अथैकादशोऽध्यायः । विश्वरूपदर्शनयोगः
11. Vishvarup darshan Yoga
The yoga of the vision of the cosmic form

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु
ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे
विश्वरूपदर्शनयोगो नामैकादशोऽध्यायः ॥ ११॥
In the Upanishad of the Bhagavad Gita, the knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme, the science of Yoga and the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, this is the eleventh discourse designated:
THE YOGA OF THE VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM

The Message of the Cosmic Form 11-52 to 11-55

11-52.mp3

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
सुदुर्दर्शमिदं रूपं दृष्टवानसि यन्मम ।
देवा अप्यस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः ॥ ११-५२॥
The Blessed Lord said :
11-52 Very hard it is, indeed, to see this form of Mine which you have seen. Even the Devas are very eager to see this form.

In the scale of evolution the Devas are superior to the human beings. But their knowledge of Iswara is in no way higher than that of the human aspirants. In the spiritual enlightenment that Arjuna has had just now, he has excelled the Devas who are also ardently trying to probe into the mystery of the Supreme.

11-53.mp3

What are the paths pursued by the sadhakas for the attainment of lswara? The elucidation follows:-
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया ।
शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा ॥ ११-५३॥
11-53 Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me.

The Lord has repeatedly made it plain that these meritorious acts are at best conducive to the purification of the mind. These are no more useful for the attainment of the Lord than a diligent search is for a gold coin, on which the concerned man happens to be standing!

Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me. These meritorious acts are at best conducive to the purification of the mind. These are no more useful for the attainment of the Lord.

11-54.mp3

Which then is the direct and sure path? The statement is:-
भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप ॥ ११-५४॥
11-54 But by unswerving devotion can I, of this form, be known and seen in reality and also entered into, 0 scorcher of foes.

Ananya bhakti is unswerving devotion. In this state, the sadhaka recognizes nothing but Iswara. He makes over his entire being to the Lord. All that he contacts through the senses and the intellect is He. Whatever he does is the Lord's activity.
From the way in which the subordinates and attendants conduct themselves in a palace, the presence of the king in it can be inferred. One should not be satisfied with that inference. Seeing the king in person is superior to believing in his presence. There is a state greater than seeing the sovereign. Contact and communion with him is what is wanted. Ananya bhakti takes the devotee through all of these stages in his pursuit of the Lord. He feels first the presence of the Divine; he gets the vision of the Lord next; then he moves intimately with Him until unison is reached. Unswerving devotion provides all these possibilities.

Many have heard of milk. Those who have seen it are lesser in number. The partakers of milk are lesser still. Even such is the contact of man with God.
A talk arose whether man can see God with his physical eyes. No, He cannot be perceived with fleshy eyes. When bhakti is practiced, the sadhaka develops a superior sense organ, which has the power to see and hear supermundane things. With that spiritual eye, God is beheld and the devotee is commingled with Him. -Sri Ramakrishna

11-55.mp3

What should the sadhaka do then? The injunction comes :-
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः ।
निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव ॥ ११-५५॥
11-55 He who does work for Me, who looks on Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who is without hatred for any being, he comes to Me, 0 Pandava.

It is in the nature of beings to work. The make of an individual is known from the work he engages himself in. To work for oneself is the way of the world. The devotee however works not for himself but for the Lord.
Worldly people strive for prosperity, power and enjoyment. The devotee strives to attain the Lord Supreme.
The mind thrives getting attached to one thing or another. But it does not cling to two things at the same time. As it grows in devotion to the Lord, its attachment to the world wanes.
Hatted is born of rivalry or mutual exclusion . But these base motives have no place in the devotee's attempt to recognize the immanency of God in all beings.
Man gains that to which he applies himself. By giving himself to the Lord, he gets Him in return, and there is no gain superior to this.

Do you know what kind or devotion we ought to have towards our Maker?
1. The love of a chaste wife to her husband,
2. The attachment of a miser to his hoarded wealth,
3. The craving of a worldling for sense pleasure
- all these rolled into one and directed towards the Lord make Bhakti. We shall verily gain Him in this way. - Sri Ramakrishna

The Wonted Serene Form 11-50 and 11-51

11-50.mp3

सञ्जय उवाच ।
इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा
स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः ।
आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं
भूत्वा पुनः सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा ॥ ११-५०॥
Sanjaya said :
11-50 Having spoken thus to Arjuna, Vasudeva showed again His own form; and the great-souled One assuming His gentle form consoled him who was terrified.

Vasudeva is the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. While being born as their son, He showed His benign and soul-captivating form to His parents, then in imprisonment. The Lord strikes terror only to the extent necessary to tame the strayed into the right path. He is Mahatma because of this noble act of reclamation.

11-51.mp3

अर्जुन उवाच ।
दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन ।
इदानीमस्मि संवृत्तः सचेताः प्रकृतिं गतः ॥ ११-५१॥
Arjuna said:
11-51 Having seen this Your gentle human form, 0 Janardana, I am now composed and am restored to my own nature.

The fish in the troubled water is ill at ease; it regains its normalcy when water becomes calm. Even so the Jivatman cannot remain composed when put in touch with the terrific aspect of Iswara. Arjuna bears evidence to this fact.

The Lord accordingly resumes His benign form and consoles His disturbed companion:-
Arjuna's Blessed Privilege 11-47 to 11-49

11-47.mp3

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं
रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात् ।
तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं
यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम् ॥ ११-४७॥
The Blessed Lord said :
11-47 Graciously have I shown you, 0 Arjuna, this Supreme Form, by My yoga power, this resplendent, universal, infinite, primeval, which none but you has ever seen.

