Gita Chapter 11.26 to 11.30

Amee cha twaam dhritaraashtrasya putraah
Sarve sahaivaavanipaalasanghaih;
Bheeshmo dronah sootaputrastathaa’sau
Sahaasmadeeyairapi yodhamukhyaih.
26. All the sons of Dhritarashtra with the hosts of kings of the earth, Bhishma, Drona and Karna, with the chief among all our warriors,

Vaktraani te twaramaanaa vishanti
Damshtraakaraalaani bhayaanakaani;
Kechidwilagnaa dashanaantareshu
Sandrishyante choornitairuttamaangaih.
27. They hurriedly enter into Thy mouths with terrible teeth and fearful to behold. Some are found sticking in the gaps between the teeth, with their heads crushed to powder.

Yathaa nadeenaam bahavo’mbuvegaah
Samudramevaabhimukhaah dravanti;
Tathaa tavaamee naralokaveeraah
Vishanti vaktraanyabhivijwalanti.
28. Verily, just as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, even so these heroes of the world of men enter Thy flaming mouths.
COMMENTARY: Arjuna sees all the warriors, whom he did not wish to kill, rushing to death. He knows now that the Lord has already destroyed them, so why should he worry about the inevitable.

Yathaa pradeeptam jwalanam patangaa
Vishanti naashaaya samriddhavegaah;
Tathaiva naashaaya vishanti lokaas
Tavaapi vaktraani samriddhavegaah.
29. As moths hurriedly rush into a blazing fire for (their own) destruction, so also these creatures hurriedly rush into Thy mouths for (their own) destruction.

Lelihyase grasamaanah samantaal
Lokaan samagraan vadanair jwaladbhih;
Tejobhiraapoorya jagatsamagram
Bhaasastavograah pratapanti vishno.
30. Thou lickest up, devouring all the worlds on every side with Thy flaming mouths. Thy fierce rays, filling the whole world with radiance, are burning, O Vishnu!

Gita Chapter 11.21 to 11.25

Amee hi twaam surasanghaah vishanti
Kechid bheetaah praanjalayo grinanti;
Swasteetyuktwaa maharshisiddhasanghaah
Stuvanti twaam stutibhih pushkalaabhih.
21. Verily, into Thee enter these hosts of gods; some extol Thee in fear with joined palms: “May it be well.” Saying thus, bands of great sages and perfected ones praise Thee with complete hymns.

Rudraadityaa vasavo ye cha saadhyaa
Vishwe’shvinau marutashchoshmapaashcha;
Gandharvayakshaasurasiddhasanghaa
Veekshante twaam vismitaashchaiva sarve.
22. The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Visvedevas, the two Asvins, Maruts, the manes and hosts of celestial singers, Yakshas, demons and the perfected ones, are all looking at Thee in great astonishment.

Roopam mahat te bahuvaktranetram
Mahaabaaho bahubaahoorupaadam;
Bahoodaram bahudamshtraakaraalam
Drishtwaa lokaah pravyathitaastathaa’ham.
23. Having beheld Thy immeasurable form with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed, with many arms, thighs and feet, with many stomachs, and fearful with many teeth, the worlds are terrified and so am I!

Nabhahsprisham deeptamanekavarnam
Vyaattaananam deeptavishaalanetram;
Drishtwaa hi twaam pravyathitaantaraatmaa
Dhritim na vindaami shamam cha vishno.
24. On seeing Thee (the Cosmic Form) touching the sky, shining in many colours, with mouths wide open, with large, fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart and find neither courage nor peace, O Vishnu!

Damshtraakaraalaani cha te mukhaani
Drishtwaiva kaalaanalasannibhaani;
Disho na jaane na labhe cha sharma
Praseeda devesha jagannivaasa.
25. Having seen Thy mouths, fearful with teeth, blazing like the fires of cosmic dissolution, I know not the four quarters, nor do I find peace. Have mercy, O Lord of the gods! O abode of the universe!

Gita Chapter 11.16 to 11.20

Anekabaahoodaravaktranetram
Pashyaami twaam sarvato’nantaroopam;
Naantam na madhyam na punastavaadim
Pashyaami vishweshwara vishwaroopa.
16. I see Thee of boundless form on every side, with many arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes; neither the end nor the middle nor also the beginning do I see, O Lord of the universe, O Cosmic Form!

Kireetinam gadinam chakrinam cha,
Tejoraashim sarvato deeptimantam;
Pashyaami twaam durnireekshyam samantaad
Deeptaanalaarkadyutimaprameyam.
17. I see Thee with the diadem, the club and the discus, a mass of radiance shining everywhere, very hard to look at, blazing all round like burning fire and the sun, and immeasurable.

Twamaksharam paramam veditavyam
Twamasya vishwasya param nidhaanam;
Twamavyayah shaashwatadharmagoptaa
Sanaatanastwam purusho mato me.
18. Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, worthy of being known; Thou art the great treasure-house of this universe; Thou art the imperishable protector of the eternal Dharma; Thou art the ancient Person, I deem.

Anaadimadhyaantamanantaveeryam
Anantabaahum shashisooryanetram;
Pashyaami twaam deeptahutaashavaktram
Swatejasaa vishwamidam tapantam.
19. I see Thee without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power, of endless arms, the sun and the moon being Thy eyes, the burning fire Thy mouth, heating the entire universe with Thy radiance.

