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The Universal Form · 55 verses
Ask Krishna about this chapterArjuna said: My Lord! Your words concerning the Supreme Secret of Self, given for my blessing, have dispelled the illusions that surrounded me.
O Lord, whose eyes are like the lotus petal! You have described in detail the origin and dissolution of beings, and Your own Eternal Majesty.
O Supreme Lord, it is indeed so, as You have described Yourself. O Supreme Person, I wish to see Your divine form.
If you think it is possible for me to see it, show me, O Lord of Lords, your eternal self.
Lord Shri Krishna replied: "Behold, O Arjuna! My celestial forms, by the hundreds and thousands, various in kind, color, and shape."
Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Ashvins, and the Maruts as well. Behold many marvels never seen before, O Bharata.
Here, living in Me, O Arjuna, behold the entire universe, both movable and immovable, and anything else you would like to see!
Yet, since you cannot see Me with mortal eyes, behold, I give you divine sight. Now, see the glory of My sovereignty.
Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus, O King, Hari, the great Lord of Yoga, then revealed to Partha His supreme divine form.
There were countless eyes, mouths, and innumerable mystic forms, with shining ornaments and flaming celestial weapons.
Crowned with heavenly garlands, clothed in shining garments, anointed with divine unguents, He showed Himself as the Resplendent One, Marvelous, Boundless, and…
If the light of a thousand suns were to blaze forth all at once in the sky, that might be comparable to the radiance of that great Soul.
There, in the body of the God of gods, the Pandava then beheld the entire universe, divided in manifold ways, yet established as one.
Then, Arjuna, filled with awe, his hair standing on end, bowing his head, and clasping his hands in reverence, spoke to the Lord:
Arjuna said: O God, I see in Your body all the gods and all the diverse hosts of beings, Lord Brahma seated on his lotus throne, Lord Shiva, all the sages, and the…
I see You, infinite in form, with faces, eyes, and limbs everywhere; with no beginning, middle, or end. O You, Lord of the Universe, whose form is universal!
I see you with the crown, the scepter, and the discus; a blaze of splendor. Scarcely can I gaze upon you, so radiant you are, glowing like a blazing fire, brilliant as…
You are the imperishable, the supreme One worthy of being known; You are the ultimate resting place of this universe. You are the undecaying protector of the eternal…
I see You without beginning, middle, or end, infinite in power, with endless arms, the sun and moon as Your eyes, Your mouth a blazing fire, scorching this entire…
Alone, you fill all the quarters of the sky, earth, and heaven, and the regions between. O Almighty Lord! Seeing your marvelous and awe-inspiring form, the spheres…
The troops of celestial beings enter into You, some invoking You in fear, with folded palms; the great seers and adepts sing hymns to Your glory, saying, "All hail!"
The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Vishvadevas, the two Ashvins, the Maruts, and the ancestors, as well as the hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras,…
Seeing Thy stupendous Form, O Most Mighty One, with its myriad faces, its innumerable eyes, limbs, and terrible jaws, I myself and all the worlds are overwhelmed with…
When I see You, touching the heavens, glowing with color, with open mouth and wide, fiery eyes, I am terrified. O my Lord! My courage and peace of mind abandon me.
When I see Thy mouths with their fearful jaws, like glowing fires at the dissolution of creation, I lose all sense of place and find no rest. Be merciful, O Lord, in…
All these sons of Dhritarashtra, along with the hosts of princes, Bheeshma, Drona, and Karna, as well as the other warrior chiefs on our side;
1 See them all rushing headlong into Thy mouths, with terrible tusks, horrible to behold. Some are mangled between Thy jaws, with their heads crushed to atoms.
As rivers in flood surge furiously towards the ocean, so these heroes, the greatest among men, fling themselves into Thy flaming mouths.
As moths impetuously fly towards the flame, only to be killed, so these men rush into Your mouths to court their own destruction.
You lick all around, devouring all the worlds on every side with Your blazing mouths. Filling the entire universe with Your radiance, Your fierce rays scorch all…
Tell me then, who are You, who wears this dreadful form? I bow before You, O Mighty One! Have mercy, I pray, and let me see You as You were at first. I do not know what…
The Blessed Lord said: I am mighty Time, the destroyer of worlds, and I am here engaged in annihilating all people. Even without you, all the warriors arrayed in the…
Therefore, arise and win glory. Conquering your enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. By Me alone have these warriors already been slain; be merely an instrument, O…
Drona and Bhishma and Jayadratha and Karna, as well as other brave warriors, have already been slain by Me; do you strike them down and do not be distressed — fight,…
Sanjaya continued: "Having heard these words from the Lord Shri Krishna, the Prince Arjuna, with folded hands trembling, prostrated himself and with a choked voice,…
Arjuna said: My Lord! It is natural for the world to revel and rejoice when singing praises of Your glory; the demons fly in fear and the saints offer You their…
And why should they not bow down to You, O Great Soul, who are greater even than Brahma, the original creator? O Infinite One, O Lord of the gods, O Abode of the…
You are the primal God, the ancient Person; You are the supreme resting place of this universe. You are the knower and that which is to be known, and the supreme Abode.…
You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the Moon, Prajapati, and the great-grandfather of all. Salutations, salutations to You a thousand times, and again and yet again,…
Salutations to You from the front and from behind; salutations to You from all sides indeed, O All! You are of infinite power and immeasurable valor; You pervade…
Whatever I have said to you in rashness, taking you only as a friend and addressing you as “O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend!” in thoughtless familiarity, without…
And whatever disrespect was shown to You in jest — while at play, while resting, while sitting, or while eating, whether alone or in the presence of others, O Achyuta —…
For you are the Father of all things movable and immovable, the Worshipful, the Master of Masters! In all the worlds, there is none equal to you; how then could there…
Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I implore Your grace, O adorable Lord. As a father forgives a son, as a friend forgives a friend, as a lover forgives…
I rejoice that I have seen what no man has ever seen before; yet, O Lord! I am overwhelmed with fear. Please take on the form I know. Be merciful, O Lord! You who are…
I wish to see You just as before — crowned, bearing a mace, with disc in hand. O thousand-armed one, O universal form, assume that very four-armed form again.
The Blessed Lord said: Being pleased with you, O Arjuna, this supreme form has been shown to you by Me through My own yogic power — resplendent, cosmic, infinite, and…
It is not possible for man on earth to see what thou hast seen, O thou foremost hero of the Kuru-clan, through study of the scriptures, sacrifice or gift, ritual or…
Do not be afraid or confused by the terrible vision. Put away your fear and, with a joyful mind, see Me again in My usual form.
Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva displayed His own form once again, and the great-souled one, assuming once more His gentle form, consoled the…
Arjuna said: Seeing You in Your gentle human form, my Lord, I am myself again, calm once more.
The Blessed Lord said: This form of Mine which you have seen is exceedingly difficult to behold; even the gods are ever longing to see this form.
It is not possible to see Me as you have done through studying the scriptures, performing austerities, giving gifts, or making sacrifices.
But by single-minded devotion alone, O Arjuna, can I, in this form, be truly known, be seen, and be entered into, O scorcher of foes.
He who performs all actions for My sake, holds Me as the supreme goal, is devoted to Me, is free from attachment, and bears no enmity toward any being—he comes to Me, O…