Spiritual exuberance and the experience thereof is the common inheritance of all. Exclusiveness and favouritism have no place in it. Arjuna is beset with a worldly problem. The solution for it has to be found on the background of the cosmic functioning of the Lord. Along with it a peep into the beyond also is provided for him by the grace of the Almighty. Each man finds the reflection of his own face in the mirror. Similarly Arjuna finds problems peculiar to himself solved in the cosmic setting. His peculiar case is no doubt a solitary incident fittingly solved by the Lord.

11-48.mp3

न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानैर्-
न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः ।
एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके
द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर ॥ ११-४८॥
11-48 Neither by the study of the Vedas, nor by Yajnas, nor by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by severe penances, can this form of Mine be seen in the world of men by any one else but you, 0 hero of the Kurus.

All the meritorious acts mentioned herein are good in themselves. They are all conducive to spiritual growth as well. But in the practice of all of them, egoism prevails to some extent at least. Individualism, however refined it may be, has its own limitations. But when a devotee gives himself over to the Lord and depends on His grace, the reward that comes to him is abundantly great.

One man gets intoxicated with one peg of liquor while another needs an overdose of it before be becomes tipsy. But when intoxicated both are in the same state. In this way some get into bliss with a ray of realization while the others do so after coming into the blaze of the Divine Presence. However, the effect is the same in both the cases. -Sri Ramakrishna

11-49.mp3

मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो
दृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्ममेदम् ।
व्यपेतभीः प्रीतमनाः पुनस्त्वं
तदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य ॥ ११-४९॥
11-49 Be not afraid nor bewildered on seeing this terrific form of Mine; free from fear and delighted at heart, do you again see this My former form.

The seafarer is delighted when the boisterous waters become pacified. The child is pleased when mother's anger changes into affection. The Jivatman is transported with joy when he beholds his terror-striking God resume His benediction -showering form.

Arjuna, Pleads for the Vision of Gentle Form 11-45 and 11-46

11-45.mp3

अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा
भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे ।
तदेव मे दर्शय देव रूपं
प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ॥ ११-४५॥
11-45 I rejoice that I have seen what was never seen before, but my mind is confounded with fear. Show me that form only, 0 God; have mercy, 0 God of gods, 0 Abode of the universe.

The watery expanses on the globe are endless, presenting varieties of aspects of theirs. The boisterous part is one among them. Parallel to this, in the cosmic form of Iswara, the terrific is an aspect only. This aspect in particular is shown to Arjuna in order to relieve him of his war problems. Having been enlightened in regard to his function in this inevitable catastrophe, he does not desire any further to behold that terrible vision. He pleads that he might be put in communion with the placid and pleasant aspect of the cosmic form. While the boisterous aspect is by the way, the peaceful and the blissful aspect is the norm with beings as well as with Iswara.

Brother Hari puts on the make up of a lion for the fun of it and teases his sister into fear. But when he sees the jest too much for the timid girl, he throws away the mask and reveals himself in his true form. In this wise Brahman covers Himself with maya and puts on a destructive and terrible form. When the veil of maya is removed He shines in His original calm and blissful splendour. -Sri Ramakrishna

11-46.mp3

किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रहस्तं
इच्छामि त्वां द्रष्टुमहं तथैव ।
तेनैव रूपेण चतुर्भुजेन
सहस्रबाहो भव विश्वमूर्ते ॥ ११-४६॥
11-46 I desire to see you as before, crowned, bearing a mace and a discus in the hand, in Your former form only, having four arms, 0 thousand-armed, 0 Universal Form.

The human beings are two-armed. God is conceived of as four-armed as an indication of His superhuman powers. It is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana that Sri Krishna had on a few occasions revealed Himself as the four-armed Vishnu to some of His devotees. Even with the two arms He was ever manifesting superhuman and divine powers. Arjuna now says that this human form would he quite sufficient and highly desirable for their normal relationship.

Arjuna Praises the Lord 11-35 to 11-44

11-35.mp3

सञ्जय उवाच ।
एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य
कृताञ्जलिर्वेपमानः किरीटी ।
नमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं
सगद्गदं भीतभीतः प्रणम्य ॥ ११-३५॥
Sanjaya said:
11-35 Having heard that speech of Kesava, the crowned one (Arjuna) with joined palms, trembling, prostrating himself, again addressed Krishna, in a choked voice, bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.

The crown is the symbol of monarchy. A king with a crown on, should not bow his head to anybody. To be fearless is his dharma. Instead of paying homage to others he is to receive homage from others. To be firm and resolute in his utterances is the way of a crowned one. But such kingly conventions have all taken to their heels. Even kings have to humble themselves before God. The more the Jivatman humbles himself before the Paramatman, the better it is for him.

11-36.mp3

What did the trembling Arjuna do? It comes from his own lips :-
अर्जुन उवाच ।
स्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या
जगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च ।
रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति
सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घाः ॥ ११-३६॥
Arjuna said:
11-36 It is meet, 0 Hrishikesa, that the world is delighted and rejoices to Your praise; Rakshasas fly in fear in all directions, and all the hosts of Siddhas bow to You.

If a rustic from a remote rural area be brought into a huge factory with gigantic machinery, he would get terrified and run away. People with some knowledge about the modern machines would stand by and look on the huge machines at work, while the mechanics and technicians would be busily working in that factory.
Arjuna's vision of the cosmic form of Iswara is parallel to this. The Rakshasas who are ignorant about the working of the universe run pell-mell bringing ruin on themselves. The knowing devotees of the Lord admire His macrocosmic creation and speak highly of it. The perfected ones such as the yogis and Siddhas pay their reverence by participating in His cosmic functions.

