Chapter 11: The Cosmic Form
विश्वरूपदर्शनयोग
Given divine sight, Arjuna sees all of creation and destruction within Krishna’s universal form, and is awed and terrified.
Verse 11.1Arjuna said: This word of the supreme Secret concerning the Self, Thou hast spoken out of compassion; by this my delusion is taken away.Verse 11.2The production and destruction of beings have been heard by me in detail from Thee, O Lotus-eyed, and also Thy imperishable greatness.Verse 11.3O supreme Lord, even as Thou describest Thyself, O best of beings, I desire to see Thy Form omnipotent.Verse 11.4If Thou thinkest that by me It can be seen, O Lord, Lord of Yoga, then show me Thine imperishable Self.Verse 11.5The Blessed Lord said: Behold, O Pârtha, a Form of Me, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, various in kind, divine, various in colours and shapes.Verse 11.6Behold the Âdityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Ashvins and also the Maruts; behold many marvels never seen ere this, O Bhârata.Verse 11.7Here, to-day, behold the whole universe, movable and immovable, standing in one in My body, O Gudâkesha, with aught else thou desirest to see.Verse 11.8But verily thou art not able to behold Me with these thine eyes; the divine eye I give unto thee. Behold My sovereign Yoga.Verse 11.9Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken, O King, the great Lord of Yoga, Hari, showed to Partha His supreme Form as Lord.Verse 11.10With many mouths and eyes, with many visions of marvel, with many divine ornaments, with many upraised divine weapons;Verse 11.11Wearing divine necklaces and vestures, anointed with divine unguents, the God all-marvellous, boundless, with face turned everywhere.Verse 11.12If the splendour of a thousand suns were to blaze out together in the sky, that might resemble the glory of that Mahâtman.Verse 11.13There Pândava beheld the whole universe, divided into manifold parts, standing in one in the body of the Deity of Deities.Verse 11.14Then he, Dhananjaya, overwhelmed with astonishment, his hair upstanding, bowed down his head to the Shining One, and with joined palms spake.Verse 11.15Arjuna said: Within Thy Form, O God, the Gods I see, All grades of beings with distinctive marks; Brahma, the Lord, upon His lotus-throne, The Rishis all, and…Verse 11.16With mouths, eyes, arms, breasts multitudinous, I see Thee everywhere, unbounded Form. Beginning, middle, end, nor source of Thee, Infinite Lord, infinite Form, I find;Verse 11.17Shining, a mass of splendour everywhere, With discus, mace, tiara, I behold: Blazing as fire, as sun dazzling the gaze, From all sides in the sky, immeasurable.Verse 11.18Lofty beyond all thought, unperishing, Thou treasure-house supreme, all-immanent; Eternal Dharma's changeless Guardian, Thou; As immemorial Man I think of Thee.Verse 11.19Nor source, nor midst, nor end; infinite force, Unnumbered arms, the sun and moon Thine eyes I see Thy face, as sacrificial fire Blazing, its splendour burneth up…Verse 11.20By Thee alone are filled the earth, the heavens, And all the regions that are stretched between; The triple worlds sink down, O mighty One, Before Thine awful…Verse 11.21To Thee the troops of Suras enter in, Some with joined palms in awe invoking Thee; Banded Maharshis, Siddhas, cry: "All hail"! Chanting Thy praises with resounding songs.Verse 11.22Rudras, Vasus, Sâdhyas and Adityas, Vishvas, the Ashvins, Maruts, Ushmapas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Siddhas, Asuras, In wondering multitudes beholding Thee.Verse 11.23Thy mighty Form, with many mouths and eyes, Long armed, with thighs and feet innumerate, Vast-bosomed, set with many fearful teeth, The worlds see terror-struck, as…Verse 11.24Radiant, Thou touchest heaven, rainbow-hued, With opened mouths and shining vast-orbed eyes. My inmost self is quaking, having seen, My strength is withered,…Verse 11.25Like Time's destroying flames I see Thy teeth, Upstanding, spread within expanded jaws; Nought know I anywhere, no shelter find; Mercy, O God! re of all the worlds!Verse 11.26The sons of Dhṛitarâshtra, and with them The multitude of all these kings of earth, Bhîshma, and Drona, Sûta's royal son, And all the noblest warriors of our hosts,Verse 11.27Into Thy gaping mouths they hurrying rush, Tremendous-toothed and terrible to see; Some caught within the gaps between Thy teeth Are seen, their heads to powder…Verse 11.28As river-floods impetuously rush, Hurling their waters into ocean's lap, So fling themselves into Thy flaming mouths, In haste, these