Arjuna addresses Lord Krishna:
By your grace, you have blessed me with the supreme secret concerning the Spirit. This has removed my delusion. (XI; 1)
O Lord! I comprehend the birth and passing away of beings, and also your eternal greatness. (XI; 2)
O Supreme Lord! As you have declared yourself to me, so it verily is, but I yearn to see your Divine form. (XI; 3)
O Lord of yogis! If you deem it possible to be seen by me, then pray reveal to me your Divine form. (XI; 4)
Lord Krishna has laid a feast before Arjuna, but instead of enjoying it, he wants to know the recipes. Discussing the recipes does not enhance the flavor of the palate. Likewise, God has created this beautiful paradise on earth for us, and instead of enjoying it, we waste time speculating about Him.
But God cannot be a subject for speculation because our intellect cannot comprehend even its tiny fraction. Life stirs in a wee seed, and when the seed sprouts, it sees the eternity. But before that, it is unaware of it.
Arjuna’s taste buds are aroused, and he wants to go the whole mile. The issue is no more whether to fight or not to fight, to be or not to be, but to seek the vision of the Lord’s Divine form.
No doubt, Arjuna knows Lord Krishna, but he does not understand Him. Hence, what good would it do to convince the rational if the recognition does not take place in the heart? Lord Krishna cast pearls of wisdom before Arjuna, but without the recognition in the heart, they would be wasted.
The heart has its own responses. For instance, it responds to danger by pumping faster. It responds to the waves of divine love, and as they bathe its inner shrine, the recognition occurs spontaneously.
Hence, neither by hearing about it nor by reading about it can one experience one’s Divinity – it has to be felt in the heart.
Lord Krishna responds:
O Arjuna! Behold my forms of hundreds and thousands – splendors, divine and of various descriptions and hues. (XI; 5)
O Arjuna! Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Asvins twins, the Maruts, and many splendors unseen before. (XI; 6)
- Adityas are the twelve sons of Aditi, the wife of Sage Kashyapa.
- There is a group of eight Vasus.
- Rudras are the eleven terrific powers of Lord Shiva.
- The Ashwini Kumar twins are the Divine physicians.
- Maruts are the winds.
O Arjuna! Behold the entire universe – moving and unmoving – and whatever else you desire to see, all contained in my body. (XI; 7)
But you cannot behold me with your mortal eyes. I will grant you divine vision. Behold my divine Being. (XI; 8)
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra:
Having spoken thus, Hari, the great Lord of Yoga, revealed to Arjuna His Divine form. (XI; 9)
Having multiple faces and eyes, having countless miraculous visions, adorning numerous divine ornaments, holding multiple divine weapons. (XI; 10)
Adorning heavenly flowers and arrangements, anointed with divine perfumes, resplendent, infinite, and facing everywhere. (XI; 11)
Were a thousand suns to blaze simultaneously, their radiance might resemble the radiance of the Supreme Being. (XI; 12)
Arjuna beheld the whole universe in its multiple dimensions, ensconced in the body of the God of Gods. (XI; 13)
Bedazzled, with his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed down his head, and with folded hands said:
O Lord! In your body, I see all the deities and the various celestial collectives, Lord Brahma enthroned upon a lotus seat, all the sages, and celestial serpents. (XI; 14-15)
O Lord of the universe!
