Seeing God’s Universal Form

Arjuna becomes bolder now, inspired by hearing all the forms of God, he now asks if it is possible if he can ‘see’ the universal form of God that shows His infinite manifestations. Krishna agrees and reveals His universal form to Arjuna, but Krishna says that humans cannot normally have such a vision. Thus, Arjuna is temporarily given Divine sight. It is a beautiful description to read of the countless faces, beautiful garlands, and fragrances, radiant like a thousand suns, seeing the entire universe resting in the God’s body. Within Krishna’s body are all gods and seers (rishis), sages, and Divine beings. Arjuna also sees all the demons being sucked into the mouths of God [see illustration on page 124].

Krishna then explains the purpose for His manifestation on earth at this time. God is here to remove the unrighteousness that has begun to gain the upper hand in the world. The armies that Arjuna is fighting will die at the will of God — even if Arjuna does not choose to fight — because they are the cause of adharma (unrighteousness).

So Krishna tells Arjuna that it is better that he fights, knowing as he does that Arjuna’s side will win and that the others will be killed.

He tells him to cast off his sadness and delusions about killing those who cannot be killed (souls do not die).

Arjuna is now quite emotional, seeing such a Divine sight and hearing about the future that God holds for his enemy. He praises Krishna even while shaking in awe over all the events he is experiencing.

Arjuna then cites a beautiful prayer:

In whatever manner I may have been disrespectful to Thee, While joking, walking, sleeping, sitting, eating, alone or with others, I beg you please forgive any transgression I may have made.

I see that you are the cause of creation and beyond it, The only one worthy to worship.

Now, please, I cannot bear the weight of this Divine vision.

Please return to your human form of Krishna again. Take pity on me.

Krishna says that no study of the Vedas, sacrifice, charity, ritual, or austerity, can give a person such a vision as this. Not even the gods can see this form of Me. Only through single-hearted devotion can one see this universal form of Mine. Do not be frightened, I shall return to my Krishna form.

The person who devotes their works for God and makes God their highest goal is free from attachment to material things and bears no enmity toward any creature. That person alone becomes one with Me. [Verse 1–55]

By You mercifully sharing these supremely mystical teachings regarding Self-knowledge with me, You have dispelled my illusions. [1]

O Krishna, I have heard the details of creation and dissolution of all creatures, as well as of Your eternal glories. [2]

O Krishna, as You have described your ultimate Self, this is so. O Supreme One, I wish to see Your divine form. [3]

O Lord, if you feel I am worthy to see that form, then please show me your ultimate Self, O Krishna. [4]

O Arjuna, behold My various celestial forms with hundreds and thousands of varied colors and shapes. [5]

O Arjuna, see the 12 Adityas, the 8 Vasus, the 11 Shivas, the Ashwini twins, the 49 Maruts, behold many wonders that were never seen before. [6]

O Arjuna, see in My body the entire universe and all that is moving and unmoving, and whatever else you desire to see. [7]

But with your eyes you cannot see Me. So I grant you divine sight. Behold My omnipotent, unifed power. [8]

O King, having spoken thus, Lord Krishna, the supreme God of Self-Realization, showed his transcendental, omnipotent universal form to Arjuna. [9]

Revealing His innumerable wondrous sights, innumerable mouths and eyes, decorated with many celestial ornaments, and armed with many celestial weapons. [10]

Gloriously attired and garlanded, anointed with divine fragrant perfumes, this was an amazing and radiant form of God, infinite and everywhere. [11]

If the effulgence of a thousand suns were to shine simultaneously in the sky, that may resemble the effulgence of that great form of God. [12]

Then Arjuna saw the entire universe with its many divisions, all situated in this universal form of Lord Krishna, the God of all gods. [13]

Then Arjuna became overwhelmed with awe; his hair stood on end. Bowing to Krishna he folded his hands and spoke to Him. [14]

O God, in Your body I see all the demigods and a multitude of manifold beings; Lord Brahma seated on the lotus fower; Lord Shiva and many sages and divine serpents. [15]

O Lord of the universe, O Universal Form, I see Your unlimited form with innumerable arms, bellies, faces, and eyes; with no beginning, middle, or end. [16]

I see You in all directions, with crowns, maces, and discus (chakras); illuminating resplendently everywhere like a blazing fre and radiant suns; difficult to view and immeasurable. [17]

You are the Supreme Eternal Truth to be realized. You are the Supreme Refuge of the universe; you are Eternal Path of Duty (dharma), You are the Ancient One. I am convinced of all this. [18]

I see You without beginning, middle, or end, with infinite energy, with unlimited arms, with eyes like the Sun and Moon, with blazing fire in Your mouths, warming this universe with Your own glorious resplendence. [19]

