Chapter 11. The Universal
Form
Chapter 11, Verse 1.
 Arjuna
said: I have heard Your instruction on confidential spiritual matters which
You have so kindly delivered unto me, and my illusion is now dispelled.
Chapter 11, Verse 2.
O lotus-eyed
one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance
of every living entity, as realized through Your inexhaustible glories.
Chapter 11, Verse 3.
O greatest
of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see here before me Your
actual position, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation.
I want to see that form of Yours.
Chapter 11, Verse 4.
If You
think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of
all mystic power, then kindly show me that universal Self.
Chapter 11, Verse 5.
The Blessed
Lord said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Prtha, behold now My opulences, hundreds
of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea.
Chapter 11, Verse 6.
O best
of the Bharatas, see here the different manifestations of Adityas, Rudras,
and all the demigods. Behold the many things which no one has ever seen
or heard before.
Chapter 11, Verse 7.
Whatever
you wish to see can be seen all at once in this body. This universal form
can show you all that you now desire, as well as whatever you may desire
in the future. Everything is here completely.
Chapter 11, Verse 8.
But you
cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give to you divine eyes
by which you can behold My mystic opulence.
Chapter 11, Verse 9.
Sanjaya
said: O King, speaking thus, the Supreme, the Lord of all mystic power,
the Personality of Godhead, displayed His universal form to Arjuna.
Chapter 11, Verse 10-11.
Arjuna
saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was
all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and
arrayed in many garbs. He was garlanded gloriously, and there were many
scents smeared over His body. All was magnificent, all-expanding, unlimited.
This was seen by Arjuna.
Chapter 11, Verse 12.
If hundreds
of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble
the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.
Chapter 11, Verse 13.
At that
time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions
of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many
thousands.
Chapter 11, Verse 14.
Then,
bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna began to pray
with folded hands, offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord.
Chapter 11, Verse 15.
Arjuna
said: My dear Lord Krsna, I see assembled together in Your body all the
demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahma sitting on the
lotus flower as well as Lord Siva and many sages and divine serpents.
Chapter 11, Verse 16.
O Lord
of the universe, I see in Your universal body many, many forms--bellies,
mouths, eyes--expanded without limit. There is no end, there is no beginning,
and there is no middle to all this.
Chapter 11, Verse 17.
Your
form, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs, is difficult to see
because of its glaring effulgence, which is fiery and immeasurable like
the sun.
Chapter 11, Verse 18.
You are
the supreme primal objective; You are the best in all the universes; You
are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest; You are the maintainer of religion,
the eternal Personality of Godhead.
Chapter 11, Verse 19.
You are
the origin without beginning, middle or end. You have numberless arms,
and the sun and moon are among Your great unlimited eyes. By Your own radiance
You are heating this entire universe.
Chapter 11, Verse 20.
Although
You are one, You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all
space between. O great one, as I behold this terrible form, I see that
all the planetary systems are perplexed.
Chapter 11, Verse 21.
All the
demigods are surrendering and entering into You. They are very much afraid,
and with folded hands they are singing the Vedic hymns.
Chapter 11, Verse 22.
The different
manifestations of Lord Siva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvedevas,
the two Asvis, the Maruts, the forefathers and the Gandharvas, the Yaksas,
Asuras, and all perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.
Chapter 11, Verse 23.
O mighty-armed
one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your many
faces, eyes, arms, bellies and legs and Your terrible teeth, and as they
are disturbed, so am I.
Chapter 11, Verse 24.
O all-pervading
Visnu, I can no longer maintain my equilibrium. Seeing Your radiant colors
fill the skies and beholding Your eyes and mouths, I am afraid.
Chapter 11, Verse 25.
O Lord
of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep
my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In
all directions I am bewildered.
Chapter 11, Verse 26-27.
All the
sons of Dhrtarastra along with their allied kings, and Bhisma, Drona and
Karna, and all our soldiers are rushing into Your mouths, their heads smashed
by Your fearful teeth. I see that some are being crushed between Your teeth
as well.