With innumerable arms, bellies, faces, and eyes, possessing infinite forms, I behold you in all directions, but I do not see your end, middle, or beginning. (XI; 16)
Adorning a crown, wielding mace and discus, emanating radiance everywhere, dazzling on all sides, and difficult to discern. With the effulgence of all blazing fire and sun, and beyond comprehension. (XI; 17)
You are the imperishable, the Supreme to be known, you are the refuge of the universe, you are the protector of the eternal Dharma. I believe you are the indestructible Spirit. (XI; 18)
I behold you as without any beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, of innumerable arms, the moon and sun as your eyes, your mouth flaming with fire, whose radiance scorches the universe. (XI; 19)
O Supreme Being! You pervade the spheres between heaven and earth, and also the four directions. Beholding your divine and awesome form, the three worlds tremble. (XI; 20)
The hosts of deities are ensconced in you. Overcome with awe, they bow to you and with folded hands sing your praise. The collectivity of sages and siddhas all hail your glory. (XI; 21)
The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Siddhas (seekers of perfection), the deities, the Asvins Twins, the Maruts and the Manes, the collectivity of Gandharvas (celestial musicians), Yakshas (spirits), Asuras (demons), and Siddhas, all behold you wonderstruck. (XI; 22)
The denizens of heaven and celestial beings are dazzled by His awesome form and meditate on Him.
O Lord! Beholding your stupendous form of numerous mouths and eyes, arms, thighs, and feet, with many bellies, terrible with many jaws, the world and I tremble. (XI; 23)
O Lord! As I behold you towering towards the sky, effulgent with many hues, with the mouth wide open and large shining eyes, my soul trembles with fear, and I cannot contain my composure and peace! (XI; 24)
As I behold your mouth, terrible with tusks like doom’s devouring flames, I lose my orientation and peace. Be gracious, O Lord of deities, innate Being of the universe. (XI; 25)
All the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with the congregation of kings, Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, along with our mighty warriors, are darting into your mouth of terrible jaws. Some struck between the teeth are seen with their heads dashed to particles. (XI; 26-27)
As the gushing currents of the rivers rush toward the ocean, so do these mighty heroes rush into your flaming mouth. (XI; 28)
As moths dart into a flame to die, so do these men dart into your mouth for their annihilation. (XI; 29)
O Lord! Devouring the universe everywhere, with your fiery mouth, you lick them up. Your flames fill the entire universe and scorch it. (XI; 30)
Pray reveal to me who you are of such an awesome form. Obeisance to you, O mighty God! As I do not comprehend your nature, pray be gracious, O Supreme Being, and please enlighten me. (XI; 31)
The Lord responded:
I am the wheel of time that causes the annihilation of the universe and that has come to destroy these assembled warriors. Even without you, all the warriors assembled in the opposing army would cease to be. (XI; 32)
Men roll the dice, and then wait to see where the wheel of time throws it. However, on the chessboard of Kurukshetra, the dice is heavily loaded against Dharma. But the key player, Arjuna, is oblivious of the deception.
However, as the wheel of time does not wait for any man, it would bring the era of Dharma to an end without his knowledge. But God does not play dice with the universe – He does not allow deception to succeed at the cost of Dharma that sustains innocence and chastity. Hence, Lord Krishna awakens Arjuna to see the point.
Much like Arjuna, we too miss the point. But without a game-changer like Lord Krishna, who will put us back on track? As the wheel of time brings us to this juncture of the Last Judgment, our Spirit does the job. She is both the judge and the jury.
Therefore, O Arjuna! Rise and attain glory.
Defeat your enemies and enjoy a great kingdom. By me, they have already been killed; be you merrily the namesake. (XI; 33)
The body made of five elements is alive as long as the compassion of God resonates in its cells. But when the ego dries up the compassion, the heart hardens like a stone, and the reflection of the Spirit darkens. Lord Krishna, the master of discretion, shows Arjuna the bigger picture: those who have no Dharma have no Spirit in them.
A body bereft of Spirit is as good as dead. So, in reality, who is there to kill when they are already dead? Says Guru Nanak:
“Only he is alive, in whose mind He abided. None else is living.”
But for Arjuna’s mind, developing this understanding and discretion was not less weighty than the war itself.