People are all variously related to Iswara. The Rishis are all His kith and kin. The other spiritually advanced people are like His friends and companions. The commonalty is just His creation. -Sri Ramakrishna

11-37.mp3

कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन्
गरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे ।
अनन्त देवेश जगन्निवास
त्वमक्षरं सदसत्तत्परं यत् ॥ ११-३७॥
11-37 And why should they not, 0 Great-souled One, bow to You, greater (than all), the Primal Cause even of Brahma, 0 Infinite Being, 0 Lord of gods, 0 Abode of the universe; You are the Imperishable, the being and the non-being, that which is the Supreme.

The urge to praise Iswara rises spontaneously in the minds of the enlightened ones. For, knowing and admiring are interrelated. Iswara is Mahatman as there is none greater than He. He is Ananta due to His transcending time, space and causation. He is the Lord of all the gods, their destiny being shaped by Him. As the ocean is the abode of the waves, the Lord is the abode of the universe. Brahma the Creator is the Immanent Aspect of Iswara. He is also known as Hiranyagarbha = 'golden egg'. For the convenience of our conception of him, he may be put as the sum total of the Jivatmans, Iswara is the primal cause of Brahma even, just as the ocean is the primal cause of all the waves put together. The manifest aspect of the universe is sat, the unmanifest being asat. Iswara is glorified as Akshara since no modification of any kind takes place in Him, even when the universe comes into being from Him. The Lord is not only the Immanent Reality, but He is also the Transcendental Reality. For this reason He is praised as Param. The glories of God are infinite. What else can the realized souls do than going into raptures and extolling Iswara? The sadhaka rises in spiritual stature as he indulges in the praise of the Lord.

11-38.mp3

त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराणस्-
त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् ।
वेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम
त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप ॥ ११-३८॥
11-38 You are the Primal God, the Ancient Purusha; You are the Supreme Abode of all this, You are the Knower and the knowable and the Supreme Abode; this universe is pervaded by You, 0 Being of infinite form.

The Lord is adideva or the Primal God because of His being the source of everything sentient and insentient. The Puri of Prakriti is His construction; and He being its oldest occupant, He is Purana Purusha. When Prakriti is withdrawn during Pralaya, it goes to rest in Him. For this reason He is called Param Nidhanam or the Supreme Abode.
The sun throws light and reveals the earth that has come out from itself. Akin to this, the Lord is the cognizer and the object cognized. The sea is the abode, it being the originator, the sustainer and the withholder of the waves. Even so, the Lord is the Supreme Abode, Param Dhama, of the universe. The effect known as the universe is pervaded by the cause known as Iswara in His infinite forms.

11-39.mp3

वायुर्यमोऽग्निर्वरुणः शशाङ्कः
प्रजापतिस्त्वं प्रपितामहश्च ।
नमो नमस्तेऽस्तु सहस्रकृत्वः
पुनश्च भूयोऽपि नमो नमस्ते ॥ ११-३९॥
11-39 You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the Moon, Prajapati and the Great-grandfather. Salutation, salutation to You, a thousand times, and again and again salutation to You.

Prajapati is the progenitor of beings. Brahma the Creator is the Grandfather, he being the progenitor of the Prajapatis. The Lord Himself is the Great­grandfather since Brahma has come out of Him. The innumerable salutations indicate the upsurge of devotion.

11-40.mp3

नमः पुरस्तादथ पृष्ठतस्ते
नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वत एव सर्व ।
अनन्तवीर्यामितविक्रमस्त्वं
सर्वं समाप्नोषि ततोऽसि सर्वः ॥ ११-४०॥
11-40 Salutation to You before, salutation to You behind, salutation to You on every side, 0 All ! Infinite in might and immeasurable in strength, You pervade all and therefore You are all.

The question of seeking God does not arise to the enlightened; it is a matter of seeing and recognizing Him everywhere and in everything. Arjuna has now risen to this exalted position.
The Lord is revealing His omnipotence exuberantly through the working of the universe. A reverent recognition of it is a form of adoration offered to the Almighty. Nay, man has something more to do. The powers and resources he is gifted with, have all come from God. A proper utilization of them for public good is a potent form of prayer. It is the proper application of man's dharma. He who fails to discharge his dharma spoils his life. Just as a fruit is inclusive of the pulp, the seed and the skin, Iswara is inclusive of the universe and the beings in it. In the act of adoring the Lord, the act of upholding and propitiating the beings is included. In serving the beings, the Lord is served well.

11-41.mp3

11-42.mp3

Now that Arjuna has known Sri Krishna in His true perspective, does he revise his relationship? It comes in his own words :-
सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं
हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति ।
अजानता महिमानं तवेदं
मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि ॥ ११-४१॥
11-41 Whatever I have rashly said from carelessness or love, addressing You as "0 Krishna, 0 Yadava, 0 friend," looking on You merely as a friend, ignorant of this Your greatness;
यच्चावहासार्थमसत्कृतोऽसि
विहारशय्यासनभोजनेषु ।
एकोऽथवाप्यच्युत तत्समक्षं
तत्क्षामये त्वामहमप्रमेयम् ॥ ११-४२॥
11-42 In whatever way I may have insulted You for jest while at play, reposing, sitting or at meals, when alone, 0 Achyuta, or in company - that I implore You, Immeasurable One, to forgive.

It is but natural that the vision of the, cosmic form of Iswara brings a dramatic change in the attitude of Arjuna. His assuming a spontaneous reverent relationship with Sri Krishna is the immediate transformation that has come over him. Not only in him, but in all sadhakas this solemn attitude requires to be invoked and extended to the entire creation. The truth is that the Lord is manifesting Himself in all of these forms. All are therefore, unknowingly cognizing fragments of His cosmic form. Cultivation of reverent attitude towards the entire creation is the most potent among spiritual practices.

