THE HOLY GEETACOMMENTARY by

swami Chinmayananda

T K G NAMBOODHIRITHIRUVALLA, KERALA, INDIA

Presentation adapted from

THE HOLY GEETA, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, July 2013

Mumbai

THE Holy GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

CHAPTER 11

VISWAROOPADARSANA YOGA

THE COSMIC- FORM DIVINE

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

INTRODUCTIONChapter 11-Viswaroopadarsana Yoga

In the previous chapter Lord Krishna supplied us with enough data to prove that the Self is thesubstratum for the multiple worlds. In Chapter 11, the Lord gives a practical demonstration thateverything does exist only in the Self.To see the Self in finite objects is a relatively easy task, but it is hard for a mortal to cognise at oncethe entire Universe in one Reality, the Self. This is possible only with the ‘eye’ of Knowledge, whichthe Lord grants to Arjuna. It is the concept of space that divides the physical structures intoindependent bodies. If the concept of space is completely blotted out, all objects will come togetherinto one homogeneous whole, in which all the shapes & forms of the universe co-exist at the sameplace & time. This is the concept of the Cosmic-Man, the vision of the world when the concept oftime & space is absent. Here Krishna reveals His Cosmic-Form to satisfy the curiosity of Arjuna.In the dignity of concept, in the beauty of diction, in the artistry of its depiction & its inner stream ofdrama, this chapter has been rightly upheld by all as one of the highest philosophical poems in theworld’s treasure house of sacred books.

THE HOLY GEETA

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MY DELUSION IS GONEArjuna said:11.1 By this word of the highest secret concerning the Self, which You havespoken out of compassion toward me, my delusion is gone.In this opening verse, Arjuna expresses his complete satisfaction at the details ofthe glories of the Lord, & appreciates the great effort put by Krishna in order tobless his disciple & bring him out of delusion. He says: “My delusion is gone”.Removal of delusion is not in itself the acquisition of Knowledge of the Real. It isthe first step. Arjuna realised that separativeness of names & forms is not valid,because the ‘Divine’ is present in everything. But he has not yet gained anyvisible experience of the Unity in diversity. Arjuna realises that Krishna has soelaborately explained the glories of the Lord, only ‘out of compassion for me’.

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I HAVE HEARD YOUR INEXHAUSTIBLE GREATNESSArjuna continues:

11.2 The origin & destruction of beings verily, have been heard by me indetail from You, O Lotus-eyed Krishna, & also Your inexhaustiblegreatness.

Arjuna is trying to show Krishna that he has completely understood themain theme of the last chapter. He has understood the “Origin &Dissolution of Beings, & the Greatness & the Inexhaustible Glory of theLord”. Yet his intellect is not convinced of them, in the absence of adirect observation, which he is going to ask the Lord to demonstrate.

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PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR DIVINE FORMArjuna requests:11.3 (Now) O Supreme Lord! As You have thus described Yourself, I wish to see (actually),Your Form Divine, O Purushottama.11.4 If you, O Lord, think it possible for me to see It, if You please, then, O Lord of Yogas,show me Your Imperishable Self-form.Arjuna accepts the technical thesis, that the Lord is immanent in all names & forms, yethis intellect, yearns for an actual demonstration of It. So Arjuna says, : “I desire to seeyour Ishwara-Form”. One is an Ishwara, if He in Himself expresses Omnipotence, InfiniteWisdom, Strength, Virtue & Splendour, according to Hindu Shastras. He addsimmediately, “If You think I am capable of seeing It”, indicating his humility & purereverence. Here Arjuna addresses Krishna as ‘the Lord of Yogas’, realising that His friendis not an ordinary mortal, but that ‘He is Himself Divine & a Master-of-Yoga’, capable offulfilling his desire.

THE HOLY GEETA

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THE LORD AGREES TO SHOW HIS VISWAROOPAThe Blesses Lord said:

11.5 Behold, O Partha, forms of Me, by hundreds & thousands, of different sorts Divine, of various colours & shapes.

11.6 Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the (two) Ashwins & also the Maruts; behold many wonders never seen

before, O Bharata.

Krishna, in His Infinite love for Arjuna agrees to his request & starts to show His Cosmic-Form. He

says: “Behold, by hundreds & thousands, My different forms, varied in colours & shapes”. Arjuna,

with his human eyes, could not see this Cosmic-Form in the body of Krishna, which exists always.

So Krishna has to help Arjuna to make the necessary inward adjustments so that he could perceive

what existed in the body of Krishna.

In enumerating the items that are to be seen in Krishna’s Cosmic-Form, the Lord hints at the most

important & striking of them. The various items enumerated have all been already explained in the

last chapter. The only new term used here is the Ashwini Kumaras, the Horsemen-Twins. The exact

significance of these twins, with heads of horses, is not very clear, but they are Divine

manifestations that serve their devotees in times of need & despair. The Lord concludes, “Behold

many more such wonders as never seen before”.

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SEE IN MY BODY THE WHOLE UNIVERSE11.7 Now behold, O Gudakesha, in this body, that the wholeuniverse centres in One- including, the moving & the unmoving-- &whatever else you desire to see.The entire universe, constituted both of the moving & theunmoving-of the sentient & the insentient- is being shown byKrishna on his own physical body. When Arjuna looks out, he mustsee framed in Krishna all at once, the entire Universe compressed &miniature with all its details in tact. To sharpen Arjuna’s enthusiasm,Krishna states that Arjuna could see anything “Else that you desireto see”.