The space between heaven, earth, and all the directions are pervaded by You alone. O greatest of all, by seeing this wonderful and terrible form of Yours, the three worlds tremble with fear. [20]

Verily, all the hosts of demigods (devas) are entering into You. Some in fear, some praising you with folded hands. The great sages (Rishis and Siddhas) are worshiping you, singing hymns of Your glory (svasti) from the Vedic scriptures. [21]

The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Vishvas, Ashwins, Maruts, Ushmapas, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, Siddhas, are all looking at You in wonder. [22]

O Mighty armed, seeing Your immeasurable form, with myriad faces and eyes, many arms, legs, and feet, manifold bellies and many terrifying teeth; all the planets tremble in fear and so do I. [23]

O Krishna, seeing You touching the sky, radiating many colors, with mouths open wide and large blazing eyes; verily I am trembling within myself, unable to maintain my fortitude or equilibrium. [24]

Just by seeing your mouth with terrible teeth, blazing like the fires of universal destruction, I know not the cardinal directions nor do I find any peace. O Krishna, Lord of all gods, O refuge of the universe, have mercy on me. [25]

All the sons of Dhritarashtra, with the multifarious armies of monarchs, Bhishma, Dronacharya, Sutaputra (Karna), as well as our main warriors, are rushing forward into Your mouths, terrible with long teeth and fearful to see. Some are seen with their heads smashed, sticking between the teeth. [26, 27]

Just as many rivers run into the ocean, so these kings are entering into Your fiery mouths from all directions. [28]

As moths rush into a blazing fre and perish, so all these armies are speedily rushing into Your mouths only to perish. [29]

O Krishna, You are swallowing and devouring all these people from all directions in Your fiery mouths, covering the universe with Your immeasurable radiance, and scorching the worlds. [30]

Please tell me who You are in this terrible form. I praise you O Lord, be merciful to me. O Primeval One, I wish to clearly know You because I cannot understand Your purpose. [31]

I am the terrible Time, destroyer of all creatures in all worlds. Even without you, all these opposing armies will be destroyed. [32]

Therefore, arise for battle O Arjuna. You will gain fame by conquering the enemy and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. All these warriors have already been slain by Me due to previous arrangements. You are only the instrument in this battle. [33]

Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other brave warriors are already slain by Me. So kill them without distress. Just fight and you will conquer your enemies in battle. [34]

Hearing Lord Krishna’s admonition, Arjuna, wearing a crown, with folded hands, and trembling, offered his respects with a fearful heart. With a faltering voice, he spoke to Krishna again. [35]

O Krishna, it is true that the entire universe is exalted by singing your glories. Out of fear, the demons (Rakshasas) fee in all four directions and the perfected beings (Siddhas) offer adoring praise to You. [36]

Why should they not offer their respects to You, O Soul of souls; the creator of Brahma? O Infinite one, O Lord of the gods! O Refuge of the universe and most worship able, You are imperishable, the manifest and unmanifest, and beyond them. [37]

You are the original Lord, the eternal being. You are the supreme refuge of the universe; the knower and the known; the supreme abode. The universe is permeated by You alone. [38]

You are the wind (Vayu), death (Yama), fire (Agni), water (Varuna), the Moon, Brahma, and Vishnu. I offer You devotional obeisance, thousands and thousands of times. Again, my respectful obeisance to you again and again. [39]

O all my salutations to You; from the front, from the back; I offer obeisance to You from all sides as well. O You of eternal energy and infinite power. You completely permeate the entire creation. Thus you are everything. [40]

In the past I have address You as ‘O Krishna’, ‘O Yadava’ ‘O my friend’, due to delusion or affection, without knowing your glories and universal form. [41]

O infallible one, whatever disrespect may have occurred jokingly while playing, resting, sitting, eating, alone or with others, all these things I pray You please forgive me. [42]

You are the father of the moving and unmoving creation, and its object of worship and spiritual master. You are incomparable; no one is equal to You; how can anyone excel You? [43]

Thus, prostrating my body in devotion, O Krishna I beg Your forgiveness as a father forgives a son, a friend their dear friend, and a beloved one their love. So too O Krishna, forgive me. [44]

O Krishna, while I am enthralled to see Your universal form, my mind is agitated with fear. O God of gods, therefore have mercy on me and show me Your human form again. [45]

O Krishna, I wish to see You as before, with crown, mace, and discus. O thousand armed Universal Form, do assume Your familiar four-armed form. [46]

O Arjuna, pleased with you I have revealed My universal form by My own power of yoga.

