Bhagavad Gita (11)

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CHAPTER 11THE COSMIC VISION(Visvarupa Darsana

Yoga) "Everywhere I look, there You are."1-2.

Arjuna sighs, his eyes glistening. "Thank You, Krishna, for this

wondrous revelation of Your glories; it has removed my delusion. Thank

You for Your detailed account of the evolution and dissolution of

beings, and for Your exquisite description of Your splendor.3-4.

"I now know that You are what You say You are, Divine One, but I would

like to actually see You in Your true God form, rather than just this

Krishna body. If appropriate, and if I am worthy, please show me now."5-7.

Krishna says, "You are worthy, Arjuna. I will have you behold millions

of My shapes, forms, and colors, for naught exists outside Me. And I

will have you see within Me the many classes of celestial beings and

more marvels not previously revealed. And you will view the entire

creation of animate and inanimate beings concentrated within the Cosmic

Me, and witness whatever else your inner thoughts may bring."A THOUSAND SUNS :KRISHNA REVEALS HIS WONDROUS COSMIC FORM8.

"But you cannot perceive any of this with human eyes composed of

natural elements and thus able to grasp only physical nature. I will

have to grant you special eyes to see beyond that. So now, using divine

vision, behold My Divine Cosmic Form."9-11. Back in the

chambers of the old blind king, Sanjaya begins describing the

unfolding, his eyes wide in amazement. "O King!" Sanjaya exclaims,

"Lord Krishna is all at once a marvelous sight : thousands of facial

features, countless mouths and eyes, clothes adorned with ornaments of

beauty never seen before. He's holding many weapons uplifted as symbols

of His infinite powers, showing Himself arrayed in heavenly garments,

garlands of flowers - I can even smell His celestial perfumes. He seems

to be facing in all directions!12. "It is impossible to

describe in earthly words the dazzling light emanating from Him - it is

as if a thousand suns were suddenly blazing in the sky; even that is

insufficient tribute to the splendor and brilliance of His aura.13.

"Arjuna is now 'seeing' the entire universe, with all its myriad forms,

within Krishna's cosmic body - planets, distant stars, living beings,

multitudes of animals, the vast plant kingdom - all expressions of the

same consciousness that lives within the Divine One. The celestial

worlds are also there for Arjuna to see; all the regions within and

without are all united, concentrated at once within this vision of the

Supreme One; all contained within the one being, the Divinity of

Divinities."14-15. Arjuna gasps, "It's awesome, Krishna! I bow

my head in reverence to You. I can hardly find my voice. I... I see

things I've never seen or heard about or even conceived. I see all the

deities, O Divine One, and all kinds of living creatures within Your

being. I see all the multitudes of lesser deities and animals that You

earlier proclaimed to exist. I see all the seers and saints, and

celestial serpents - all these beings are contained in You!16-17.

"But I cannot see to the far reaches of You, Krishna. I see no limits

to Your Cosmic God form, no boundaries or demarcation points to Your

spectrum of existence. I see countless eyes and arms, mouths, and

bellies, but I find no end or beginning to it all. It simply is,

without any restrictions of space or time or thought."I

perceive crowns, and all the tools and symbols of Your rule over the

worlds. The luminosity surrounding You is so brilliant it's hard on

even these divine eyes that You granted me.18. "From all this I

can only conclude that You are indeed the Imperishable Supreme Being,

the one and only thing to be known. You are the ultimate refuge for

all, the guardian and support for the universe. You are the very basis

of the universe's functioning, what is called the Eternal Dharma. You are the everlasting Cosmic Spirit (Purusha). I am now convinced of these truths, O beloved Krishna.19.

"And I see You as birthless and deathless with total, absolute power

and strength, as if possessing a million arms. Your mouth is the fire

that warms the universe, and Your radiance lights it as though the sun

and moon were Your eyes.20. "Your vast, limitless presence fills all the space between heaven and earth, and extends far beyond all that. You are all-pervasive! I also see fierceness and terror in You, Krishna, and I watch beings in all the three worlds tremble.21-22.

"Hordes of deities swirl around You and enter into Your being. Some are

awestruck and fearfully extol Your praises. Legions of other celestial

beings sing rapturous hymns in praise of Your awesome purifying powers.

Even these high beings gaze at Your fiery eyes in amazement, unable to

gauge Your universal figure in its entirety."KRISHNA REVEALS THE BATTLE'S COSMIC INEVITABILITY23-25.

"O Krishna, it's breathtaking. No matter how far I turn in any

direction, high or low, side to side, I cannot see an end to Your form.

All I see is Your vastness brushing the sky and horizons; I lose my

sense of direction and feel utterly lost and bewildered. And now,

seeing Your measureless might, it's as though millions of arms and

teeth are set to devour everything in sight."I perceive all the

worlds and creatures become as I feel inside, frightened and

terror-struck at Your fury. When I crane my neck to look upon Your

gaping mouths and grinding teeth I am filled with horror; my peace of

mind flees from me. Be gracious, O Krishna, please show mercy!26-30.

"I watch all the enemy forces - the sons of the old blind king,

generals, heroes, relatives, others who allied themselves with them -

all are rushing headlong into Your immensity as though being devoured.