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I GIVE YOU THE DIVINE EYE TO SEE MY FORM11.8 But you are not able to behold Me with these your own eyes; I give you the divine-eye; behold My Lordly YOGA.To discover the many in the One is the work of a subtle intellect functioning throughright philosophical understanding. It needs a ‘heart’ soaked with faith & an educated‘intellect’ which understands the philosophical logic of ‘many in one’. This is explainedby the Lord when He says, “You cannot see Me with these eyes of yours; I give thee theVision-Divine”. Our Upanishads repeatedly point to the fact that the subtler cannot beperceived through our ‘gross-senses’, which can play freely only in the outer world-of-objects. Here, ‘seeing’ means the intellectual comprehension, & the capacity of theintellect to comprehend the subtle is the ‘Divine-eye’.Out of His compassion for Arjuna, Krishna gives him this ‘special-vision’ so that he maysee “My Supreme Yoga-Power” by which the whole Universe of multiplicity is supportedby the Lord’s own form.

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THE GREAT LORD SHOWS HIS SUPREME FORMNow the scene shifts to the Palace at Hastinapura, where Sanjaya talks to Dhritarashtra. Sanjaya said:

11.9 Having thus spoken, O King, the great Lord of Yoga, Hari, showed to ParthaHis Supreme Form, as the Lord of the Universe.Here, Sage Vyasa introduces a small section in which Sanjaya reports toDhritarashtra, the blind father of the wicked Kauravas. Sanjaya, the specialcorrespondent, with sympathies with the Pandavas, calls Krishna as‘Mahayogeswara’- the great Lord of Yoga. Sanjaya reports that Lord Krishnaindeed revealed His Cosmic Form to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.Sanjaya entertains a thin hope that at least on hearing that the Lord of theUniverse is on the side of his nephews, the blind king will foresee his sons’ suredefeat, & in his discrimination, may cry a halt to the impending disastrous war.

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SANJAYA’S DESCRIPTION OF THE COSMIC-FORM11.10 (The Lord’s Cosmic-Form was) With numerous mouths & eyes, with numerouswonderful sights, with numerous divine ornaments, with numerous divine weaponsuplifted..11.11 Wearing divine garlands & apparel, anointed with divine unguents, the All-wonderful, Resplendent, Endless, facing all sides.In the word-picture of the literary artist, Vyasa, these verses containing Sanjaya’s wordsdraws a rough outline of the Universal Form of the Lord. The vision appearing beforeSanjaya is no ordinary vision, but one which makes mortals dazed with wonderment &fear. The total Cosmos is no easy subject-matter for the mind & intellect to comprehend.Sanjay tries to explain It in these words: “Numerous mouths & eyes”, “Numerous divineornaments”, “With numerous uplifted divine weapons”, “Divine His garlands & robes”,.“Divine perfumes anointing Him”, “All marvellous”, “The Lord”, “Boundless & facingevery side”.

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SPLENDOUR OF A THOUSAND SUNS Sanjaya continues:11.12 If the splendour of a thousand Suns was to blaze all at once(simultaneously) in the sky, that would be like the splendour of that Mighty Being(great soul).Sanjaya explains to Dhritarashtra the glory of the Mighty One. The Lord, in HisUniversal-aspect, was dazzling in His own brilliance, & the divine glory of it wasalmost blinding, as luminous as that of a thousand Suns if they were to rise up allat once in the sky. In Upanishads also we find similar descriptions of the Atman.But Vyasa here gives the description more glamour & glory. (It may bementioned here that Dr. Oppenheimer quoted this verse to describe hisimpression of the test- explosion of the atom bomb, which his team of scientistscreated).

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ARJUNA SAW THE WHOLE UNIVERSE RESTING IN ONESanjaya concludes his description:11.13 There, in the body of the God of gods, the Pandava then saw the whole Universe resting in one, withall its infinite parts.11.14 Then Dhananjaya, filled with wonder, with his hair standing on end, bowed down his head to theGod & spoke with joined palms.Sanjaya now concludes his description of the Cosmic-form. In that Divine Form, Arjuna perceived theentire world of manifold varieties, brought together & packed to rest at one & the same place. This visionof the ‘many in one’ is an intellectual comprehension, & not that the whole Universe is compressed intothe body of Krishna. Through this vision, Arjuna has developed the sense of oneness in the world ofmatter. This is like a scientist, aware of the three essential constituents of atoms with which all matter areconstituted, can visualise everything through the Protons, Neutrons & Electrons.On seeing this transcendental vision, emotions of wonderment & consequent horripilation are noticed inArjuna. Though Sanjaya was far away, he could feel the inner wonder & emotions in Arjuna’s mind, fromArjuna’s meekness & his hair standing on his body. Arjuna, with folded hands, bending his head low, nowopens his mouth to speak, for the first time after seeing the Cosmic-form.

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ARJUNA’S WONDERMENTArjuna said:11.15 I see all gods, O God, in Your body, & also hosts of various classes of beings,Brahma, the Lord of Creation, seated on the Lotus, all the Rishis & celestial serpents.In awe & wonderment, Arjuna now addresses Krishna as the Resplendent(as thousand Suns). Heenumerates the features recognised by him on the body of Krishna, “In Thy body I see all the Devas& hosts of all grades of beings”. In Krishna one could recognise not only the things of the world, buteven Devas, the Creator Himself, the Annihilator, Shiva, the Sustainer, Vishnu, along with a host ofancient Seers.“And celestial Serpants”: It is indicated here that from Brahmaji in the heavens, to the serpants inthe holes of the earth, all are represented in the Lord’s Cosmic-Form. The microcosm (Vyashti) is inthe macrocosm (Samashti).It should be emphasised here that Vyasa was the pioneer in the art of presenting the loftyphilosophical idea of the oneness in the form of a vivid objective representation, & none has daredto follow him in this arduous task.

