Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
Page 67
सर्वाश्चर्यमयं देवमनन्तं विश्वतोमुखम् ।। 11 ।।
aneka-vaktra-nayanam
anekādbhuta-darśanam
aneka-divyābharaṇaṁ
divyānekodyatāyudham
divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṁ
divya-gandhānulepanam
sarvāścarya-mayaṁ devam
anantaṁ viśvato-mukham
aneka – various; vaktra – mouths; nayanam – eyes; aneka – various; adbhuta – wonderful; darśanam – sights; aneka – many; divya – divine; ābharaṇam – ornaments; divya – divine; aneka – various; udyata – uplifted; āyudham – weapons; divya – divine; mālya – garlands; ambara – dresses; dharam – wearing; divya – divine; gandha – fragrances; anulepanam – smeared with; sarva – all; āścarya-mayam – wonderful; devam – shining; anantam – unlimited; viśvataḥ-mukham – all-pervading.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes, unlimited wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore many divine upraised weapons. He wore celestial garlands and garments, and many divine scents were smeared over His body. All was wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.
PURPORT
In these two verses the repeated use of the word many indicates that there was no limit to the number of hands, mouths, legs and other manifestations Arjuna was seeing. These manifestations were distributed throughout the universe, but by the grace of the Lord, Arjuna could see them while sitting in one place. That was due to the inconceivable potency of Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 12
दिवि सूर्यसहरत्रस्य भवेघुगापदुत्थिता ।
यदि भाः सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मनः ।। 12 ।।
divi sūrya-sahasrasya
bhaved yugapad utthitā
yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syād
bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ
divi – in the sky; sūrya – of suns; sahasrasya – of many thousands; bhavet – there were; yugapat – simultaneously; utthitā – present; yadi – if; bhāḥ – light; sadṛśī – like that; sā – that; syāt – might be; bhāsaḥ – effulgence; tasya – of Him; mahā-ātmanaḥ – the great Lord.
TRANSLATION
If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.
PURPORT
What Arjuna saw was indescribable, yet Sañjaya is trying to give a mental picture of that great revelation to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Neither Sañjaya nor Dhṛtarāṣṭra was present, but Sañjaya, by the grace of Vyāsa, could see whatever happened. Thus he now compares the situation, as far as it can be understood, to an imaginable phenomenon (i.e., thousands of suns).
TEXT 13
तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा ।
अपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा ।। 13 ।।
tatraika-sthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ
pravibhaktam anekadhā
apaśyad deva-devasya
śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā
tatra – there; eka-stham – in one place; jagat – the universe; kṛtsnam – complete; pravibhaktam – divided; anekadhā – into many; apaśyat – could see; deva-devasya – of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śarīre – in the universal form; pāṇḍavaḥ – Arjuna; tadā – at that time.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
The word tatra (“there”) is very significant. It indicates that both Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa were sitting on the chariot when Arjuna saw the universal form. Others on the battlefield could not see this form, because Kṛṣṇa gave the vision only to Arjuna. Arjuna could see in the body of Kṛṣṇa many thousands of planets. As we learn from Vedic scriptures, there are many universes and many planets. Some of them are made of earth, some are made of gold, some are made of jewels, some are very great, some are not so great, etc. Sitting on his chariot, Arjuna could see all these. But no one could understand what was going on between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 14
ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो हृष्टरोमा धनंजयः ।
प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं कृताञ्जलिरभाषत ।। 14 ।।
tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo
hṛṣṭa-romā dhanañ-jayaḥ
praṇamya śirasā devaṁ
kṛtāñjalir abhāṣata
tataḥ – thereafter; saḥ – he; vismaya-āviṣṭaḥ – being overwhelmed with wonder; hṛṣṭa-romā – with his bodily hairs standing on end due to his great ecstasy; dhanam-jayaḥ – Arjuna; praṇamya – offering obeisances; śirasā – with the head; devam – to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛta-añjaliḥ – with folded hands; abhāṣata – began to speak.
TRANSLATION
Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to offer obeisances and with folded hands began to pray to the Supreme Lord.
PURPORT
Once the divine vision is revealed, the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna changes immediately. Before, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna had a relationship based on friendship, but here, after the revelation, Arjuna is offering obeisances with great respect, and with folded hands he is praying to Kṛṣṇa. He is praising the universal form. Thus Arjuna’s relationship becomes one of wonder rather than friendship. Great devotees see Kṛṣṇa as the reservoir of all relationships. In the scriptures there are twelve basic kinds of relationships mentioned, and all of them are present in Kṛṣṇa. It is said that He is the ocean of all the relationships exchanged between two living entities, between the gods, or between the Supreme Lord and His devotees.