This radiant, infinite, primeval has not been seen by anyone but you. [47]

O Arjuna, not by studying Vedas, by sacrifice, charity, rituals, or severe austerities can I be seen in this form in the material world except by you. [48]

Do not be frightened or bewildered by seeing My universal form. Get rid of your fear and with gladdened heart, see My former form again. [49]

Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Lord Krishna showed His four-armed form, then finally His 2-armed form; thus pacifying the frightened Arjuna. [50]

O Krishna, seeing Your beautiful two-armed form, my mind is pacified and I have recovered myself. [51]

This form of mine that you have witnessed is rarely ever seen; even the demigods ever aspire to see this form. [52]

My form cannot be seen from studying Vedas, by austerities, charity, or by sacrifice, as you have seen me. [53]

O Arjuna, only by single-minded devotional service, can I be understood in this universal form. Only in this way can you see and enter into my eternal form. [54]

O Arjuna, those who act in My name, considers Me as the highest goal, is devoted to Me, is free from attachment and feels no ill will towards any creature, they realize Me. [55]

Note

Some people use Krishna’s urging Arjuna to fight to protect a race of people from genocide as their reason or excuse to fight today.

Others cite their own religion or God telling them to start war. The fallacy of this issue has been addressed in the Prologue. Here we look to learn from the metaphors of this situation.

Exercise

Think of times when you chose to protect someone or something that was in danger.

Perhaps in the line of duty as an officer, fire-person, or soldier; or maybe at work, you had to speak up or act to protect civilians or the planet.

Or consider a time you had to make a stand for what you believed, that went against the views of your family and friends.

What was the outcome of your confrontation? Did you worth? Did you eventually realize a better way of life, job, or a more peaceful lifestyle?

Vishwaroop: Lord Krishna’s universal form.

 

 

Chapter 12

How to Love God.

 

Arjuna begins by asking, Of the people who follow the two forms of God-worship (manifest and personal form), which path brings more wisdom/enlightenment?

Some people meditate on the eternal, unmanifest, unbounded abstract God. Others feel drawn to a personal form of God, such as Krishna, Jesus, or Buddha. Arjuna is wondering which is the wiser path to follow.

Krishna says, Those who worship the form of God are those who know Him best.

Eventually, the formless path will bring a person to God; however, it If someone asks you to think of something that cannot be imagined, such as eternal unboundedness, it cannot be done. Even for those who have a sense of eternity, when life gets tough, it is just easier to think of ‘someone’ to tell your troubles. So it is that people are more naturally drawn to a personal form of God.

Thus, Krishna advises the personal path for the majority of people.

He advises people to:

• Surrender all actions to God, since God is the ultimate doer of actions, • See God as the ultimate goal of life, and • Worship God with single-hearted devotion.

For those whose hearts are fixed on God, He comes quickly to save the devotee from the misery caused by illusion of the world-as-reality. Resting one’s understanding in God brings one to live in God forever.

Krishna then addresses another common issue, the inability to concentrate on God during meditation.

Those who cannot fix a steady mind on God through mental meditation can instead perform devotional deeds. This can include helping the needy, performing pleasing rituals, and chanting devotional songs (bhajans or singing God’s praise).

For those who fall through the cracks of the above categories, Krishna says there are some who cannot even practice devotional activities. For them, Krishna recommends devoting their work to God, by saying ‘whatever I do is for God.’ This is an acceptable form of meditation that brings a person to Self-Realization. And those who do not have even the presence of mind to devote their actions to God should take refuge in God, offering God the results of their actions.

If you earn fame or fortune, say that God has done this and that it is God’s fame or fortune. So if a person does not think of God prior to action, let them, at the time of result, praise God and offer God all they have gained. [Verse 1–11]

Who is considered to have a more perfect realization of You; those devotees who are always single-mindedly worshiping You, or those who worship the unmanifest, unbounded?

Those who focus their minds on Me, worship Me with continuous devotion and full of faith, to My mind they have a better realization of Me. [2]

But those who worship the eternal, unbounded, unknowable, unchangeable, immoveable, impersonal, absolute; having completely controlled their senses through spiritual intelligence, and ever trying to do good for all creatures, they also realize me. [3 - 4]

It is more difficult for those who worship the unmanifest because there is no direct experience of any form. Success is achieved with great difficulty because people identify with the body. [5]

But those who, surrendering all action to Me, attached to Me, meditating on Me with single-minded worshipful yoga; O Arjuna, for these people whose minds are absorbed in Me, I become their savior from the ocean of the birth/death cycle (samsara). [6 - 7]

Focus your mind on Me, with spiritual intelligence for Me; and you shall undoubtedly live in Me always. [8]

O Arjuna, if you are able to fully concentrate on Me, then through faithful devotional practice seek to realize Me. [9]

If you are unable to practice devotion (in this way), then dedicate your activities to Me. In performing activity in My name you will also achieve perfection. [10]

Should you not be able to work in this way, then, taking refuge in Me alone, try surrendering the results of all actions to Me and try to become self-controlled. [11]

Surrendering the fruits of action is higher than meditation. Peace immediately follows surrender.