11-43.mp3

What makes Arjuna plead for forgiveness? Let it be heard from him :-
पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य
त्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् ।
न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो
लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव ॥ ११-४३॥
11-43 You are the Father of this world moving and unmoving. You are to be adored by this world, You the Greatest Guru; none there exists, who is equal to You in the three worlds; who then can excel You, 0 Being of unequaled power?

If there were more than one Iswara, there is the possibility of one counteracting the doings of another. That would lead to confusion and chaos. But Iswara being unparalleled and His suzerainty supreme, the entire creation adores Him as the Greatest of the great and as the All-powerful.

11-44.mp3

The Lord being all in all, what should the sadhaka do?
तस्मात्प्रणम्य प्रणिधाय कायं
प्रसादये त्वामहमीशमीड्यम् ।
पितेव पुत्रस्य सखेव सख्युः
प्रियः प्रियायार्हसि देव सोढुम् ॥ ११-४४॥
11-44 Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I implore You, adorable Lord to forgive me. Bear with me, 0 Lord, as a father with a son, as a friend with a friend, as a lover with his beloved.

When the glory of the Lord is realized man cannot help adoring Him. That adoration spontaneously expresses itself as bowing down and prostrating. Vast difference in power and wealth among the worldly people creates a gulf between man and man. But the greatness of God is no hindrance to the insignificant man gaining free access to Him. Arjuna feels instinctively the filial love of the son for the father. But there is a certain amount of reverent aloofness of the son from the father. That handicap is removed by raising the relationship to that between two intimate friends moving on terms of equality. This love is further made charming and sweet by converting it into the dotage of the lovers upon each other. None is dearer to man than God.

When man develops ecstatic love, he feels God as his own. It is like the Gopis of Brindavan identifying themselves with Sri Krishna. They always claimed Him as Gopinatha and not its Jagannatha. -Sri Ramakrishna

The Lord designs to reveal His purpose :-
The Lord Embodied as Time- 11-32 to 11-34

11-32.mp3

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः ।
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे
येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ॥ ११-३२॥
The Blessed Lord said :
11-32 I am the mighty world-destroying. Time now engaged in wiping out the world. Even without you the warriors arrayed in hostile armies shall not live.

In spite of a life-long companionship with Sri Krishna, what Arjuna has come to know of Him is very little and what remains to be known is much. Hence rises the question, "Tell me who You are." The answer, "I am the mighty world-destroying Time" is one among the numerous definitions of Iswara. He is known as Mahakala. This answer solves the immediate puzzle in the mind of Arjuna.
As events in Nature get buried in time. Relentlessly and constantly it is consuming everything. Again it is time that measures all events. As akasa contains all manifested things in itself, time contains all events or causation in itself. As one ascends a hill one sees the ups and downs below merging into a vast expanse. Similarly in the infinitude of time all the happenings in the universe get swallowed. This Time is verily Iswara.
"I know not Your purpose" is the frightened inquiry made by Arjuna. The Lord deals with that mystery. He says He is intent on wiping out the world. Death in fact is taking place ceaselessly. When it is scattered and spread out, it is called the law of nature; but when it is concentrated, it is called a catastrophe. The Lord has this work of extermination done in both the ways- severally and collectively; extensively and intensively. The Mahabharata war is an instance of His intensive destruction of mankind. Whenever a need for it arises He does it very effectively. He truly adores God who sees His hand at work in all destructions small and great. Nothing in the world is terrible to the knower of the ways of the Lord.
Arjuna is given to understand now that the destruction of Bhishma, Drona and Kama is inevitable. He who did not want to be the cause of the death of the venerable ones, realizes now that it is not possible for man to avert the design of the Lord. Arjuna's eagerness to take revenge on Kama is now shorn of its personal poignancy and spite.

11-33.mp3

It is certain that these men of might are going to perish independent of Arjuna's instrumentality. Why then should he at all engage himself in this carnage? The necessity for it is explained:-
तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् ।
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव
निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ॥ ११-३३॥
11-33 You therefore arise and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the unrivalled kingdom. By Me have they been verily slain already. You be merely an outward cause, 0 Savyasachin.

1. The Lord's work does not depend on the agency of man for its fulfillment. Precisely and effectively it takes place of its own accord.
3. Man but earns merit by participating in it.
4. By rising equal to an occasion and by discharging his duty, man emerges the better for it.
4. By availing himself of the opportunities and facilities providentially provided in the training ground of this world, man builds his personality.
5. And that is his gain in being a willing instrument in the hands of the Lord.

Right action at right time leads to victory, prosperity and blessedness.

Fame comes as a by product of an exemplary and dutiful life. The man of sterling character and noble deeds is praised by all even as a fully blossomed flower is admired by all.

Opposing evil and vanquishing it is the duty of a Kshatriya. The Lord's design here is conducive to this auspicious end.

Prosperous earthly life is no detriment to spiritual progress. Rather it is a stepping stone to Sreyas. Earthly kingdom conquered by conforming to dharma is a rare achievement. Efficient and prosperous protection of the kingdom enriches man's life temporally and spiritually.

The Lord has willed to wipe out wickedness from the world. Arjuna is no more confronted with any uphill task. It is more than sufficient if he merely makes a show of waging the war. The total destruction of the enemies will be the result. But Arjuna is not a man of mediocre stuff. He is a Savya­ sachin (ambidextrous) -one who can make a deadly_ delivery of the arrow with the left hand even. He is invincible in war.

The opportune moment has come to him to show his valour. By being an instrument in the hands of the Lord, he can gain the glory of having defeated Drona and Bhishma.

11-34.mp3

A doubt may rise in the mind of Arjuna whether the vision that he has had just now was not a self ­created illusion. The Lord relieves him of this apprehension as follows:-
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च
कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् ।
मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा
युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ॥ ११-३४॥
11-34 Slay Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna and other brave warriors who are already doomed by Me. Be not distressed with fear, Fight and you will conquer your enemies in battle.