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THE COSMIC FORM BOUNDLESS ON EVERY SIDEArjuna continues:11.16 I see Thee, of boundless form on every side, with manifold arms, stomachs,mouths & eyes; neither the end, nor the middle, nor also the beginning do I see; O, Lordof the Universe, O, Cosmic-Form.A limited human intellect can hardly perceive in one sweep the Infinite majesty of the Universal-Form.Arjuna indicates here that the Lord is the ONE dynamic Truth behind every organ of activity & in everyexistent thing, when he says “ I see Thee of boundless Form on every side, with manifold arms, stomachs,mouths & eyes”.The Universal Oneness is not an object of perception; it is only a fact to be realised or apprehended. Thisis indicated by Arjuna, “ Neither the end, nor the beginning, nor the middle of Thee do I see”. Thisdescription of the Truth- from which all names & forms arise, in which they exist, & into which they allmerge- cannot be bettered by anyone else. From these verses we see the oneness that threads throughthe mortal beings & finite things of the world, making a single garland of them all!

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BLAZING LIKE FIRE & SUN, INCOMPREHENSIBLEArjuna continues:11.17 I see Thee with Crown, Club, & Discuss; a mass of radiance shining everywhere,very hard to look at, all round blazing like burning fire & Sun, & incomprehensible.Arjuna gives here more details of what he comprehends in that Divine extravaganza. He sees therein the Crown, theClub, & the Discus, the insignia of Lord Vishnu. The Discuss, is the sharp-toothed Sudarsana-Chakra, the identifyingweapon of Lord Vishnu.“As a mass of radiance shining everywhere, all round glowing like the blazing sun & fire, hard to gaze on”. Thisdescription tells us the glory of the Self, of Pure Awareness. Consciousness is the ‘Light’ in which we clearly ‘See’ ourown thoughts & emotions. It is the same ‘light’, beaming out through our eyes, illumines for us the Forms & Shapes,beaming out through the ears, enables us to hear, etc. Hence Arjuna describes the Universal-Form of Krishna,representing in Himself the Infinite Awareness, as a mass of resplendent light, blinding all faculties of perception,feeling & understanding.“Incomprehensible”: Arjuna is not satisfied by the objective description of what he comprehends through his sensesor emotions in his mind on seeing the Cosmic-Form. He cries out, “Oh Lord Thou art ever Incomprehensible”. SageVyasa is telling us here that the Truth is the Subject & not an object of even the intellect. The Self is the Knower, theFeeler, the Perceiver; It is not the perceived, the felt, or the known.

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IMPERISHABLE SUPREME BEINGArjuna praises the Lord:11.18 You are the Imperishable Being worthy to be known. You are the great treasure-house of this Universe. You are the imperishable Protector of the Eternal Dharma. In myopinion, You are the Ancient Purusha.From what he saw, Arjuna draws certain conclusions about this Cosmic Form. He concludes that Krishna, as theCosmic-Form, is the very substratum from which the pluralistic world of phenomena arises, exists in, & mergesinto. The Universe mentioned here is the sum-total experience of everyone. The Lord is the foundation for theentire universe, experienced in our physical, mental & intellectual levels. The Truth, the unchanging Self aloneis that which could take the stupendous Universal-Form.To the Hindus, The Supreme alone is the guardian of Dharma, which is their goal,& their Master. We demandno mortal power with its poison-gas & atom bomb to protect our Dharma.“That You are the Ancient Purusha, is my opinion”: In Vedanta, our physical body is considered as the Capital-city with nine gates, controlled & guarded by the in-dweller, the “Purusha”. The Conscious Principle, which isthe spark of life in everyone, is here indicated to be the Eternal Truth which has taken the Cosmic-Form.

THE HOLY GEETA

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YOU ARE ENDLESS & INFINITE IN POWERArjuna continues:11.19 I see You without beginning, middle, or end, infinite in power, of endless arms, thesun & moon being Your eyes, the burning fire Your mouth, heating the whole universewith Your radiance.Continuing his description of the Infinite, Arjuna says, “ I see Thee without beginning, middle & end, infinite in power, of infinitearms”. That which is Infinite, without beginning or end, cannot be brought within the perception of our finite intellect. In fact, theUniversal Form standing in front of Arjuna, can be comprehended only by one with deep understanding & developed intuition. “OfInfinite arms” here means that the Supreme Self, as the dynamic life, is the one essential strength behind every hand.“The Sun & the Moon are Your eyes”: The ‘principle of light’ is the very ‘principle’ in the eye & also the illuminator of all objects, sothat the eyes could cognise them. The ‘principle of vision’, i.e.. All the eyes in the universe, is described as the pair of eyes in theUniversal Form.“ Burning fire of Your mouth”: Here fire is considered as the principle behind speech & taste. The mouth being the seat for both theinstruments of speech & taste, the mouth of the Viswaroopa is explained here as fire.“Heating the whole universe with Your radiance”: The Self is luminous, because Consciousness illumines all experiences, at all times,in all living creatures. This light of Consciousness not only illumines, but also imparts the Warmth of life to the entire Universe. Thelight that is emanating from Truth is Its own light. It is by ‘ Your own Radiance’ that the life is sustained in the world of names &forms.