Dyaavaaprithivyoridamantaram hi
Vyaaptam twayaikena dishashcha sarvaah;
Drishtwaa’dbhutam roopamugram tavedam
Lokatrayam pravyathitam mahaatman.
20. The space between the earth and the heaven and all the quarters are filled by Thee alone; having seen this, Thy wonderful and terrible form, the three worlds are trembling with fear, O great-souled Being!

Gita Chapter 11.11 to 11.15

Divyamaalyaambaradharam divyagandhaanulepanam;
Sarvaashcharyamayam devam anantam vishwatomukham.
11. Wearing divine garlands and apparel, anointed with divine unguents, the all-wonderful, resplendent (Being), endless, with faces on all sides,

Divi sooryasahasrasya bhavedyugapadutthitaa;
Yadi bhaah sadrishee saa syaadbhaasastasya mahaatmanah.
12. If the splendour of a thousand suns were to blaze out at once (simultaneously) in the sky, that would be the splendour of that mighty Being (great soul).

Tatraikastham jagatkritsnam pravibhaktamanekadhaa;
Apashyaddevadevasya shareere paandavastadaa.
13. There, in the body of the God of gods, Arjuna then saw the whole universe resting in the one, with its many groups.

Tatah sa vismayaavishto hrishtaromaa dhananjayah;
Pranamya shirasaa devam kritaanjalirabhaashata.
14. Then, Arjuna, filled with wonder and with hair standing on end, bowed down his head to the Lord and spoke with joined palms.

Arjuna Uvaacha:
Pashyaami devaamstava deva dehe
Sarvaamstathaa bhootavisheshasanghaan;
Brahmaanameesham kamalaasanastha-
Mrisheemshcha sarvaanuragaamshcha divyaan.
Arjuna said:
15. I behold all the gods, O God, in Thy body, and hosts of various classes of beings; Brahma, the Lord, seated on the lotus, all the sages and the celestial serpents!

Gita Chapter 11.06 to 11.10

Pashyaadityaan vasoon rudraan ashwinau marutastathaa;
Bahoonyadrishtapoorvaani pashyaashcharyaani bhaarata.
6. Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins and also the Maruts; behold many wonders never seen before, O Arjuna!

Ihaikastham jagatkritsnam pashyaadya sacharaacharam;
Mama dehe gudaakesha yachchaanyad drashtumicchasi.
7. Now behold, O Arjuna, in this, My body, the whole universe centred in the one—including the moving and the unmoving—and whatever else thou desirest to see!


Na tu maam shakyase drashtum anenaiva swachakshushaa;
Divyam dadaami te chakshuh pashya me yogamaishwaram.
8. But thou art not able to behold Me with these, thine own eyes; I give thee the divine eye;
behold My lordly Yoga.
COMMENTARY: No fleshy eye can behold Me in My Cosmic Form. One can see Me only through the eye of intuition or the divine eye. It should not be confused with seeing through the physical eye or through the mind. It is an inner divine experience attained through intense devotion and concentration.

Sanjaya Uvaacha:
Evamuktwaa tato raajan mahaayogeshwaro harih;
Darshayaamaasa paarthaaya paramam roopamaishwaram.
Sanjaya said:
9. Having thus spoken, O king, the great Lord of Yoga, Hari (Krishna), showed to Arjuna His supreme form as the Lord!

Anekavaktra nayanam anekaadbhuta darshanam;
Anekadivyaabharanam divyaanekodyataayudham.
10. With numerous mouths and eyes, with numerous wonderful sights, with numerous divine ornaments, with numerous divine weapons uplifted (such a form He showed).

Gita Chapter 11.01 to 11.05

Arjuna Uvaacha:
Madanugrahaaya paramam guhyamadhyaatmasamjnitam;
Yattwayoktam vachastena moho’yam vigato mama.
Arjuna said:
1. By this explanation of the highest secret concerning the Self, which Thou hast spoken out of compassion towards me my delusion is gone.
COMMENTARY: After hearing the glories of the Lord, Arjuna has an intense longing to have the wonderful Cosmic Vision.

Bhavaapyayau hi bhootaanaam shrutau vistarasho mayaa;
Twattah kamalapatraaksha maahaatmyamapi chaavyayam.
2. The origin and the destruction of beings verily have been heard by me in detail from Thee, O lotus-eyed Lord, and also Thy inexhaustible greatness!

Evametadyathaattha twamaatmaanam parameshwara;
Drashtumicchaami te roopamaishwaram purushottama.
3. (Now), O Supreme Lord, as Thou hast thus described Thyself, O Supreme Person, I wish to see Thy Divine Form!

Manyase yadi tacchakyam mayaa drashtumiti prabho;
Yogeshwara tato me twam darshayaatmaanamavyayam.
4. If Thou, O Lord, thinkest it possible for me to see it, do Thou, then, O Lord of the Yogis, show me Thy imperishable Self!

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Pashya me paartha roopaani shatasho’tha sahasrashah;
Naanaavidhaani divyaani naanaavarnaakriteeni cha.
The Blessed Lord said:
5. Behold, O Arjuna, My forms by the hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, divine and of various colours and shapes!