It has been already made clear that the killing of Drona and Bhishma is not contrary to dharma. The next question is whether they can be killed at all. For, Drona is endowed with weapons divine. And Bhishma is one whom death cannot approach without his own permission. Nobody has so far successfully combated with him. Yet another problem is in regard to Jayadratha. By hard penance his father has acquired the power to make the head of that man burst who succeeded in slaughtering his son. Fourthly vanquishing Karna is equally problematic. He is armed with 'Sakti' a deadly weapon bestowed upon him by Indra. There is no escape for that man against whom this weapon is used. Karna keeps it to take vengeance on Arjuna. To be hesitant with fear is but natural to one in Arjuna's plight.
'When God is with us who is against us? When God is not with us, who is for us?' -This maxim is worth pondering over and to be pursued in life. God is here with Arjuna. What can his powerful enemies do against him? The Lord has willed to have them destroyed. Their prowess is already withdrawn from them. They are now like pictures which can be easily brushed aside. Arjuna has only to function just as an arrow at the hands of an archer. The Lord will have His work done through his agency. The glory of a great conquest will be his, as a reward for this agency. This point is driven home into the mind of Partha.

Arjuna's Supplication 11-01 to 11-04

11-01.mp3

अर्जुन उवाच ।
मदनुग्रहाय परमं गुह्यमध्यात्मसंज्ञितम् ।
यत्त्वयोक्तं वचस्तेन मोहोऽयं विगतो मम ॥ ११-१॥
Arjuna said :-
11-01 By this profound discourse concerning the Self, which You have delivered out of compassion for me, my delusion has been dispelled.

The Lord made it clear to Arjuna that it is just with an infinitesimal fraction of His Entirety that He has become the manifested universe and that His unmanifest Reality is immeasurable. Based on this truth Arjuna has revised his conceptions about himself, about the world, about his relationship with the world and about his duty. He has thus been delivered from delusion.

11-02.mp3

Moreover:-
भवाप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशो मया ।
त्वत्तः कमलपत्राक्ष माहात्म्यमपि चाव्ययम् ॥ ११-२॥
11-02 From You, 0 Lotus-eyed, have been heard by me in detail of the origin and dissolution of beings and also of Your inexhaustible greatness.

The dilatation made by the Lord is brief from His own standpoint and it is elaborate from the standpoint of Arjuna. Each of them is in this respect, a standard for himself.

Iswara is the source of the universe. But on this ground He is not entangled. The working of the universe derives its design and process from the Lord. He suffers no mutation on this account. It is all His glory.

11-03.mp3

एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वमात्मानं परमेश्वर ।
द्रष्टुमिच्छामि ते रूपमैश्वरं पुरुषोत्तम ॥ ११-३॥
11-03 As You have declared Yourself to be, so it is, 0 Lord Supreme. (Yet) I desire to see Your Iswara form, 0 Purushottama.

Divine attributes are inherent in Iswara. As brilliance cannot be separated from burning fire divine excellencies cannot be effaced from Him. Outstanding features such as knowledge, lordship, strength, potency, heroism and brilliance may be easily marked in Him. There are hidden glories which may be cognized only when He condescends to reveal. Arjuna supplicates for a vision of His latent glories.

11-04.mp3

मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो ।
योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् ॥ ११-४॥
11-04 If You, 0 Lord, think it possible for me to see it, then do, 0 Lord of yoga, show me your Eternal Self.

Not only does yoga emanate from Iswara, but He is also the bestower of it on worthy aspirants. Creating; protecting, withdrawing, veiling and revealing - these are the five divine activities which the Lord is pleased to carry on eternally. Among these five, the glory of the Cosmic revelation it is that Arjuna supplicates to have a glimpse of. The granting of the spiritual vision is an act of grace that comes from the Yogeswara.
To give prominence to personal will is not the way of the Bhakta. He subordinates self-will to the will of the Lord. Consistent with this attitude, Arjuna pleads that the vision of the Cosmic Form of Iswara might be granted to him if the Lord thought he was worthy of it.

The Divine Eye - 11-05 to 11-08

11-05.mp3

The Lord's response comes as follows:­
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ।
नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च ॥ ११-५॥
The Blessed Lord said :
11-05 Behold My forms, 0 Partha, by hundreds and thousands, manifold and divine and of multi-colours and shapes.

Things and beings seemingly extraneous to Iswara are not so in fact. Naught exists outside the pale of the Lord. Offshoots as they are of His immensity, the divine element is in one and all of them. It is going to be revealed shortly that the diversities in form, colour, nature and existence are all really the manifestations of the Cosmic Entity who is one without a second.
By asking Arjuna to behold His macrocosmic form, the Lord recognizes his worthiness for that holy communion.

It is Narayana who has become the all. Man is Narayana; all creatures are Narayana; the Rishi is Narayana, the wicked man is Narayana; whatever is, is Narayana. Narayana sports in multiforms, displaying His glory in all these forms. -Sri Ramakrishna

11-06.mp3

पश्यादित्यान्वसून्रुद्रानश्विनौ मरुतस्तथा ।
बहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणि पश्याश्चर्याणि भारत ॥ ११-६॥
11-06 Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Aswins and also the Maruts. Behold, 0 Bharata, many marvels never seen before.

The manifest aspect of Iswara is finite compared with His unmanifest infinitude. But even this seemingly finite aspect expands into infinitude to the inquirer who seeks to probe into it. The stupendousness of the solar systems or of the stellar systems, the subtlety in the structure of the atom receding into infinitude- these are sufficient data to make man stand aghast at the structure of the universe which is ever available for observation.

