Chapter 11

English Meaning Adhyay ElevenThe Yoga of the Vision of Universal Form

.	Arjuna said
1	Thanks to the most profound words of spiritual wisdom that You have spoken out of kindness to me, the delusion of mine has entirely disappeared.
2	For, Krishna, I have heard from You in deatail an account of the evolution and dissolution of beings, and also Your immortal glory.
3	Lord, You are precisely what You declare Yorself to be. But I long to see Your divine form ( possessed of wisdom, glory, energy, strength, valour and effulgence ), O Best of persons !
4	Krishna, if you think that it can be seen by me, then, O Lord of yoga, reveal to me Your imperishable form.
	Shree Bhagwan said
5	Arjuna, behold presently in hundreds and thousands My multifarious divine forms, of various colours and shapes.
6	Behold in Me, Arjuna, the twelve sons of Aditi, the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, ( gods of destruction ), the two Ashwanikumaras ( the twin-born physicians of gods ), and witness many more wonderful forms never seen before.
7	Arjuna, behold as concentrated within this body of Mine the entire creation consisting of both animate and inanimate beings, and whatever else you desire to see.
8	But surely you can not see Me with these human eyes of yours; therefore I vouchsafe to you the divine eye. With this you behold My divine power of yoga.
	Sanjay said
9	My Lord ! having spoken thus, Shri Krishna, the supreme master of yoga, forthwith revealed to Arjuna His supremly glorious divine Form.
10	Arjuna saw the supreme Diety possessing many mouths and eyes, presenting many a wonderful sites, decked with many divine ornaments, wielding many uplifted divine weapons, (cont.)
11	wearing garlands and clothes, besmeared all over with divine sandal pastes, full of all wonders, infinite and having faces on all sides.
12	If there be the effulgence of thousand suns bursting forth all at once in heavens, even that would hardly approach the splendour of mighty Lord.
13	Concentrated at one place in the person of that supreme Diety, Arjuna then beheld the whole universe with its manyfold divisions.
14	Then, Arjuna, full of wonder and with the hair standing on end, reverentialy bowed his head to the divine Lord, and with joined palms addressed Him thus;
	Arjuna said
15	Lord, I behold within Your body all gods and host of different beings, Brahma throned on his lotus-seat, Shiva and all Rishis and celestial serpents.
16	O Lord of universe, I see You endowed with numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes and having innumerable forms extended on all sides. I see neither Your beginning nor middle, nor even Your end, manifested as You are in the form of the universe.
17	I see You endowed with diadems, clubs, and discuses, a mass of splendour flaming all around, having the brilliance of blazing fire and the sun, hard to gaze at and immeasurable on all sides.
18	You are supreme indestructible worthy of being known; You are the ultimate refuge of this universe. You are, again, the protector of the ageless Dharma; I consider You to be the eternal imperishable Being.
19	I see You without beginning, middle or end, possessing unlimited prowess and endowed with numberless arms, having the moon and the sun for Your eyes, and blazing fire for Your mouth, and scorching this universe by your radiance.
20	Yonder space between heaven and earth and all the quarters are entirely filled by You alone. Seeing this transcendent, dreadful Form of Yours, O Soul of the universe, all the three worlds feel greatly alarmed.
21	Yonder hosts of gods are entering You; some with palms joined out of fear are uttering Your names and glories. Multitude of Maharishis and Siddhas, saying 'Let there be peace ', are extolling You by means of excellent hymns.
22	The eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas, the eight Vasus, the Sandhyas and Visdevas, the two ashwanikumaras and forty nine Maruts, as well as the manes and multitudes of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras and Siddhas, all these gaze upon You in amazement.
23	Lord, seeing this stupendous and dreadful Form of Yours possessing numerous mouths and eyes, many arms, thighs and feet, many bellies and many teeth, the worlds are terror-stuck; so am I.
24	Lord, seeing Your Form reaching the heavens, effulgent multicoloured, having its mouth wide open and possessing large flaming eyes, I, with my inmost self frightened, have lost self control and find no peace.
25	Seeing Your faces frightful on account of their teeth, and flaring like the fire at the time of universal destruction, I am bewildered and find no hapiness; therefore, be kind to me, O Lord of celestials and Resting-place of the universe.
26	All those sons of Dhritrashtra with hosts of kings are entering You. Bhishma, Drona and yonder Karna, with principal warriors on our sides as well,
27	are rushing headlong into Your fearful mouths looking all the more terrible on account of their teeth; some are seen stuck up in the gaps between your teeth with their heads crushed.
28	As the myriad streams of rivers rush towards the sea alone, so do these warriors of mortal world enter Your flaming mouths.
29	As moths rush with great speed into the blazing fire for extinction out of their folly, even so all these people are with great rapidity entering Your mouths to meet their doom.
30	Swallowing through Your blazing mouths, You are licking all those people on all sides. Lord, Your teerrible splendours are burning the entire universe, filling it with radiance.
