds what practice can produce. While practice is essential, it cannot guarantee the highest experience. Grace exceeds merit. Do your practice without assuming it entitles you to specific results.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śhakya aham evaṁ-vidho 'rjuna jñātuṁ draṣhṭuṁ cha tattvena praveṣhṭuṁ cha parantapa

Translation:

But by exclusive devotion, O Arjuna, I can be known and seen in this form, in truth, and entered into, O scorcher of foes.

Commentary:

The one means to this vision is exclusive devotion (ananya bhakti). Through this alone can Krishna be known, seen, and entered into—complete union. Not technique but devotion opens the door.

Learning:

Exclusive devotion is the key. Single-minded love—thinking of nothing else, wanting nothing else—opens what nothing else can open. The heart's total gift receives what effort alone cannot attain.

Sanskrit Transliteration:

mat-karma-kṛin mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣhu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava

Translation:

One who does My work, who regards Me as supreme, who is devoted to Me, free from attachment, without enmity toward any being—that one comes to Me, O Pandava.

Commentary:

The chapter concludes with summary instruction: do God's work, consider God supreme, be devoted to God, abandon attachments, have no hostility toward any creature. This person attains Krishna. These are the qualities that lead to divine union.

Learning:

The path to God combines action, priority, devotion, detachment, and universal love. Work for God, put God first, love God, release attachments, love all beings. This fivefold practice leads to the goal. It's simple to state, profound to practice, and certain in result.