11-07.mp3

Furthermore :-
इहैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं पश्याद्य सचराचरम् ।
मम देहे गुडाकेश यच्चान्यद् द्रष्टुमिच्छसि ॥ ११-७॥
11-07 Behold here today, 0 Gudakesa, the whole universe of the moving and the unmoving, and whatever else you desire to see, all integral of My body.

In chapter 2 stanza 6, Arjuna raised a doubt whether Pandavas should vanquish Kauravas or Kauravas should vanquish Pandavas. The answer to this question can now be found self-revealed in the working of the Cosmos. The plan and purpose of the universe ever stand self-revealed. It is open to the enquirer to get at them whenever he wants.

11-08.mp3

Are the physical eyes and the ordinary intellect sufficient to cognize the whole of the truth pertaining to the Lord? The answer is given :-
न तु मां शक्यसे द्रष्टुमनेनैव स्वचक्षुषा ।
दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षुः पश्य मे योगमैश्वरम् ॥ ११-८॥
11-08 But you cannot see Me with these eyes of yours; I give you divine sight; behold My Supreme Yoga.

In the scheme of the evolution of life, one species evolves into another until perfection in body and mind is reached in the human. Nothing in Nature can be found parallel to the human tabernacle, the human brain and the human mind. Man is a repository of knowledge. He has added marvellously and continues to add to his knowledge of things in Nature. He is correspondingly gaining mastery over everything in it to an enormous extent. Human-contrived aids to sense-knowledge, such as the telescope, the microscope, the X-ray and the stethoscope are equally marvelous. But the seeming mastery over Nature has not minimized his proneness to misery; it has in a way aggravated it. His enormously increased intellectual knowledge has not solved the problems of life and death; it has only complicated them further.
Yoga steps in here to make the human life a fulfillment. Through the practice of yoga a super­sense called the divine eye can be developed. It is neither a freak nor an accident. With precision and certainty the spiritual eye can be evolved. It is the outcome of a perfectly disciplined pure life. Man completes his evolution with the acquisition of this divine insight. After getting established in spiritual excellence the sadhaka is required to subordinate his personal will to the Cosmic Will which is termed as the grace of the Lord in theological parlance. When these conditions are fulfilled the realization of God becomes possible.
God reveals Himself variously in the various planes of consciousness. At the mental plane He is cognized as the phenomenon; at the ethical level as the infallible Law; at Bhava samadhi or the divine eye level as the Immanent or the kinetic aspect of Iswara; at Nirvikalpa samadhi or the intuition freed from mind, as the Transcendental Reality or the static aspect of Iswara; finally the individual merges into the Absolute which is Brahman. God-realization takes place in this order.
Arjuna is blessed with the vision of the Immanent Iswara. This realization relieves him of all of his problems, personal and public. He gets enlightened so as to discharge his duty as a willing instrument at the hands of the Lord. The Sage Vyasa is all perfection and he intuits Iswara in all of His aspects. By the grace of this sage, Sanjaya is favoured with the same Cosmic Vision which Arjuna gets and he faithfully reports it to his blind monarch Dhrtarashtra.

Iswara's Cosmic Form- 11-09 to 11-14

11-09.mp3

सञ्जय उवाच ।
एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरिः ।
दर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम् ॥ ११-९॥
Sanjaya said :
11-09 Having thus spoken, 0 King, the great Lord of yoga, Hari showed to Partha, His supreme Iswara form.

11-10.mp3

अनेकवक्त्रनयनमनेकाद्भुतदर्शनम् ।
अनेकदिव्याभरणं दिव्यानेकोद्यतायुधम् ॥ ११-१०॥
11-10 With many mouths and eyes, with many marvellous sights, with many divine ornaments, with many uplifted divine weapons;

The entire universe is His manifest body; His mouths and eyes are therefore countless. Many a divine happening is beyond the scope of the human knowledge. Such happenings have to be admired as marvelous to look at. Beauty emanates from Iswara. The attractive and lovely forms all over Nature adorned with magnificent decorations appear as if decked with divine ornaments. The divine designs and happenings are inevitable. Nothing can resist God's plans and executions. The uplifted divine weapons reveal Him as the Almighty.

11-11.mp3

दिव्यमाल्याम्बरधरं दिव्यगन्धानुलेपनम् ।
सर्वाश्चर्यमयं देवमनन्तं विश्वतोमुखम् ॥ ११-११॥
11-11 Wearing heavenly garlands and raiments, anointed with celestial perfumes, all wonderful, resplendent, boundless, with faces on all sides.

Panorama corresponding to this definition is available even to the physical eye; what to speak then of the spectacle cognized with the divine eye! Godly features alone are in evidence everywhere and at all levels.

11-12.mp3

दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता ।
यदि भाः सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥ ११-१२॥
11-12 If the splendour of a thousand suns were to blaze forth all at once in the sky, that would be like the splendour of that Mahatman.

The unknown has to be inferred citing the known as the pattern. Even then the inference can only be vague if not erroneous. The realized souls only can have a correct view of Him. Men with godly qualities alone can cognize God in His true import. The simile of a thousand suns indicates that Iswara is unparalleled. He is therefore Mahatman -the Great Soul.

11-13.mp3

तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा ।
अपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा ॥ ११-१३॥
11-13 There in the body of the God of gods, Pandava then saw the whole universe with its many divisions drawn together into one.

Unity in variety is the plan of Nature. The Cosmic Life is manifesting Itself as the celestials, as the human beings, as animals, as birds, as the vegetable kingdom and other species. These are all expressions of the same Consciousness. The celestial world, the terrestrial world, the nether world-these are all regions intended for enjoyments of various kinds. And each region has its own objects of enjoyment. All these are contained in Iswara who is the Life of lives; this is how the unity in variety is made possible.