31	Tell me who You are with a form so terrible ? My obeisance to You, O best of gods; be kind to me, I wish to know You, the Primal Being, in particular; for I know not Your purpose.
	Shree Bhagwan said
32	I am inflamed ' Kala' ( the eternal Time-spirit ), the destroyer of the worlds. I am out to exterminate these people. Even without you all those warriors arrayed in the enemy's camp must die.
33	Therefore you do arise and win glory; conquering foes, enjoy the effluent kingdom. These warriors stand already slain by Me; be you only an instrument, Arjuna.
34	You do kill Drona, Bhishma, Jaydratha and Karna and even other brave warriors;who stand already killed by Me; fear not.You will surely conquer the enemies in this war; therefore, fight.
	Sanjay said
35	Hearing these words of Bhagwan Keshwa, Arjuna tremblingly bowed to Him with joined palms, and bowing again in extreme terror spoke to shri Krishna in faltering accent.
	Arjuna said
36	Lord, well it is, the universe exults and is filled with love by chanting Your names, virtues and glory; terrified Rakshasas are fleeing in all directions, and all the hosts of Siddhas are bowing to You.
37	O Great soul, why should they not bow to you, who are the progeniters of Brahma himself and the greatest of the great ? O infinite Lord of celestials, abode of the universe, You are that which is existent ( Sat ) that which is not existing ( Asat ) and also that which is beyond both, viz., the indestructible Brahma.
38	You are the Primal Diety, the most ancient person; You are the ultimate resort of this universe. You are both the knower and the knowable, and the highest abode. It is You who pervade the universe, assuming endless forms.
39	You are Vayu ( the wind god ), Yama ( the god of death ), Agni ( the god of fire ), Varuna ( god of water ), the moon-god, Brahma ( the lord of creation ) , nay, the father of Brahma himself. Hail, hail to You a thousand times; salutions , repeated salutions to You once again.
40	O Lord of infinite prowess, my salutions to You from front and from behind. O Soul of all, my obeisance to You from all sides indeed. You, who possess limitless might, pervade all; therefore , You are all.
41	The way in which I have importunately called out, either through intimacy or evn through want of thought, " Ho Krishna ! Ho Yadva ! Ho Comrade ! "and so on, suspecting not this greatness of yours,
42	and thinking you only to be afiend, and the way in which You have been sighted by me in jest, O sinless one, while at play, reposing, sitting or at meals either alone or in the presence of others-- for all that I crave forgiveness from You, who are infinite.
43	You are the father, nay, the greatest teacher of this moving and unmoving creation, and worthy of adoration. O Lord of incomparable might, in all three worlds there is none else equal to You; how, then, any better ?
44	Therefore, Lord, prostrating my body at Your feet and bowing low I seek to propitiate You, the ruler of all and worthy of all praise. It behoves You to bear with me even as a father bears with his son, a friend with his friend and a husband with his beloved spouse.
45	Having seen your wonderous form, which was never seen before, I feel transported with joy; at the same time my mind is tormented by fear. Pray reveal to me that divine form; the form of Vishnu with four arms; O L ord of celestials, abode of the universe, be gracious.
46	I wish to see You adorned in the same way with a diadem on the head, and holding a mace and a discus in two of Your hands. O Lord with a thousand arms, O Universal Being, appear again in the same four-armed Form.
	Shree Bhagwan said
47	Arjuna, pleased with you I have shown you, through My own power of yoga, this supreme, effulgent, primal and Infinite Cosmic Body, which was never seen before by anyone else than you.
48	Arjuna, in this mortal world I can not be seen in this Form by anyone alse than you, either through study of Vedas or of rituals, or again through gifts (charity ), actions or austere penances.
49	Seeing such a dreadful Form of Mine as this, be not perturbed or preplexed; with a fearless and complacent, behold once again the same four-armed Form of Mine ( bearing the conch, discus, mace and lotus ).
	Sanjay said
50	Having spoken thus to Arjuna, Bhagwan Vasudeva again showed to him in the same way His own four-armed Form; and then , assuming a gentle form, the high-souled Shree Krishna consoled the frightened Arjuna.
	Arjuna said
51	Krishna, seeing this gentle human form of Yours I have regained my composure and am myself again.
	Shree Bhagwan said
52	This form of Mine ( with four arms ) which you have just seen is exceedingly difficult to perceive. Even gods are always eager to behold this form
53	Neither by study of Vedas nor by penance, nor again by charity , nor even by rituals can I be seen in this form ( with four arms ) as you have seen Me.
54	Through single minded devotion, however, I can be seen in this form ( with four arms ), nay, known in essence and even entered into , O valiant Arjuna.
55	Arjuna, he who performs all his duties for My sake, depends on Me, is devoted to Me; has no attachment, and free from malice towards all beings, reaches Me.
end	Thus in the Upanishad sung by the Lord, the Science of Brahma, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Shree Krishna and Arjuna, ends the eleventh chapter entitled " The Yoga of the Vision of Universal Form "