Kill Drona, Jayadratha, Karna, and other mighty warriors, as they are already doomed by me. Have no fear and fight; you shall vanquish your opponents in battle. (XI; 34)
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra:
Having heard Lord Krishna’s discourse, Arjuna is shaking. With folded hands, he pays obeisance and prostrates before Lord Krishna. With great fear and in a quivering voice, he addresses him:
“O Lord! Indeed, the world finds joy and bliss in your glory. The demons flee in panic helter-skelter, and the collectivity of Siddhas pays homage to you.” (XI; 35-36)
O Supreme Being! Why should they not pay homage to you? You who are greater than Brahma the creator. O eternal Being, Lord of the Primordial deities, comforter of the universe, you are the imperishable, the truth and untruth, and what is beyond. (XI; 37)
O Infinite One! You are the foremost of Gods, the Primordial Being, and the cradle of the universe. You are the knower, what is to be known, and the highest state. The universe is pervaded by you and fulfilled by you. (XI; 38)
You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Sasanka, Prajapati, and the grandsire of all. Obeisance to you a thousand times! Obeisance to you again and again! (XI; 39)
- Vayu: the god of wind.
- Yama: the god of death.
- Agni: fire god.
- Varuna: the sea god.
- Sasanka: moon god.
- Prajapati: the Lord of creation.
Obeisance to you from front and back! Obeisance to you from all sides! You are everything—stupendous power and enormous might. As you dwell in everything, hence everything is in your image. (XI; 40)
O Lord! Ignorant of your greatness, however outspoken I have been, assuming you as a friend and companion, was an outcome of affection. Whatever disrespectful behavior was towards you in play, lying down, seated, or at banquets, either alone or in company, I beg your forgiveness. (XI; 41-42)
O Lord! You are the father of the universe, of the moving and the motionless. You are the intent of its worship and the great Guru. No one is equal to you; then how can there be anyone greater than you in the three spheres? (XI; 43)
O Beloved Lord! I bow down and, prostrating before you, humbly supplicate your benedictions. As a father bears the faults of his son, as a friend bears the faults of his friend, and as a lover bears the faults of his beloved, similarly, kindly bear my mistakes. (XI; 44)
The concept of God the Father, as the one who looks after our welfare and forgives, is etched in the human unconscious. The Sufi poet Amir Khusrau aptly says:
“If Thou takest me to task for my sins,
Where is Thy Grace then?
And tell me what is the difference between me and Thee?”
Let us bear with the Sufi poet and replace the image of a wrathful God with that of a loving and compassionate one. No doubt, the fear of His wrath may work in deterring sin, but His love works even better. We do not hurt someone we love. Likewise, if we truly love God, we would not do anything to displease Him.
Not only does God forgive, but the Sufi poet Amir Khusrau reminds us that He is also the beloved:
“My soul has reached my lips,
You should come now, for I am still alive.
What will be the use if you come,
When I am no more.”
Again,
“O breeze, do not be idle,
Go to the beloved,
And make me delighted by telling her to come to me.
Do not tell her anything,
Except in the garden the wanderer, the water,
and the stream are full of joy.”
Baba Farid uses the emotions of a woman’s pining for her beloved to express his painful separation from the Lord:
“I slept not with my beloved last night.
My body is pining away.
Go; ask the wife whom her husband has put away,
How passed the night?”
Kabir refers to Him as a bridegroom:
“A newlywed bride sings marriage songs,
My husband Raja Ram has come.”
O Supreme Lord!
I am exalted by witnessing your wondrous form that has never been witnessed before, but my mind is confounded with fear. Reveal to me your other form as before. (XI; 45)
I desire to behold you as before, adorning your crown, holding mace and discus in your hand. I pray, please assume your four-armed form, O Thou thousand-armed Universal One! (XI; 46)
The Lord responded:
O Arjuna! By my grace and the power of Maya, I revealed to you my Supreme form—effulgent, cosmic, infinite, and primordial—which no one but you has witnessed before. (XI; 47)
There is nothing more fulfilling for a devotee than the vision of the Divine. However, it should not be mistaken for the end goal. Though Arjuna is lucky to have the vision of Lord Krishna’s divinity, he has yet to score a goal inside his head and experience his own divinity.