11-14.mp3

ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो हृष्टरोमा धनञ्जयः ।
प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत ॥ ११-१४॥
11-14 Then Dhananjaya, struck with amazement, his hair standing on end, bending down his bead to the Lord in adoration, spoke with joined palms.

When a yogi is blessed with the vision of God, its exuberance reveals itself through the spiritual charge it induces in his body and mind. Being struck with blissful amazement is the effect it brings on his mind. The hair standing on end, the head bowing down in reverence and the palms joining in spontaneous adoration are the marks of ecstasy visible on his body. Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. The following is a sample of the rapturous utterance.

The Cosmic Vision Defined - 11-15 to 11-31

11-15.mp3

अर्जुन उवाच ।
पश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे
सर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान् ।
ब्रह्माणमीशं कमलासनस्थ-
मृषींश्च सर्वानुरगांश्च दिव्यान् ॥ ११-१५॥
Arjuna said :
11-15 I see all the gods, 0 God, in Your body and hosts of all grades of beings; Brahma, the Lord, seated on the lotus and all the Rishis and celestial serpents.

The four-faced Brahma is the Creator of all beings; he is therefore revered as isa. He is seated on the lotus come out of the navel of Mahavishnu. Beings movable and immovable are all contained in the Cosmic Form. Rishis like Vasishta and serpents like Vasuki are visible therein.

11-16.mp3

अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं
पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् ।
नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं
पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप ॥ ११-१६॥
11-16 I behold You, infinite in forms on all sides, with countless arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes; neither Your end nor the middle nor the beginning do I see, 0 Lord of the universe, 0 Universal Form.

All the varieties of manifestations are His forms and He also transcends them all.

11-17.mp3

किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च
तेजोराशिं सर्वतो दीप्तिमन्तम् ।
पश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ताद्
दीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् ॥ ११-१७॥
11-17 I see You with diadem, club, and discus; a mass of radiance blazing everywhere, hard to look at, all round dazzling like flaming fire and sun, and immeasurable.

Any brilliance experienced in dream seems to dazzle the physical eyes though they are not actually affected thereby. The divine eye is said here to get dazzled on a greater measure, but its effect on the mind is salutary. Even the spiritual eye which is of a calibre superior to that of the fleshy eye, is not helpful to cognize the Cosmic Form in its entirety. It is therefore adored as the immeasurable.
The colour of the sattva guna is white. The reflection therefore of the brilliance of Atman on it is more dazzling than the bright sun.

11-18.mp3

The conclusion that Arjuna has arrived at is as follows:
त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं
त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् ।
त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता
सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ॥ ११-१८॥
11-18 You are the Imperishable, the Supreme Being to be realized. You are the great treasure-house of this universe; You are the imperishable Guardian of the Eternal Dharma. You are the ancient Purusha, I deem.

He who realizes Iswara becomes worthy of attaining Him. The realization of that Supreme Being is therefore the goal of the sadhaka. The Lord is the treasure-house of this universe even as akasa is the treasure-house of the moving clouds. When the universe perishes periodically, He remains imperishable. In His sublime proximity the Eternal Dharma or the functioning of the universe takes place regularly.

11-19.mp3

Arjuna is now convinced of these verities.
अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्य-
मनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् ।
पश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रं
स्वतेजसा विश्वमिदं तपन्तम् ॥ ११-१९॥
11-19 I see You without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power, of infinite arms, the sun and the moon being Your eyes, the burning fire Your mouth; heating the whole universe with Your radiance.

There is no beginning, middle or end to the One who is beyond time, space and causation. Iswara is infinite in power because He creates, sustains and withdraws the universe as a mere sport. God is of infinite arms as He gets His Cosmic scheme worked out engaging all beings as His instruments. It is the brilliance of Atman that shines as the light in the senses. The light in the sun, moon and fire is only a reflection of the original Atmajyoti. Speaking of the sun and the moon as the eyes of Iswara and of the fire as His mouth is poetic. The universe is cognizable because of the radiance of Iswara.

11-20.mp3

द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि
व्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वाः ।
दृष्ट्वाद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं
लोकत्रयं प्रव्यथितं महात्मन् ॥ ११-२०॥
11-20 This space between heaven and earth and all the quarters are filled by You alone. Having seen this, Your marvellous and terrible form, the three worlds are trembling with fear, 0 Mahatman.

Arjuna now realizes that the Lord is all-pervading. The Lord is not only all charm and sweetness, He is also all fierceness and terror. Of these opposites the experience of the one or the other comes to the beholder only to reflect his own frame of mind. Arjuna sees this terrible form of the Lord quite in tune with his disposition.
He who did not want to create a ghastly war scene now realizes that with or without his instrumentality, the Lord has assumed this terrific form to purge the world of evils.

11-21.mp3

अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घा विशन्ति
केचिद्भीताः प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति ।
स्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घाः
स्तुवन्ति त्वां स्तुतिभिः पुष्कलाभिः ॥ ११-२१॥
11-21 These hosts of Devas indeed enter into You; some in awe extol You with joined palms; bands of great Rishis and Siddhas pronounce, "May It be well " and praise You with sublime hymns.

When the need for it comes, the Lord destroys not only the human beings on a large scale, but also the Devas who are called Immortals by courtesy. As disease cleanses the body of bad matter, the Lord cleanses the world of wickedness by destruction on a colossal scale. Those who vaguely understand this design of the Lord, tremblingly submit themselves to the inevitable, with folded hands. There is as much grandeur in the sunset as there is in the sunrise. Like this, there is as much divinity in the Lord's wiping out the universe as in His creating it. Great Rishis like Narada and Siddhas like Kapila intuit the sublimity गौरव of this divine sport and go into raptures in extolling it. Their hymns abound with inspiring ideas clothed in exuberant language. The purport of the praise is, "Lord, may good come out of Your great deeds!"