Chapter 11, Verse 28.
As the
rivers flow into the sea, so all these great warriors enter Your blazing
mouths and perish.
Chapter 11, Verse 29.
I see
all people rushing with full speed into Your mouths as moths dash into
a blazing fire.
Chapter 11, Verse 30.
O Visnu,
I see You devouring all people in Your flaming mouths and covering the
universe with Your immeasurable rays. Scorching the worlds, You are manifest.
Chapter 11, Verse 31.
O Lord
of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances
unto You; please be gracious to me. I do not know what Your mission is,
and I desire to hear of it.
Chapter 11, Verse 32.
The Blessed
Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage
all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers
here on both sides will be slain.
Chapter 11, Verse 33.
Therefore
get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy
a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement,
and you, O Savyasaci, can be but an instrument in the fight.
Chapter 11, Verse 34.
The Blessed
Lord said: All the great warriors--Drona, Bhisma, Jayadratha, Karna--are
already destroyed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies.
Chapter 11, Verse 35.
Sanjaya
said to Dhrtarastra: O King, after hearing these words from the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Arjuna trembled, fearfully offered obeisances with
folded hands and began, falteringly, to speak as follows:
Chapter 11, Verse 36.
O Hrsikesa,
the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes
attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful
homage,
the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly
done.
Chapter 11, Verse 37.
O great
one, who stands above even Brahma, You are the original master. Why should
they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the
universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental
to this material manifestation.
Chapter 11, Verse 38.
You are
the original Personality, the Godhead. You are the only sanctuary of this
manifested cosmic world. You know everything, and You are all that is knowable.
You are above the material modes O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation
is pervaded by You!
Chapter 11, Verse 39.
You are
air, fire, water, and You are the moon! You are the supreme controller
and the grandfather. Thus I offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand
times, and again and yet again!
Chapter 11, Verse 40.
Obeisances
from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You
are the master of limitless might! You are all-pervading, and thus You
are everything!
Chapter 11, Verse 41-42.
I have
in the past addressed You as "O Krsna," "O Yadava," "O my friend," without
knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness
or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying
on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front
of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses.
Chapter 11, Verse 43.
You are
the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, the worshipable chief,
the spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with
You. Within the three worlds, You are immeasurable.
Chapter 11, Verse 44.
You are
the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down
to offer You my respects and ask Your mercy. Please tolerate the wrongs
that I may have done to You and bear with me as a father with his son,
or a friend with his friend, or a lover with his beloved.
Chapter 11, Verse 45.
After
seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened,
but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow
Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead,
O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
Chapter 11, Verse 46.
O universal
Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and
with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You
in that form.
Chapter 11, Verse 47.
The Blessed
Lord said: My dear Arjuna, happily do I show you this universal form within
the material world by My internal potency. No one before you has ever seen
this unlimited and glaringly effulgent form.
Chapter 11, Verse 48.
O best
of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form
of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices,
nor by charities or similar activities can this form be seen. Only you
have seen this.
Chapter 11, Verse 49.
Your
mind has been perturbed upon seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now
let it be finished. My devotee, be free from all disturbance. With a peaceful
mind you can now see the form you desire.
Chapter 11, Verse 50.
Sanjaya
said to Dhrtarastra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, while speaking
thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form, and at last He showed
him His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.
Chapter 11, Verse 51.
When
Arjuna thus saw Krsna in His original form, he said: Seeing this humanlike
form, so very beautiful, my mind is now pacified and I am restored to my
original nature.
Chapter 11, Verse 52.
The Blessed
Lord said: My dear Arjuna, the form which you are now seeing is very difficult
to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this
form which is so dear.
Chapter 11, Verse 53.
The form
which you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood
simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by
charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as
I am.
Chapter 11, Verse 54.
My dear
Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am,
standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can
you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
Chapter 11, Verse 55.
My dear
Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the
contaminations of previous activities and from mental speculation, who
is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.
  
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