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THE TERRIBLE, GREAT-SOULED BEINGArjuna exclaimed:11.20 O! great-souled Being, the space between earth & the heaven & all the quarters isfilled by You alone; having seen this, Your wonderful & terrible Form, the three worldsare trembling with fear.Truth, as apprehended by Arjuna, pervades the entire world of objects & even theconcepts of time & space are not independent of this Truth. Describing the Infinite,Arjuna said, “By You alone, the space between heaven & earth & all the quarters of thesky is pervaded”. A limited intellect cannot but shudder at the manifestation of such avast & majestic Truth.“Seeing the marvellous & the awful Form, the worlds are trembling”: Arjuna feltstaggered & trembling in himself & when he looked at the world in that mentalcondition, he saw the whole world equally wonder-struck & trembling as himself.

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HOSTS OF DEVAS ENTER YOUR FORMArjuna wonders:11.21 Verily, into You enter these hosts of DEVAS, some extol You in fear with foldedpalms; “May it be well” thus saying, bands of great RISHIS & SIDDHAS praise You withhymns sublime.Here we find Arjuna describing the movements & actions that he observes in the Cosmic-Form. “ Thesehosts of deities” enter into & disappear in the Universal Form. Others who are waiting & watching theprocess get panicky with fear, & pray ,”Some in fear extol You with joined palms”.Bands of Great Rishis & Perfected men, who are not perturbed by the vision, merely sings hymns of gloryto the mighty Lord. They pray “May peace be to all”. In their wisdom, these Sages know that the terribleForm of the Lord indicates a total reconstruction of the world is going on. They also realise that nothing islost in such a scheme of ‘construction through destruction’, & they hail the process.In this verse, the entire world of phenomena is brought in. The ‘sub-normal’, the ‘normal’ & the ‘super-normal’ forms of life are presented to be in the Universal-Form. The ‘sub-normal’ die away, the ‘normal’become frightened & the ‘super-normal’ recognising the power-of-Truth & wish good luck to the processof cultural reorientation symbolised by the Universal-Form.

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GODS OF THE HEAVENS LOOK AT YOU ASTONISHEDArjuna continues:11.22 The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Vishwe-Devas, the two Ashwins, Maruts,Ushmapas, & hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras & Siddhas- they are all looking atYou, all quite astonished.Arjuna points out that among the hosts of beings who gaze on at the mysterious form, there are Deitieswho are all the Lords of the phenomena, worshipped & revered by men of the Vedic period. Even they,looking at the Universal Form, stand struck with wonder & astonishment.These Deities are: The Spirits of destruction (Rudras), the Suns (Adityas), the Lords of the seasons (Vasus),the spirits of the sky (Sadhyas), the Lessor-Lords (Vishwe-Devas), the Horsemen-twins (Ashwins), theStorm Lords (Maruts), the Heat-drinkers (Ushmapas), the hosts of Heavenly Musicians (Gandharvas),Yakshas, Asuras & Siddhas.This long list may not be of much interest to us. All that is to be noted is the general effect produced uponthe whole universe by the vision of the totality. Each being, according to its own intrinsic capacity,comprehended & appreciated the vision of the entire Universe, so crystallised into this Cosmic-Form ofthe Lord.

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YOUR UNIVERSAL-FORM IS FRIGHTENINGArjuna continues, with fear:11.23 Having seen Your immeasurable Form, with many mouths & eyes, O Mighty-armed, with manyarms, thighs, & feet, with many stomachs & fearsome with many tusks, the worlds are terrified & sotoo arm I.11.24 On seeing You, with Your Form touching the sky, flaming in many colours, with mouths wideopen, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart, & I find neither courage, nor peace, O Vishnu.The uncommon vision, ‘Marvellous & Awful’ experienced by Arjuna was a manifestation, wide & varied,extending to the frontiers of the sky, yet a limited form, having a definite shape. Arjuna finds that theentire world is terrified by the Great Grand Form representing in itself ‘ Many mouths & eyes, many arms& thighs, with many stomachs, & fearsome with many tusks’. He also adds “So am I”.He says that the Terrible-form absorbs into itself everything. The Universal-form touches the very skiesabove. It glows with a variety of colours, with glowing fiery-eyes. Its open mouths consume everything.The vision is capable of unnerving even the gods. Seeing that Vision, Arjuna confesses “ My heart quake,& I lose my courage & my peace”. In this condition of benumbing fear, the great hero addresses thecosmic-vision, ‘O, Vishnu’.

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YOUR MOUTHS ARE BLAZING LIKE PRALAYA FIRESA frightened Arjuna said:11.25 Having seen Your mouths fearsome with tusks (blazing) like Pralaya Fires, I knownot the four quarters, nor do I find peace; be gracious, O Lord of the Devas, O Abode ofthe Universe.Seeing the Universal- Mouth, terrible with tusks, threatening as the Fire-of-Deluge, confesses Arjuna,“ I have lost my sense of direction & I find no peace”. This is the picture of TIME, the leveller ofeverything, & the consumer of all forms. When the intellect comes to comprehend such a vast field,that too suddenly, one loses all discrimination. This chaotic condition is expressed here by Arjuna. Insuch a condition of extreme wonderment, the astounded mortal comes to realise his insignificance,his little ego drops down its veil of vanity, & stands naked meekly surrendering itself to the influenceof the Cosmic-Power. Prayer is the only resort of the individual. The verse concludes with the humbleprayer, “Be Gracious, O Lord, Thou art the Home of the Universe”. Sage Vyasa indicates here thattrue prayer can come only when man understands his own individual insignificance, in the context ofthe total Universe.