11-22.mp3

रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्या
विश्वेऽश्विनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च ।
गन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा
वीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे ॥ ११-२२॥
11-22 The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Viswas, Asvins, Maruts, Ushmapas, hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras and Siddhas-they are all gazing at You and they are amazed.

Ushmapas are they who delight in partaking of hot cakes and hot drinks. The Pitrus or manes are called Ushmapas. Even the celestials are not able to gauge the Cosmic Form of Iswara in its entirety. Some aspects of it come Within their purview and drive them into bewilderment.

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रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं
महाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् ।
बहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं
दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् ॥ ११-२३॥
11-23 Seeing Your immeasurable form with myriad mouths and eyes, 0 mighty-armed, with myriad arms, thighs and feet, with myriad stomachs, and terrible with myriad tusks- the worlds are terror-struck, and so am I.

Man projects the contents of his mind and cognizes them in the world outside. Arjuna had no idea till then that it is Iswara who has become the entire universe and that there is also a terrific aspect to His manifestation. The sudden and unexpected vision of it frightens him even though he is a person of extraordinary caliber. He projects this unsettled state of his mind on the world and says that the worlds are terror-struck even as he is.

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He mentions the cause of his being frightened as follows :-
नभःस्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं
व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् ।
दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा
धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो ॥ ११-२४॥
11-24 When I see You touching the sky, blazing with many colours, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, my heart trembles in fear and I find neither courage nor peace, 0 Vishnu.

It is but natural that one gets unnerved when one is driven into an inconceivable world-devouring sight. One gets settled understanding only when one realizes that fury and calmness are concomitant in the ocean of the Cosmic Being.

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Arjuna confesses the effect of the terror created in his mind:-
दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि
दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि ।
दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म
प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ॥ ११-२५॥
11-25 When I see Your mouths terrible with tusks resembling Pralaya-fires, I know not the four quarters nor do I find peace. Be gracious, 0 Lord of the gods, 0 Abode of the universe.

The quarters are discerned with the help of the sun and the moon. But let it be supposed that one gets immersed in the womb of the blazing and bound-less sun. In such a situation the quarters and the directions are all lost sight of. Arjuna finds himself in such a position now. Like the fire of the dissolution of the universe, the all-consuming blaze of the Cosmic Form has confounded Arjuna. Therefore he begs of the Lord to withdraw that terrible form and resume the calm and gracious form.

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अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राः
सर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घैः ।
भीष्मो द्रोणः सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ
सहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यैः ॥ ११-२६॥
11-26 All the sons of Dhrtarashtra with hosts of kings of the earth, Bhishma, Drona and Sutaputra, with the warrior chiefs of ours,
वक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति
दंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि ।
केचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु
सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गैः ॥ ११-२७॥
11-27 Enter hurrying into Your mouth, terrible with tusks and fearful to look at. Some are found sticking in the gaps between the teeth with their beads crushed to powder.

Sutaputra means the son of a charioteer. Here this word connotes Karna, the sworn enemy of Arjuna. He sees his arch-enemy doomed to death. Further his enemies are all already in the grip of death. His allies are also destined to be wiped out in the imminent conflagration. The object of the impending great war is to rid the world of the dead weight of the human weed. The loss for the victor is going to be no less than that for the vanquished.

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यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः
समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति ।
तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा
विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति ॥ ११-२८॥
11-28 Truly, as the many torrents of rivers rush towards the ocean, so do these heroes in the world of men fling themselves into Your fiercely flaming mouths.

The rivers that emerge from mountains have no alternative but to rush to empty themselves in the ocean. The rulers of the earth plan for their permanent domination over it while actually they are caught in the death-trap of Destiny. While being consumed, they are planning for conquest.

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यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गा
विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः ।
तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोकास्-
तवापि वक्त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः ॥ ११-२९॥
11-29 As moths rush headlong into a blazing fire for destruction, so do these creatures hurriedly speed into Your mouths for their destruction.

Though merged in the ocean, the waters of the rivers continue to play their parts in the cosmic function. Whereas, as moths rush only to perish in the blazing fire, these multitudes are marching into the coming conflagration for their destruction which has become a cosmic necessity. But their redemption lies in their being reborn with a change of attitude.

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लेलिह्यसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल्-
लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः ।
तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं
भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ॥ ११-३०॥
11-30 Devouring all the worlds on every side with Your flaming mouths, You lick Your lips. Your fiery rays, filling the whole world with radiance, are burning, 0 Vishnu!

Vishnu is he who is all-pervading. He pervades the world as a force creative and destructive. At this juncture the Lord appears to Arjuna as a destructive force.

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In his desolation he supplicates as follows:-
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद ।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं
न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ॥ ११-३१॥
11-31 Tell me who You are, so fierce in form. I bow down to You, 0 God Supreme; have mercy. I desire to know You, the Primal One. I know not Your purpose.

The calm, charming and beautiful form of God attracts the devotees. Being drawn to Him in this way is deemed as devotional worship His terrific form arrests the attention of the devotee in another way. And getting absorbed in it is also a form of worship. The fully qualified devotee is he who accepts the sublime and the terrific aspects of God with equal devotion and absorption. Fear is conquered by the worship of the fearful. But Arjuna like many an ordinary devotee is not prepared for the worship of the Terrible.
That Iswara is everything is being realized by Arjuna. But what all phases are comprised in that everything, is not known to him and it is impossible for him to know. A man and his activities are interrelated. Knowing his activities is one of the ways- of knowing the man, to some extent at least. Similarly God can be known in a way through His doings. And that is the supplication that Arjuna makes.