Here Arjuna was inspired by the relationship of wonder, and in that wonder, although he was by nature very sober, calm and quiet, he became ecstatic, his hair stood up, and he began to offer his obeisances unto the Supreme Lord with folded hands. He was not, of course, afraid. He was affected by the wonders of the Supreme Lord. The immediate context is wonder; his natural loving friendship was overwhelmed by wonder, and thus he reacted in this way.
TEXT 15
अर्जुन उवाच
पश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे सर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान् ।
ब्रह्याणमीशं कमलासनस्थमृषींश्च सर्वानुरगांश्च दिव्यान् ।। 15 ।।
arjuna uvāca
paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe
sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān
brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-stham
ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān
arjunaḥ uvāca – Arjuna said; paśyāmi – I see; devān – all the demigods; tava – Your; deva – O Lord; dehe – in the body; sarvān – all; tathā – also; bhūta – living entities; viśeṣa-saṅghān – specifically assembled; brahmāṇam – Lord Brahmā; īśam – Lord Śiva; kamala-āsana-stham – sitting on the lotus flower; ṛṣīn – great sages; ca – also; sarvān – all; uragān – serpents; ca – also; divyān – divine.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower, as well as Lord Śiva and all the sages and divine serpents.
&n
bsp; PURPORT
Arjuna sees everything in the universe; therefore he sees Brahmā, who is the first creature in the universe, and the celestial serpent upon which the Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu lies in the lower regions of the universe. This snake bed is called Vāsuki. There are also other snakes known as Vāsuki. Arjuna can see from the Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu up to the topmost part of the universe on the lotus-flower planet where Brahmā, the first creature of the universe, resides. That means that from the beginning to the end, everything could be seen by Arjuna, who was sitting in one place on his chariot. This was possible by the grace of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.
TEXT 16
अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् ।
नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप ।। 16 ।।
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ
paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa
aneka – many; bāhu – arms; udara – bellies; vaktra – mouths; netram – eyes; paśyāmi – I see; tvām – You; sarvataḥ – on all sides; ananta-rūpam – unlimited form; na antam – no end; na madhyam – no middle; na punaḥ – nor again; tava – Your; ādim – beginning; paśyāmi – I see; viśva-īśvara – O Lord of the universe; viśva-rūpa – in the form of the universe.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in You no end, no middle and no beginning.
PURPORT
Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is unlimited; thus through Him everything could be seen.
TEXT 17
किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च तेजोराशिं सर्वतो दीप्तिमन्तम् ।
पश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ताछीप्तानलार्कघु तिमप्रमेयम् ।। 17 ।।
kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca
tejo-rāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam
paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād
dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam
kirīṭinam – with helmets; gadinam – with maces; cakriṇam – with discs; ca – and; tejaḥ-rāśim – effulgence; sarvataḥ – on all sides; dīpti-mantam – glowing; paśyāmi – I see; tvām – You; durnirīkṣyam – difficult to see; samantāt – everywhere; dīpta-anala – blazing fire; arka – of the sun; dyutim – the sunshine; aprameyam – immeasurable.
TRANSLATION
Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, spreading on all sides, like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun. Yet I see this glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs.
TEXT 18
त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् ।
त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ।। 18 ।।
tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ
tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam
tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā
sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me
tvam – You; akṣaram – the infallible; paramam – supreme; veditavyam – to be understood; tvam – You; asya – of this; viśvasya – universe; param – supreme; nidhānam – basis; tvam – You; avyayaḥ – inexhaustible; śāśvata-dharma-goptā – maintainer of the eternal religion; sanātanaḥ – eternal; tvam – You; puruṣaḥ – the Supreme Personality; mataḥ me – this is my opinion.
TRANSLATION
You are the supreme primal objective. You are the ultimate resting place of all this universe. You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest. You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the Personality of Godhead. This is my opinion.