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ALL MAJOR WARRIORS ENTER YOUR MOUTHSA frightened Arjuna continues:11.26 All the sons of Dhritarashtra with hosts of kings of the earth, Bhishma, Drona & the son of acharioteer, Karna, with the warrior chieftains of ours;11.27 Into Your mouths, with terrible teeth, & fearful to behold, they precipitately enter. Some arefound sticking in the gaps between the teeth with their heads crushed into pulp.Arjuna sees that nearly all warriors in both the sides “Enter in haste into Thy mouths”. The UniversalForm, as the Creator, Sustainer & Destroyer, has to destroy all the names & forms in order to create &maintain them afresh. “All the sons of Dhritarashtra, the hosts of kings, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, alongwith the warrior chieftains of ours” enter precipitately into the yawning mouths of the Principle ofDestruction in nature. This vision Arjuna had was a peep into the future, which not only unnerved &frightened him but also gave him confidence of victory in the end. When the whole Universe is broughtinto Arjuna’s vision, he could see herein at one gaze “ All the here & the there, & the everywhere”- so too,the Past, the Present & the Future. The seekers of Truth of the past were not at all afraid of the terrible inthe Truth. God, the Lord is a combination of the beautiful & the ugly, the good & the bad, the sweet & thebitter. Here we see the blood curdling & gruesome face of Reality in the Nature. The mouth of death isdescribed here as “Terrible with tusks, fearful to behold”.

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THEY ENTER YOUR MOUTHS LIKE RIVERS INTO THE SEAArjuna describes how the warriors enter the mouths:11.28 Verily, as many torrents of rivers flow towards the sea, so these heroes in the world of men enterYour flaming mouths.11.29 As moths rush hurriedly into a blazing fire for their own destruction, so also these creatures hastilyrush into Your mouths of destruction.In these verses, Lord Krishna uses two analogies to describe the way the warriors enter the mouths of the UniversalForm. One is that of torrential rivers gushing ahead to reach the ocean & become one with it. At no point does anyriver pause or hesitate to gush forward. They all flow towards the ocean & will not stop until they reach the ocean. Aseach drop of water originating initially from the ocean, moves forward to merge with its origin, all living beingsoriginating from the Totality, after serving the world, rush back to merge with their origin.In the second analogy, the Lord indicates conscious effort on the part of living moths to rush towards their owndestruction. The projection of the unmanifest to the manifest is the ‘process of creation’ & ‘the manifest mergingback to the unmanifest is DESTRUCTION or DEATH. To cure Arjuna of his wrong notion of being the cause of enormousdestruction in the ensuing war, here the Lord reveals to him the Universal Truth of the inevitability of death &destruction in the Universe. As the river hastens to the ocean, & the moths into the fire, so too, all names & formsmust & most irresistibly, do rush towards the unmanifest. One who realises this, becomes free of the fear of death, aslife itself becomes to him a process of continuous change.

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YOY ENJOY DEVOURING ALL WORLDSArjuna continues:11.30 Devouring all worlds on every side with Your flaming mouths, You are licking (in enjoyment). Yourfierce rays, filling the whole world with radiance, are burning, O Vishnu.11.31 Tell me, who You are, so fierce in form? Salutations to You, O God Supreme; have mercy. I desire toknow You, the Original Being, I know not indeed Your purpose.Hosts of men & things of the world reach the ‘mouth’ to perish therein. The hungry ‘mouth’ is never tired, for, thePrinciple of Destruction has a never-ending appetite, & after swallowing all the world all around, You are licking Yourlips, exclaims Arjuna. The continuity in births & deaths, or constructions & destructions, gives us the illusion of alogical sequence in existence. This verse brings out the implication of the concept of the Trinity in Hinduism. TheCreator, the Sustainer & the Destroyer, though separate in concept, work together simultaneously. Creation iscontinued in a chain of destruction, & the process of destruction is only a change of form. The whole world ofmultiplicity is thus an expression of sustenance, the product of construction & destruction.Arjuna, in an inspired rush of veneration, bows down to the Lord. Here is an experience too big for him to observefully, analyse carefully & digest completely. So he surrenders fully at the feet of the Lord, requesting Him, “Tell mewho You are”. He continues, “ I desire to know Thee, O Primeval One”. His enquiry is coloured by the emotion of fear& his anxiety to know the outcome of the war. So he says, “I know not indeed Your purpose”. He wants to get aconfirmation of what he saw on the Universal Form, the death & destruction of his enemies.

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I AM THE MIGHTY WORLD-DESTROYING TIME

The Blessed Lord said:

11.32 I am the mighty world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds.Even without you, none of the warriors arrayed here in hostile armies shall live.The world is created by a continuous process of destruction. Today has arisen from the grave of yesterday. The powervisibly playing behind constructive-destruction is the fundamental Power that rules over & governs the life of beings.The Universal-Form introduces Itself as “I am the mighty world-destroying Time”, who has manifested to wipe out thegeneration that has decayed in its sense of values & purpose of life. By declaring that the very purpose behind thismanifestation is to destroy totally the negative forces that strangle the cultural life of the country, Krishna isconfirming Arjuna’s hope of victory for his army. In the great mission of destruction, the Lord is not depending uponany individual. It is Time that is going to bring the renaissance & achieve the revival. In such universal events,individuals are mere creatures of destiny. In spite of them, with or without their cooperation, Time’s plans will beworked out. Krishna clearly says, ‘Even without you’ none of the warriors assembled here shall survive the war. Italmost amounts to saying that the Kaurava forces have all been killed already by Time, & that by fighting, Arjuna isonly backing the sure success.