And I watch as vast numbers of our own soldiers and warrior-chiefs also

rush heedless into the maw. I hear the frightful cries as these forces

are ground up and crushed within You. Like flooded rivers rushing

toward the ocean, the heroes on both sides are scurrying, stumbling to

their awful fate in You; like moths flitting purposely into the flame,

they rush to their doom in You. It is as though You are swallowing up

the worlds and licking Your lips, O Lord. Your destructiveness is as a

fierce blaze filling the sky, permeating the universe!31. "When

You are so ruinous and fierce, the reality of You abruptly hides from

me. I suddenly don't know who You are or what Your purpose is. Who are

You? Help me find my balance!"32. Krishna answers, "I am

Time, Arjuna - and now, here at this place of battle, I am the mighty

world-destroying Time. With or without you, the warriors are arrayed to

fight, and whether on the righteous or corrupt side, they are readied

for their ruin and must die. The destruction of enemies in inevitable.

It is not possible for an individual person to avert the design of

Divinity.33. "Therefore, attack, O mighty warrior, conquer your

evil-doing enemies and win kingdom, wealth, and fame. I have willed to

wipe out wickedness and have therefore already slain these warriors.

Your actions will only be My outward cause, and you are merely My

instrument.34. "Although they are indeed brave, nevertheless

smite them, for they are already doomed. Fight and you will win.

Killing them is not contrary to dharma (righteousness)."35.

Arjuna interrupts, "I am shaking in fear, Divine One," he says. "I bow

my head and join my palms to You. My voice is so choked and my lips so

trembling I can hardly speak.36-37. "It is indeed appropriate,

O Divinity, that the world reveres You, that the celestials bow to You

and the demons flee from You. How could they not be in awe of You? You

are the Cause of the Cause, the Eternal that existed even before Brahma

the Creator. You transcend time itself, space itself, and even

causation! You are the Supreme Divinity of all deities, the Lord of all

gods. You are That within which the universe dwells. You are the

Everlasting. You are That which is and That which is not, and even

beyond both That and Not-That; You are rightly called the Supreme

Absolute Reality.38. "What else can rapturous souls do but

extol You, the first and highest among gods, the most ancient spirit?

Within You the cosmos rests in safety, and into You it will dissolve.

You are at once the Knower and known, both the Goal and our striving

toward it. Indeed, Your form fills and overflows the universe."ARJUNA, OVERWHELMED, SEEKS FORGIVENESS39-40.

"You are the wind itself, Krishna, not merely the lord of it. You are

death itself, fire, water, and the moon itself, not merely the lord

over them. You are the father of all born, and the sire of the fathers.

Please accept my upwelling of devotion to You. I salute You a thousand

times. Take these salutes, Divine One, from every quarter of Your

creation. Infinite and measureless is Your might, and boundless is Your

glory! Everywhere I look, there You are. Indeed, You are all there is.41-42.

"I haven't really comprehend Your greatness until now, O Divine One. In

the past I carelessly called You by Your familiar names and took You to

be merely a fellow mortal, calling You simply 'friend'. If I have shown

disrespect while we played as children or while resting or eating or in

the company of others, please forgive me. I hereby take on a most

reverent attitude.43. "Who can match Your might? You are the

source of all things in this world, animate or inanimate. You are the

adored Master. None in all three worlds is equal to You.44. "I

prostrate myself before You and ask You to forgive me! As a friend

forgives a comrade or a father forgives a son, or a mother forgives a

child, or a lover forgives a beloved - please grant me pardon, Divine

One.45-46. "I am delighted to have been shown this rare vision,

but I'm still filled with fear by it. Please have mercy on me, show me

You as You were before. Let me see the familiar shape I knew - not with

a thousand arms but with two - or even the four arms You occasionally

seemed to have due to Your great strength."ONLY THROUGH MY GRACE AND YOUR LOVE47-48.

"Krishna responds : "Through My Divine power and grace you have

received this vision of My cosmic form. No other has seen this but you.

I showed you this because I love you, Arjuna. This vision cannot be won

through spiritual practices, study, service, rituals, or severe

penance. Only through My grace has this sight of Me come, and it has

come only to you.49. "So why fear, Arjuna? Look, here I am as I appeared before. Be alarmed no more. Be happy, take courage."50-51.

Lord Krishna reverts to His human form, a slight smile on His lips.

Arjuna says, "O Krishna, I am very happy to see You back, and I'm

beginning to feel calmer, like my old self."52. Krishna says,

"The cosmic form you saw is extremely rare. Even celestial beings -

those who are more spiritually elevated than humans but with no higher

knowledge of the Godhead - even they yearn to see My form.53.

"Neither by study of the scriptures nor by personal austerities for

purification, neither by giving gifts to the deserving nor by

performing rituals not by making offerings to Me can anyone behold Me

as you have, Arjuna. Those spiritual activities - studying, gift,

giving, rituals, and so forth - are conducive to purifying the mind,

but they will not bring the vision of Me.54. "And yet, through unswerving, single-minded love (ananya bhakti), humans can

know the essence of My supreme glory and can enter into My Being. How?

Pure devotion, Arjuna. In a constant state of deep love for God, a true

devotee recognizes nothing but God.55. "So therefore, O Prince,

dedicate all your actions to Me. Work for Me alone with no attachments

or selfish desires. Make Me your exclusive goal. Take refuge in Me.

Love Me wholeheartedly and bear no malice toward any creature. Then you

will reach Me."(From : The Bhagavad Gita (A Walkthrough for Westerners) by Jack Hawley)Copyright reserved by author Visit : Sai Divine Inspirations : http://saidivineinspirations.blogspot.com/ Sai Messages : http://saimessages.blogspot.com/ Love Is My Form : http://loveismyform.blogspot.com/