THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 11, VERSE NUMBER 46, VISVARUPA DARSANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 11

VERSE NUMBER 46

VISVARUPA DARSANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM:

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

kireetinam gadinam chakrahastam

     icchaami tvaam drashttum aham tathai ‘va

tenai ‘va roopena caturbhjena

      sahasrabaaho bhava visvamoorte

SANSKRIT WORDS AND PHRASES AND THEIR MEANING IN ENGLISH:

kireettinam = crowned: gadinam = bearing a mace: chakra hastam = with discus in the hand: icchaami = (I) desire: tvaam = thee: drashttum = to see: aham = I: tathaa eva = as before: tena eva = that same: roopenna = of form: chaturbhujena = (by) four-armed: bhava = be: visva moorte = O universal form.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

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, O thousand-armed, O Universal Form.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

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 be quite sufficient and highly desirable for their normal relationship.

COMMENTARY BY DR.S.RADHAKRISHNAN:

Arjuna is asking Krshna to assume the shape of Vishnu of whom He is said to be an incarnation.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Arjuna says: “O Lord in the Cosmic Form! I do not know where to turn and to whom to address myself. I am frightened. I am longing to see Thee with conch, discus, mace and lotus. Withdraw Thy Cosmic Form. Assume that same four-armed form as before.”

Spiritual aspirants are often impatient to have the highest spiritual experiences immediately they begin their Sadhana. This is wrong. They will not be able to withstand the great power that will surge into them. Be patient!

O thousand-armed refers to the Cosmic Form.         

Comments by the blogger:

Arjuna wants and cringe-begs for the Lord of Gita to assume His former form, which resembles a human being. He further states the Universal Form has a thousand arms. Thousand arms do not mean exactly a thousand arms. When the Lord assumes His Universal Form Arjuna sees innumerous arms, heads, stomachs, etc. This terrible sight bewilders him. There goes a story about the Universal Form of the Lord: a devout was getting ready to sleep. He stretched out on a mattress with his head in the West, feet consequently in the East. But the moment the man’s legs were stretched out in the East a god comes to have a word with the humble devotee. The god from the East states that the humble devotee should not stretch out with his legs pointing toward the Eastern side because the god’s residence and the kingdom are in the eastern side! He further stated the Eastern side belonged to him and those who go to bed with their legs pointing towards the East would incur his wrath.

At once, the humble devotee begs the god for forgiveness and assures the god that he (the devotee) will not stretch out on the floor with his legs pointing in the Eastern side. And the god disappears.

The humble devotee duly changes his position so that his head is pointing towards the East and legs consequently pointing towards West. But the moment his legs are turned toward the Western side another god appears from the West! The god takes offence at the devotee’s legs pointing towards the western side from where the god comes. This time also the humble devotee obliges and begs for forgiveness.

Now the careful devotee changes his position so his head is stretched against North and the legs consequently pointing towards South. This time also a god from South appears from the South and takes offence at the audacity of the humble devotee. So the horrified but humble devotee once again changes his position which results in the devotee’s head is pointed toward South and consequently, his legs are stretched in the North. The moment this happens the god of the Northern side appears and takes offence at the audacity of the humble devotee, and askes the devotee to change position so that his legs would not be pointed toward North!

Though the humble devotee is a self-effacing one with profound faith in God, he takes offence at the gods’ interference and askes the god of North to kindly show a side in this wide world where no god resides!

The god from the North laughs at the devotee’s anger and disappears!

Now the truth dawns on the humble devotee and he says to his wife that in this wide world there could be no place or side which is not pervasively occupied by the Lord. So there would be no offence in whichever side the man’s legs are pointing while he puts up his feet!

The Lord of Gita has come down to the earth and incarnated Himself as a human being with an enchanting form. Arjuna is a dear friend of Lord Krishna and the Lord has been of much help to Arjuna in every stage of his life. He was Arjuna’s friend, philosopher and guide. The Lord of Gita has even given His sister, Subatra, to Arjuna in marriage. The Lord is chosen by Arjuna to side with him though the Lord says that He would not take arms and fight in the war that was going to happen between the Pandavas and Kauravas. So there is abundant love and affection between them. But Arjuna is utterly bewildered at the sight of the Universal Form of the Great God. Arjuna never knew that his friend, Lord Krishna, is not a human being like him. When the Lord shows His original Form which assumes the sum total of the whole of the Universe Arjuna feels threatened and his soul could not find any peace of mind. He had not known that his friend Krishna had such a bewildering other side to His personality. So Arjuna begs the Lord to assume His earlier human form. Arjuna salutes every side of the Lord in His Visvarupam.