THE HOLY GITA, CHAPTER NUMBER 11, VERSE NUMBER 24, VISVARUPA DARSANA YOGA OR THE YOGA OF THE VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM

THE HOLY GITA

CHAPTER NUMBER 11

VERSE NUMBER 24

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

TEXT IN TRANSLITERATION:

nabhah sprsam deeptam aneka varnam

     vyaattaananam deepta visaala netram

drshtvaa hi tvaam pravyathitaantaraatmaa

     dhrtim na vindaami samam cha vishno

Sanscrit words and phrases and their meaning in English:

nabhah  sprsam = touching the sky: deeptam = shining: aneka varnam = in many colours: vyaattaananam = with mouts wide open: deepta visaala netram = with large fiery eyes: drshtvaa = having seen: hi = verily: tvaam = thee: pravyathita antaraatmaa = terrified at heart: dhrtim = courage: na = not: vindaami = (I) find: samam = peace: cha = and: vishno = O Vishnu.

TEXT IN ENGLISH:

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, O Vishnu.

COMMENTARY BY SWAMI SRIMAT CHIDBHAVANANDA:

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.

COMMENTARY BY SRIMAT SWAMI SIVANANDA:

Dhriti also means patience and strength.

Sama also means control.

The vision of the Cosmic Form has frightened Arjuna considerably.

Comments by the blogger:

Arjuna did not get to seeing God’s visvaroopa because of the years spent in deep and unswerving meditation. On the contrary, Arjuna is given the indescribable sight of the Lord’s real and worldly or Universal Form owing to the immeasurable benediction and sympathy of the Lord of Gita for Arjuna in the dire straight.

I am reminded of an anecdote in this regard:

Swami Yogananda relates in his book, AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI, of the story of a practitioner of Kriya Yoga who had been a government servant. That practitioner of Kriya Yoga had voluntarily retired from his service in favour of continuing with his meditation. When Swami Yogananda asked as to why the said  Yogi had given up his lucrative government service. The Swami Yogananda pointed out to the Yogi that he could have stick to his service while practising Kriya Yoga on the side. To this the Yogi said that he could not continue with the government service as he had suffered from some queer sensation in his backbone. At this Swami describes to the readers of his auto-biyography that the said queer sensation bordering on uneasiness in the backbone was part of the practice of Kriya Yoga. That some practitioners get this queer sensation in the backbone at the beginning stage of Kriya Meditation. That the early practitioners of Kriya Yoga sometimes get this sensation as all the nerves go through the backbone to the head. One must put up with this sensation which prepares the practitioner for the sight of God and realize emancipation. That the queer sensation occurs as it enervates the backbone before God-realization.

Arjuna had not gone through the rigorous and vigorous practice of Kriya Yoga or Meditation but he was endowed with the receptivity through the opening of the Inner Eye for the specific purpose of telling Arjuna that as God had already gone through the process of undoing and destruction of the Dhuriyodana’s clan and thus restore Dharma. That the Lord wants Arjuna to serve just as the instrument by waging the war while the Lord of Gita destroys the wicked.

As Arjuna had not been used to the Yoga of Meditation, despite the endowment of the inner inner Eye, he trembles in trepidation at the indescribable and awesome sight of the Lord of Gita.