THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 11, VERSE NUMBER 22, VISVARUPA DARSANA YOGA

  THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 11

VERSE NUMBER 22

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

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

rudraaditvaa vasavo ye cha saadhyaa

     visve ‘svinau marutas’ cho ‘smapaas cha

gandharva yakshaasura siddha samghaa

     veekshante tvaam vismitaas chai ‘va sarve

Sanskrit words and phrases and their meaning in English:

Rudra aadityaah = Rudras and Adityas: vasavah =Vasu: ye = these: cha = and: saadhyaah = Sadhyas: visve = Viswedevas: asvinau = (the two) Aswins: marutah = Maruts: cha = and: ooshmapaah = Pitrus: cha =and: gandharva yaksha asura siddha samghaah = hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras and Siddhas: veekshante = are looking at: tvaam = thee: veesmitaah = astonished: cha = and: eva = even: sarve = all.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

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.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI CHIDBHAVANANDA:

Ushmapaas are they who delight in partaking of hot cakes and hot drinks. The Pitrus or manes are called Ushmapaas. 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.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Sadhyas are a class of gods of whom Brahma is the chief.

Visvadevas are ten gods who in Vedic times were considered as protectors of human beings. They were called guardians of the world. They  were givers of plenty to the human beings. Their names are: Kratu, Daksha, Vasu, Satya, Kama, Kala, Dhvani, Rochaka, Adrava and Pururava.

The two Asvins, born of Prabha (light), daughter of Tushta and the sun, are the physicians of the gods.

Rudras, Adityas, Vasus and Maruts—see tenth chapter, verses 21 and 23.

Ushmapa: A class of manes. They accept the food offered in the Sradha (anniversary) ceremony or the obsequies, while it is hot. Hence they are called Ushmapas. There are seven groups of manes.

Gandharvas are celestial singers such as Haha and  Huhu.

Yakshas such as Kubera (the god of wealth); Asuras such as Virochana; perfected ones such as Kapila.

Comments by the blogger:

There are things and happenings in this world that fortify the conviction of both the believers and non-believers.

While we read Gita stanzas like the present one may be derided by the non-believers. They might argue that the Vedic entities like Sadhyas, Visvadevas, Aswins, Rudras, Adityas, Vasus and Maruts, Ushmapa, Gandharvas and Yakshas have no meaning in the light of the development of the modern science.

Each power of Nature was given a name and identified with an entity and Vedic Hymns were said and sung to propitiate the same. Man’s knowledge of God had evolved from these gods. The idea of God the ultimate Power who created the world is nothing but the outcome of this evolution.

Then the non –believer might tell this argument presupposes the  understanding that there is no God and He is just an outcome of the idea of gods. Man in his body and mind has evolved through the ages. Like that the Ultimate God was realized by the seers of the period of Vedanta.

Moreover we should give a wide margin and try to understand the minds of the ancient writers. Even God could not have spoken in the modern idiom. HE has spoken in the idiom of the period of Vedanta while Vedic gods were still very much revered. We should context, time and age of a book to be able to understand the mind of a writer. And these gods had much import to Arjuna and others of the age. So the Lord of Gita has spoken in the idiom of that period.