The Universal Form Part 2
In the last post I introduced the Universal Form of the Lord, the many ways in which we may think of God within His creation. Already several times Arjuna has heard Krishna explaining how He pervades and supports the material world, that He is “the governing principle of the material manifestation,” and that “By Me, in My un-manifested form, this entire universe is pervaded.” and yet again: “with a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.” Krishna gives the analogy that everything rests upon Him just as a string of pearls rest on an invisible thread.
Inspired by so many statements Arjuna asks for some proof, perhaps for himself, but especially for others who may have doubts that Krishna is who He says He is. Therefore Arjuna asks Krishna to show him His Universal Form. He wanted to see how Krishna is acting within the universe while at the same time being apart from it.
Arjuna asks: “O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see here before me Your personal form, I also want to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I wish to see that form of Yours. If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that universal self.”
That description takes up the entire chapter eleven of the Bhagavad-gita. Therein Krishna reveals to Arjuna His rupam aishvaram, His Universal Form, and the sight is far beyond anything Arjuna could have dreamed of – at once awesome, amazing and terrible to behold. Here is the story:
The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, behold now My opulence, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, multicolored like the sea. O Arjuna, whatever you wish to see, behold at once in this body! This Universal Form can show you whatever you now desire to see and whatever you may want to see in the future. Everything is here completely.
Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed in many garbs. He was garlanded gloriously, and there were many scents smeared over His body. All was magnificent, all-expanding, unlimited.
If hundreds of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form. 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. Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna began to pray with folded hands, offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord.
Arjuna said: O Lord of the universe, I see in Your universal body many, many forms-bellies, mouths, eyes-expanded without limit. There is no end, there is no beginning, and there is no middle to all this. Your form, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs, is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, which is fiery and immeasurable like the sun. You are the supreme primal objective; You are the best in all the universes; You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest; You are the maintainer of religion, the eternal Personality of Godhead. You are the origin without beginning, middle or end. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are among Your great unlimited eyes.
By Your own radiance You are heating this entire universe. Although You are one, You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, as I behold this terrible form, I see that all the planetary systems are perplexed. All the demigods are surrendering and entering into You. They are very much afraid, and with folded hands they are singing the Vedic hymns. Lord Siva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvadevas, the two Asvins, the Maruts, the forefathers and the Gandharvas, the Yaksas, Asuras, and all perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder. O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your many faces, eyes, arms, bellies and legs and Your terrible teeth, and as they are disturbed, so am I.
O all-pervading Vishnu, I can no longer maintain my equilibrium. Seeing Your radiant colors fill the skies and beholding Your eyes and mouths, I am afraid. O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered.
Those whose relationship with God is one of awe and wonder see God in His magnificent Universal Form. Seeing the Universal Form Arjuna was inspired by the relationship of wonder, and in that wonder, although he was by nature very sober, calm and quiet, he became both ecstatic and fearful, his hair stood on end, and he began to offer his obeisances unto the Supreme Lord with folded hands.
O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. I do not know what Your mission is, and I desire to hear of it. The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasachin, can be but an instrument in the fight.
After hearing these words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna trembled, fearfully offered obeisances with folded hands and began, falteringly, to speak as follows:
O Hrishikesh, master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demonic are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done. O great one, who stands above even Brahma, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation.
You are the original Personality, the Godhead. You are the only sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You know everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You! You are air, fire, water, and You are the moon! You are the supreme controller and the grandfather. Thus I offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again! Obeisances from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless, might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything!
You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, the worshipable chief, the spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. Within the three worlds, You are immeasurable. You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respects and ask Your mercy. Please tolerate the wrongs that I may have done to You and bear with me as a father with his son, or a friend with his friend, or a lover with his beloved. After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, happily do I show you this universal form within the material world by My internal potency. No one before you has ever seen this unlimited and glaringly effulgent form.
After seeing this wonderful form of the Lord in His all-pervasive aspect Arjuna wants to see the personal form, that friend of his that is so familiar and comforting to him.
No one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charities or similar activities can this form be seen. Only you have seen this. Your mind has been perturbed upon seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free from all disturbance. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, while speaking thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form, and at last He showed him His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna. When Arjuna thus saw Krishna in His original form, he said: Seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, my mind is now pacified, and I am restored to my original nature.
The Blessed Lord said: “My dear Arjuna, the form which you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form which is so dear. The form which you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing severe penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am. Only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding. My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the contamination of previous activities and from mental speculation, and who is friendly to every living entity, will certainly come to Me.”
Recent Comments