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ARJUNA, STAND UP & CONQUER YOUR ENEMIES11.33 Therefore, stand up, & obtain fame. Conquer the enemies & enjoy the flourishingkingdom. Verily by Myself they have already been slain; be you a mere instrument, Oleft-handed archer.11.34 Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, & other brave warriors– those have alreadybeen slain by Me; you do kill; be not distressed with fear; fight & you shall conquer yourenemies in battle.Lord Krishna here consoles Arjuna & asks him to stand up & fight. Kill all your respected & dear relativeslike Bhishma, Drona, Karna & all the Kauravas, because they have already been slain by Time. Claimsuccess & glory. Come forward, act the part of a hero & claim the crown of victory for himself. Be a merecause, instrument, of the destruction unleashed by Time.Every thinking man realises the truth that in life, he is at best an instrument in the hands of the Supreme.Everywhere, in all our activities, our actual contribution in all is a meagre share, compared to what naturehas applied, & what the unseen hand has achieved for us. The concept of self-surrender & serving theworld in constant awareness of the Lord are essential for man to realise his calibre & work efficiently &achieve success.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

SANJAYA DESCRIBES ARJUNA’S CONDITIONSanjaya said to King Dhritarashtra:11.35 Having heard that speech of Keshava (Krishna), the crowned-one (Arjuna), withjoined palms, trembling & prostrating himself, again addressed Krishna, in a chokedvoice, bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.The dramatist in Vyasa lifts the scene from the battle front to the quiet chambers of the palace atHastinapura. Sanjaya, who was in favour of the victory of the righteous Pandavas, wanted, somehow tostop the war of annihilation. Hoping that the information of the impending death of all his sons, from themouth of the Cosmic-Form, the blind King may stop the war, he describes the frightened condition ofArjuna. Suddenly, Arjuna is addressed as the Crowned-one, perhaps as a bold forecast, by Sanjaya.Having heard the words of Keshava, Arjuna with folded palms & trembling with fear, addressed again, in achocked voice, overwhelmed with fear. With this description, Sanjay expects Dhritarashtra to realise thehorrors of the war that is imminent. Even these words didn’t have any effect on the King, who is not onlyblind physically, but also mentally & intellectually, & infatuated with mad affection for his own children.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ARJUNA STARTS PRAISING THE LORDArjuna said:11.36 O Hrishkesha (Krishna), the world delights & rejoices in Thy praise; Rakshasas fly in fear to all quarters, & allhosts of Siddhas bow to Thee.11.37 And why should they not, O Great-souled One, bow to Thee, greater than all else, the Primal Cause of evenBrahma, O Infinite Being? O, Lord of Lords, O Abode of the Universe, You are the Imperishable, that which is beyondboth the Manifest & the Unmanifest.Again the scene shifts to the battlefield at Kurukshetra. The next group of 11 verses represents one of the most beautiful prayersthat we have in Hinduism. No better Universal Prayer can ever be conceived of in its concept, beauty, or in the depth of the messagein its words.Arjuna is steadily realising the diviner Truth behind the details of that Total-form. Preoccupied with the details of the Universal-Form, he did not realise the Infinite which is the very core of the Viswaroopa. In these verses, Arjuna becomes aware of the deepermeaning that lies behind the cosmic wonder. He says that Rakshasas fly in fear & all the wise people bow in respect to the Lord.“Why should they not bow down to the Great One”? Because the Lord is the Primal Cause of even the Creator, who creates theentire universe, like the gold in all gold-ornaments. The ornaments have no existence apart from the gold. Infinite in nature, the Lordis not only the Universe, but He is the Lord of all Lords, He is the Source of all Powers. Arjuna says that the Lord is not only theManifest, but the Unmanifest as well. He also transcends them both.“And That which is beyond them”: A wedding ring, or a necklace may be made of gold, but gold is beyond them both. In this sense,the Lord, being the essential Truth in all names & forms, is both the Manifest & the Unmanifest, & He is also beyond these. He is theLight-of-Awareness, the Pure Consciousness which illumines everything.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