Every human being has divinity, but each one has to experience it for himself. According to our Lord Jesus Christ, we can experience it through our Spirit. He fed the multitudes with loaves of bread by the river and blessed them. But they did not experience their Spirit. They were not seekers and, hence, did not know how to go within.
The situation at the time of Lord Krishna was no different. He revealed the secret of secrets to all, but none had the conviction arising out of personal experience. Similarly, in our age of resurrection, there may be many paths, but transformation is an inside job.
Like the egg has to become the bird, we have to become the Spirit. Of course, the Divine vision of Lord Krishna left no doubt in Arjuna’s mind, and he obeyed His command, but he did not come away feeling that inner presence. The biggest takeaway would be the discovery that he himself is the temple of God. Otherwise, he would be like a lucky pilgrim, who was bedazzled by the glimpse of God flashing past but failed to pay pilgrimage to his own temple.
But Arjuna cannot experience that inner presence because his attention is clouded by the modes of nature. Hence, step by step, Lord Krishna reveals the secret of transcending them.
No doubt, the vision of God leaves a powerful stamp in a seeker’s consciousness. But it does not transform him. What good would it do if he has God’s glimpse but does not imbibe His qualities of forgiveness, compassion, unconditional love, and patience?
A favorite hymn of Mahatma Gandhi says:
“Only those are truly men of God who can feel the pains of others and who lessen it with their compassion, without any ego.”
In our journey of self-discovery, if we imbibe even one Divine quality, we are a step ahead of the one who has seen God. God cannot transform us—we must want to transform. Hence, either a seeker transforms, or else it is best he bids goodbye to God. We cannot stand on two stools. The choice is ours—God does not force anything upon us, nor does He transgress our free will.
Free will is given to us so that we can choose to know God in our freedom. But it can be both a boon and a bane. For instance, a sinner knows that he is doing wrong, but in his free will, he ignores his inner voice.
A devotee saw God as the mighty ocean, so he plunged into it. But the waves threw him back to the shore. He plunged again and again, but the waves kept throwing him back. Then he saw a man made of salt plunge into the ocean and dissolve. He understood that salt is the quality of the ocean, and unless he becomes like salt, he cannot dissolve into it.
Not just that, it is possible to be enlightened without having the physical vision of God. Divine love is ensconced in the heart, not the eyes.
How else did many blind seekers attain enlightenment!
O Arjuna! Neither by the Vedas, nor by sacrifices, nor by scriptures, nor by charities, nor by rituals, nor by penance can I be beheld in this form in this world by anyone other than you, O Arjuna. Be not frightened or confounded upon beholding my stupendous form. Fearless and joyous of heart, behold again my other form. (XI; 48-49)
Sanjaya narrates:
Having addressed Arjuna, Lord Krishna again revealed his previous form and reassured the frightened Arjuna. (XI; 50)
Arjuna said:
O Lord! Beholding again your gracious earthly form, my mind is calmed, and I have regained my balance. (XI; 51)
The Lord responded:
This Divine form of mine which you have seen is extremely hard to see. Even the deities constantly yearn to see it. (XI; 52)
My form, which you have seen, cannot be seen by reciting the Vedas, or by penance, or by charities, or by sacrifices. (XI; 53)
O Arjuna! By single-minded devotion to me, I can be thus known, truly perceived, and attained. (XI; 54)
Lord Krishna stipulates a condition for dissolving in the ocean of all-pervading love of God—single-minded meditation on Him (ananya bhakti). There should be none other—no ego or ulterior motive. Nor should there be any thought or desire.
O Arjuna! He who dedicates all works to me, conceives me as the ultimate goal, who worships me, detached, who bears no enmity towards any being; he attains me. (XI; 55)
In His compassion, Lord Krishna built a bridge for us to cross the ocean of illusion. It would become easier to cross it if we leave behind the baggage of attachments. A person who is detached cannot be attached. He is not bothered with the fruits of the action. He dedicates the fruits of the action to the Lord.