mighty men, these lords of earth.Verse 11.29As moths with quickened speed will headlong fly Into a flaming light, to fall destroyed, So also these, in haste precipitate, Enter within Thy mouths destroyed to fall.Verse 11.30On every side, all-swallowing, fiery-tongued, Thou lickest up mankind, devouring all; The glory filleth space: the universe Is burning, Vishnu, with Thy blazing rays.Verse 11.31Reveal Thy Self; what awful Form art Thou? I worship Thee! Have mercy, God supreme! Thine inner Being I am fain to know; This Thy forth-streaming Life bewilders me.Verse 11.32Time am I, laying desolate the world, Made manifest on earth to slay mankind! Not one of all these warriors ranged for strife Escapeth death; thou shalt alone survive.Verse 11.33Therefore stand up! win for thyself renown, Conquer thy foes, enjoy the wealth filled realm, By Me they are already overcome, Be thou the outward cause, left-handed one.Verse 11.34Drona and Bhîshma and Jayadratha, Karna, and all the other warriors here, Are slain by Me. Destroy them fearlessly. Fight! thou shalt crush thy rivals in the field.Verse 11.35Sanjaya said: Having heard these words of Keshava, he who weareth a diadem, with joined palms, quaking and prostrating himself, spake again to Krishna, stammering…Verse 11.36Arjuna said: Hrishîkesha! in Thy magnificence Rightly the world rejoiceth, hymning Thee; The Râkshasas to every quarter fly In fear; the hosts of Siddhas prostrate fall.Verse 11.37How should they otherwise, O loftiest Self! First Cause! Brahmâ Himself less great than Thou. Infinite, God of Gods, home of all worlds, Unperishing, Sat, Asat,…Verse 11.38First of the Gods, most ancient Man Thou art. Supreme receptacle of all that lives; Knower and known, the dwelling-place on high; In Thy vast Form the universe is spread.Verse 11.39Thou art Vâyu and Yama, Agni, moon, Varuna, Father, Grandsire of all; Hail, hail to Thee! a thousand times all hail! Hail unto Thee! again, again all hail!Verse 11.40Prostrate in front of Thee, prostrate behind; Prostrate on every side to Thee, O All. In power boundless, measureless in strength, Thou holdest all: then Thou…Verse 11.41If, thinking Thee but friend, importunate, O Krishna! or O Yâdava! O friend! I cried, unknowing of Thy majesty, And careless in the fondness of my love;Verse 11.42If jesting I irreverence showed to Thee, At play, reposing, sitting or at meals, Alone, O sinless One, or with my friends, Forgive my error, O Thou boundless One.Verse 11.43Father of worlds, of all that moves and stands, Worthier of reverence than the Guru's self, There is none like to Thee. Who passeth Thee? Pre-eminent Thy power in…Verse 11.44Therefore I fall before Thee; with my body I worship as it fitting; bless Thou me. As father with the son, as friend with friend, With the beloved as lover, bear with me.Verse 11.45I have seen that which none hath seen before, My heart is glad, yet faileth me for fear; Show me, O God, Thine other Form again— Mercy, O God of Gods, home of all worlds—Verse 11.46Diademed, mace and discus in Thy hand. Again I fain would see Thee as before; Put on again Thy four-armed shape, O Lord, O thousand-armed, of forms innumerate.Verse 11.47The Blessed Lord said: Arjuna, by My favour thou hast seen, This loftiest Form by yoga's self revealed! Radiant, all-penetrating, endless, first, That none except…Verse 11.48Nor sacrifice, nor Vedas, alms, nor works, Nor sharp austerity, nor study deep, Can win the vision of this Form for man, Foremost of Kurus, thou alone hast seen.Verse 11.49Be not bewildered, be thou not afraid, Because thou hast beheld this awful Form; Cast fear away, and let thy heart rejoice; Behold again Mine own familiar shape.Verse 11.50Sanjaya said: Vâsudeva, having thus spoken to Arjuna, again manifested His own Form, and consoled the terrified one, the Mahâtman again assuming a gentle form.Verse 11.51Arjuna said: Beholding again Thy gentle human Form, O Janârdana, I am now collected, and am restored to my own nature.Verse 11.52The Blessed Lord said: This Form of Mine beholden by thee is very hard to see. Verily the Shining Ones ever long to behold this form.Verse 11.53Nor can I be seen as thou hast seen Me by the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by alms, or by offerings;Verse 11.54But by devotion to Me alone I may thus be perceived, Arjuna, and known and seen in essence, and entered, O Parantapa.Verse 11.55He who doeth actions for Me, whose supreme good I am, My devotee, freed from attachment without hatred of any being, he cometh unto Me, O Pândava.