YOU ARE THE PRIMAL GOD11.38 You are the Primal God, the Ancient Purusha; You are the Supreme Refuge of this universe. You arethe Knower, the Knowable, & the Abode- Supreme. By Thee is the universe pervaded, O Being of Infiniteforms.Arjuna continues with his prayer of the Cosmic-Form: “ You are the Primal God”: The Self is the Supreme Creator. ThePure Consciousness is the womb from which even the Creator has risen.“You are the Supreme Abode of the universe”: The entire Vishwa ( the entire universe, all perceptions & the wholefield of emotions & thoughts) is housed in the Lord; hence He is the abode of the universe. Hindu philosophy ofAdvaita believes that the Vishwa is but a superimposition upon the Truth, as it continuously changs & cannot be apart of the Changeless Self.“Thou art the Knower & the Knowable”: The Awareness in us is the Factor that completes all our experiences asrealities. In the absence of the Light of Awareness, no knowledge about the inert world of matter could have beenpossible. Hence, the Principle of Consciousness is termed here as the Knower. When all our thoughts have vanished,in that thoughtless-Awareness, the Self is recognised. Hence, It is “the Knowable”.“You pervade the entire universe of forms”: Just as the ocean pervades all waves, the Lord, being the essence,pervades everything. The Self is the substratum upon which the multitude of the world-of-plurality is visualised. TheUpanishads say that “the Infinite pervades all, & nothing pervades It”. Hence, here it is rightly said that “He pervadesall”.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ARJUNA’S SALUTATIONS TO THE LORD11.39 You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the Moon, Prajapati, & the great grandfatherof all. Salutations! Salutations unto You a thousand times, & again salutations unto You!11.40 Salutations to You, before & behind! Salutations to You on every side! O All!,Infinite in Power, & Infinite in Prowess, pervade all; therefore You are all.Now Arjuna chants the names of the various deities like Vayu, Yama, etc. who were populargods of worship in the Vedic period. Arjuna, in his clear understanding, indicates the Infinite, thesource of all potentialities, the Lord, as nothing other than Krishna, the Infinite.The Supreme dwells everywhere within, without, above, below & around, & there is no placewhere He is not. This has been experienced by the great Rishis of the Upanishads. The Lord, towhom Arjuna thus mentally prostrates from all sides, is not only the All-pervading Essence, likespace, in the universe, but is also the ‘womb’ from which all power flows out.. The Supreme asPure Existence dwells everywhere, in everything & in all beings. He, as Pure Existence,penetrates all, & in fact, He alone is the All, as ocean alone is all the waves.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ARJUNA IMPLORES FORGIVENESS FROM KRISHNA11.41 Whatever I have rashly said from carelessness or love, addressing You as, ”O Krishna, O Yada,O friend” & regarding You merely as a friend, unknowing this greatness of Yours…11.42 In whatever way I may have insulted You for the sake of fun, while at play, reposing or sitting,or at meals, when alone (with You), O Achyuta, or in company—that, O Immeasurable One, I imploreYou to forgive.Till now, Arjuna had thought Lord Krishna to be nothing more than an intelligent cowherd boy, whom hehad graciously patronised with his royal friendship. With the realisation & recognition of Krishna theInfinite, the mortal in Arjuna prostrates in all loyalty & adoration, & pleads for His Divine mercy &forgiveness.These two verses give a very intimate personal touch, wherein the philosophical discussions are temperedwith the emotional touch of deep intimacy. Great Vedantic truths have been suddenly brought down tothe easy familiarity of a drawing room-chat. As an intimate friend, Arjuna must have, in rashness, notknowing Krishna’s Divine Nature, called Him familiarly by His pet names. He implores Krishna’sforgiveness for such past incidents.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ARJUNA PROSTRATES BEFORE THE COSMIC-FORM11.43 You are the Father of the world, moving & unmoving. You are to be adored by this world. Youare the greatest Guru. There exists none equal to You; how can there be then another, superior toYou in the three worlds, O Being of unequalled power?11.44 Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I crave Your forgiveness, adorable Lord. As afather forgiveth his son, a friend his friend, a lover his beloved, even so should You forgive me, ODeva.Choking with emotions & great regard for the Lord, Arjuna addresses Him: “Thou art the Father of thewhole world constituted of the moving & the unmoving”. The three worlds, made up of our experiences inwaking dreaming, & deep-sleep stages, are the interpretations of the same Eternal from the levels of thegross, the subtle & the causal bodies, & the Truth that illumines them is everywhere one & the same.Arjuna, realising that he is in the presence of the Almighty, the Blessed, prostrates before Him. He pleadswith the Lord to bear with him as ‘a father would with his son’ , as ‘a friend with his friend’ or as ‘a loverwith his beloved’. These three examples bring within their embrace all the types of immodest crimes thatman, in his ignorance, can perpetrate against his Lord, the Creator.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

ARJUNA DESIRES TO SEE LORD’S FORMER FORMArjuna concludes his prayers:11.45 I am delighted, having seen what was never seen before; & (yet) my mind is distressed withfear. Show me your previous form only, O God; have mercy, O God of gods, O Abode of the Universe.11.46 I desire to see You as before, crowned, bearing a mace, with a discus in hand, in Your formerForm only, having four arms, O Thousand-armed, O Universal Form.At the beginning of his experience Divine, the limited ego, enters into the world unknown to it so far, & itexperiences with all joy the vastness of its own dynamism. Arjuna expresses this idea, “I am delighted,having seen what was unseen before”. But soon the mind experiences fear, of having to lose itsindividuality, in the Infinite. It soon wants to go back to its limited form enjoying happiness, sorrow etc.Arjuna confesses here that, he is fearful of the Cosmic-Form, & says “I wish to see You as before”. Definingthe form of Vasudeva in his milder-manifestation, Arjuna explains the traditional form of Vishnu, ashaving four arms, blue in colour, holding on to Mace, Discuss, Conch & Lotus. This figurativerepresentation of Vishnu is familiar to all Hindus. God is described by all religions as the ‘Supreme-mostwith every power & all knowledge’. This is represented here as four arms with the four symbols of power& purity. Arjuna wants to see the Lord in His gentle & glorious form, to get over his fear & attain mentaltranquillity.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