TEXT 19
अनादिमध्यान्तमनन्तवीर्यमनन्तबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् ।
पश्यामि त्वां दीप्तहुताशवक्त्रं स्वतेजसा विश्वमिदं तपन्तम् ।। 19 ।।
anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam
ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram
paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ
sva-tejasā viśvam idaṁ tapantam
anādi – without beginning; madhya – middle; antam – or end; ananta – unlimited; vīryam – glories; ananta – unlimited; bāhum – arms; śaśi – the moon; sūrya – and sun; netram – eyes; paśyāmi – I see; tvām – You; dīpta – blazing; hutāśa-vaktram – fire coming out of Your mouth; sva-tejasā – by Your radiance; viśvam – universe; idam – this; tapantam – heating.
TRANSLATION
You are without origin, middle or end. Your glory is unlimited. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are Your eyes. I see You with blazing fire coming forth from Your mouth, burning this entire universe by Your own radiance.
PURPORT
There is no limit to the extent of the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here and in many other places there is repetition, but according to the scriptures, repetition of the glories of Kṛṣṇa is not a literary weakness. It is said that at a time of bewilderment or wonder or of great ecstasy, statements are repeated over and over. That is not a flaw.
TEXT 20
द्यावापृथिव्योरिदमन्तरं हि व्याप्तं त्वयैकेन दिशश्च सर्वाः ।
दृष्ट्वाऽद्भुतं रूपमुग्रं तवेदं लोकत्रयं प्रव्यथितं महात्मन् ।। 20 ।।
dyāv ā-pṛthivyor idam antaraṁ hi
vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśaś ca sarvāḥ
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ
loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman
dyau – from outer space; ā-pṛthivyoḥ – to the earth; idam – this; antaram – between; hi – certainly; vyāptam – pervaded; tvayā – by You; ekena – alone; diśaḥ – directions; ca – and; sarvāḥ – all; dṛṣṭvā – by seeing; adbhutam – wonderful; rūpam – form; ugram – terrible; tava – Your; idam – this; loka – the planetary systems; trayam – three; pravyathitam – perturbed; mahā-ātman – O great one.
TRANSLATION
Although You are one, You spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the planetary systems are perturbed.
PURPORT
Dyāv ā-pṛthivyoḥ (“the space between heaven and earth”) and loka-trayam (“the three worlds”) are significant words in this verse because it appears that not only did Arjuna see this universal form of the Lord, but others in other planetary systems saw it also. Arjuna’s seeing of the universal form was not a dream. All whom the Lord endowed with divine vision saw that universal form on the battlefield.
TEXT 21
अमी हि त्वां सुरसङ्घा विशन्ति केचिद्भीताः प्राञ्जलयो गृणन्ति ।
स्वस्तीत्युक्त्वा महर्षिसिद्धसङ्घाः स्तुवन्ति त्वां स्तुतिभिः पुष्कलाभिः ।। 21 ।।
amī hi tvāṁ sura-saṅghā v
iśanti
kecid bhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti
svastīty uktvā maharṣi-siddha-saṅghāḥ
stuvanti tvāṁ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ
amī – all those; hi – certainly; tvām – You; sura-saṅghāḥ – groups of demigods; viśanti – are entering; kecit – some of them; bhītāḥ – out of fear; prāñjalayaḥ – with folded hands; gṛṇanti – are offering prayers; svasti – all peace; iti – thus; uktvā – speaking; mahā-ṛṣi – great sages; siddha-saṅghāḥ – perfect beings; stuvanti – are singing hymns; tvām – unto You; stutibhiḥ – with prayers; puṣkalābhiḥ – Vedic hymns.
TRANSLATION
All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying “All peace!” are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.
PURPORT
The demigods in all the planetary systems feared the terrific manifestation of the universal form and its glaring effulgence and so prayed for protection.
TEXT 22
रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्याः विश्वेऽश्विनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च ।
गन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा वीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे ।। 22 ।।
rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā
viśve ’śvinau marutaś coṣmapāś ca
gandharva-yakṣāsura-siddha-saṅghā
vīkṣante tvāṁ vismitāś caiva sarve
rudra – manifestations of Lord Śiva; ādityāḥ – the Ādityas; vasavaḥ – the Vasus; ye – all those; ca – and; sādhyāḥ – the Sādhyas; viśve – the Viśvedevas; aśvinau – the Aśvinī-kumāras; marutaḥ – the Maruts; ca – and; uṣma-pāḥ – the forefathers; ca – and; gandharva – of the Gandharvas; yakṣa – the Yakṣas; asura – the demons; siddha – and the perfected demigods; saṅghāḥ – the assemblies; vīkṣante – are beholding; tvām – You; vismitāḥ – in wonder; ca – also; eva – certainly; sarve – all.