Practice means doing, but knowledge means understanding gained from experience; thus, it is more esteemed than action without understanding.

Meditation is a method to go beyond one’s reality — to gain greater wisdom of Self and a newer insight into more of who one is. This is more precious than knowledge because knowledge relates to a locked or bound time or place. To know a deeper reality, one must transcend the limits of their belief system and experiences and go beyond the ego-based reality to experience more of one’s eternal Soul.

Although meditation allows one to realize a greater self beyond their previously defined self, the actual act of letting go of ‘ownership’ and ‘authorship, ’ and the giving all to God are actions resulting from surrender. Realization only gives the potential to surrender, that is, it removes the desires that prevent surrender.

Yet, surrendering material life requires real-world action. A person needs to see that they can apply this desire less state to their life.

This ‘letting go’, is the last ‘action’ a person can do for themselves.

Thereafter peace descends on the mind, because the friction is removed when the limits and desires are removed. [Verse 12]

Knowledge is superior to practice; meditation is better than knowledge; renouncing the rewards of action is superior to meditation — for from renunciation comes inner peace. [12]

Krishna describes such a person as one who has no hatred toward any creature, who is friendly, forgiving and compassionate to all.

They are free of material and emotional attachment, free from egotism; they are equal-minded in all that comes their way be it pain or pleasure, happiness or sadness, gain or loss. Such a person is conby the world and is free from envy, fear, anxiety, and elation. This person is devoted to God and is dear to God.

This person is free from external dependencies, pure of mind and (friend or enemy), who behave the same whether being praised or blamed, is a devoted soul and dear to God.

Those who follow this teaching described by Krishna, and who possess strong faith in God as the supreme goal in life, are extremely dear to God; they are supreme devotees (bhaktas). [Verse 13–20]

Those who has no envy, but are a friend to all creatures, compassionate with no sense of proprietorship, free from false ego, equal-minded in happiness and distress; forgiving, always content and engaged in determined devotional worship; and whose mind and intelligence are in harmony with Me. They are very dear to Me. [13 -14]

Those who are not disturbed by the world and who never disturb the world, and who are free from elation, envy, fear, and anxiety, they are dear to Me. [15]

Those devotees who are desire less, pure, efficient, free from worry and agitation, and unconcerned with any mundane situation, are very dear to Me. [16]

Those who do not rejoice or hate, grieve or desire, who are impartial to the auspicious and inauspicious; engaged in devotional service, are very dear to Me. [17]

Those people who behave equally to friends and foes, in honor and dishonor, who are impartial in cold and heat, happiness and distress, unattached, equal in praise or shame, contemplative before speaking, satisfied with what comes unasked, unattached to residence, steady-minded, engaged in devotional service, is very dear to Me. [18 - 19]

Those who devotedly live this eternal, nectar-path to Me, full of faith, making Me the supreme goal, are very dear to Me. [20]

Exercises

• In this chapter, Lord Krishna says to think of Him, envision Him, say His name to attain Self-Realization. Some have interpreted this to mean the only way to God is through Krishna. But didn’t Jesus also say, ‘I am the way’? Doesn’t each religion say that God is the way? So if God is eternal-one, then isn’t each religion saying the same thing about the same God, only using a different name to label God? Considering the possibility that there really is only one God with many paths to Him (or Her, or It, or nature, spirit, ethics, etc.) does that make your heart open with true love for all humanity, in that we are all related — all children of the same God?

• Consider times when you have been able to let go of trying to make situations work out the way you ‘think’ they should, and does that experience feel like? From these positive results, does it give you more faith to be able to let go more often in the future?

• Krishna describes qualities of an enlightened person on page 128. Search yourself to see how many of these qualities you have found within — even a few times. Cultivate them. Pray that these highest qualities grow in your life.

• Being content with what comes your way should not be taken to mean that you accept your worst behaviors and their resulting karma visited upon you. Rather consider the idea of ‘practicing being content’ to mean, doing your best to think, speak, and act using your highest qualities for the good of yourself and others, doing your utmost to always think of God, and offering your actions or the results of your actions to God. Then when you have done your utmost, accept the way life unfolds. Learn the lessons from what unfolds — seeing the best in each situation. All the while, continue cultivating these highest qualities in yourself.

• When trying to live a life that causes no harm, consider the effects on three levels: action, words, and thoughts. It is easiest to out harm (eg, gossip, blame, judgment). It is most difficult to think only harmonious thoughts. When you can see that all three levels are free from negativity, only then you can truly say you do not cause harm to any creature. It is a worthy exercise, is it not?

Radha and Krishna express Bhakti; devotion or Divine love.

Chapter 13

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