MY UNIVERSAL-FORM SEEN ONLY BY YOUThe Blessed Lord said:11.47 O Arjuna, graciously by Me, this Supreme-Form has been shown to you by My ownYoga-power– full of splendour, Primeval, Infinite, this Universal Form of Mine has neverbeen seen by any other than yourself.11.48 Neither by the study of the Vedas & sacrifices, nor by gifts nor by rituals, nor bysevere austerities, can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other thanyourself, O great hero among the Kurus.Here, the Lord confesses that as a special favour to Arjuna, due to His Infinite Grace, this ‘Form-tremendous’ wasshown to him. He qualifies the form as “This splendid, Primeval, Infinite, Universal- Form of Mine”, which has notbeen seen by anyone else. Krishna has, due to His tremendous powers, given Arjuna the ‘eye-of-wisdom’ to enablehim to view the Cosmic-Form.The Lord then explains that none can ‘ See this Universal –Form’ merely because of one’s study of Vedas, or bysacrifices. Nor can one see It by the merits gained through gifts, rituals or even through constant practice of severeausterities. Although these are means, preparatory to the final end, they should not be confused with the goal. Theunderstanding & the final experience can come only in the clear light of an integrated ‘in-turned intellect’.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

BE NOT AFRAID, SEE MY FORM YOU DESIRED11.49 Be not afraid, nor bewildered on seeing such a terrible-Form of Mine as this;with your fear dispelled & with gladdened heart, now behold again this Form ofMine.This is an artistic example of Vyasa’s dramatic genius, accomplished with words.Arjuna’s emotional agitations are dramatically indicated here when the Lord says, “Be not afraid, nor bewildered, having seen this Form of Mine, so terrible”. Krishnaconsoles his friend Arjuna by words & actions & helps him to be in a state ofreassuring joy. The Lord comes back to His original Form & He announces it, as Hesays: “Now see again this My former Form”. The identity between the Universal-Form, the Terrible-Totality & the gentle form-of Krishna, the Divine-individual, isbeautifully brought out here. The microcosmic form of the smiling Krishna is itselfthe macrocosmic Universal-Form.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

KRISHNA SHOWS HIS OWN FORMSanjaya said:11.50 Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva again showed His own Form, &, theGreat-souled One, assuming His gentle Form, consoled him who was so terrified.Arjuna said:11.51 Having seen this, Thy gentle human-Form, O Janardana, I am now composed &restored to my own nature.Sanjaya confirms here to the blind old king that the terrible Universal-Form had actually come back againto Krishna’s original sweet form, ‘The very Form in which He was born in the house of Vasudeva’, &consoled the mighty warrior, who was aghast with wonder, & trembling with fear.When he sees the normal & the gentle-form of Lord Krishna, Arjuna feels relieved from his inner tensions& agitations. The sudden exposure of the unprepared Arjuna to the Transcendental Truth had made himgiddy. Here, he admits, ‘ I have now become collected in mind & am restored to my normal nature, havingseen the milder & gracious form of Krishna’.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

THE COSMIC-FORM OF MINE IS VERY RAREThe Blessed Lord said:11.52 Very hard, indeed, it to see this Form of Mine which you have seen. Even thegods are ever longing to behold this Form.11.53 Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifices can I beseen in this Form as you have seen Me(in your present mental condition).The Universal-Form of the Lord is no easy experience for anyone, & it can be gainedneither by the study of Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifices. Eventhe gods, with their ampler intellects, longer lives, & harder endeavours, are unableto behold this Universal-form, & they keep on longing for this experience. Yet,Krishna has shown this Form, mighty & wondrous, to Arjuna through His Grace,because of His love for the Pandava. Why to him only? Next verse explains.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

SINGLE-MINDED DEVOTION11.54 But, by single-minded devotion, can I, of this Form, be ‘known’ & ‘seen’ in reality,& also ‘entered’ into, O Parantapa (O scorcher of your foes)!Bhakti is the most substantial means of liberation, & identifying ourselves with the Self isBhakti. Identification is the truest measure of Love. The Vedantic student, who is the seeker ofthe Self, is obliged to renounce all his abject identification with his matter vestures & to discoverhis true nature to be the Self.Here Lord Krishna says that only those who identify themselves with the One unifying Truth thatholds together, in its web-of-love, the plurality, can experience, ‘Me in this Fashion’, in MyCosmic Form. The three stages in which realisation of Truth comes to man are indicated here, as“To Know, To See, & To Enter”. A definite intellectual knowledge, the seeker’s attempt to digestthe Knowledge, through personal reflection & contemplation, & the realisation that the Truth isnot something different from himself. The fulfilled seeker then becomes the very essence of thesought.

THE HOLY GEETA

T K G Namboodhiri

MY DEVOTEE COMES TO METhe Lord concludes this Chapter:11.55 He who does actions for Me, who looks upon Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears enmity towards none, he comes to Me, O Pandava.Here Krishna explains how one can attain the Supreme Self-Realisation. He proposes a five-pointprogramme. 1) Dedicate all work to the Lord., 2) Make Lord the goal, 3) Be a devotee of the Lord, 4) Befree from all attachments, & 5) Discard all sense of enmity towards everyone. This is the entire line ofself-discipline.Detachment from all activities is possible only when one constantly thinks of the Self. Enmity is possibleonly when one considers the other as separate. The awareness of Oneness, the vision of the same Selfeverywhere, eliminates enmity. Through God-dedicated activity, one gets detached & become a devotedservant of the Lord. Thus, each subsequent item in the list is beautifully supported by the previous one.Through these steps, the seeker becomes the Self, & recognises himself everywhere, in everything.“Love for all & hatred towards none”, can be considered the Geeta ‘touch-stone’ to know the quality ofrealisation & intensity of experience a seeker has gained through his Sadhana.

End of chapter 11