Universal Form

नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव नरोत्तमम्

 देवीं सरस्वतीं चैव ततो जयम् उदीरयेत्

महाभारत

Mahābhārata

Bhagavad-gītā 

Summary

by Michael Dolan/ B.V. Mahāyogī

Virata Rupa

The Universal Form

This chapter is usually called the Universal Form, or Arjuna’s vision of the Universal Form.  It begins with Arjuna’s wish to see the unlimited form of God.  For millions of Hindus, The Bhagavad-Gītā answers the question, “What would God say, if he could speak to us?”  Here we also find an answer to the question, “What would it be like to see God?”

In the 10^th Chapter, Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa’s divinity in principle. He understands that he must act in devotion. Still, he is curious. Perhaps there is still some doubt within him. He wants to see. Seeing is believing. And so he asks Kṛṣṇa to reveal himself as unlimited God.

We are told that God withholds this vision from ordinary men so as not to interfere with our free will. If He showed us His unlimited power, then we would have no choice but to worship him, thus cancelling our free will. Love should be voluntary. If God were to demonstrate his unlimited power, then we would worship him by force, and not by love.

But Arjuna wants to see.

Arjuna said:  “I have heard Your instruction on confidential spiritual matters which You have so kindly delivered unto me, and my illusion is now dispelled.  O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity, as realized through Your in­ exhaustible glories.  O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see here before me Your actual position, I yet wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want 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.”

Arjuna has begun the dialogue with Kṛṣṇa in a bewildered state. Overwhelmed with bodily identification, he began by thinking only of his materialistic duties and religion. Now, Arjuna’s illusion is over. He accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Lord God Himself. And yet, he is curious. Now that his eyes have been opened, he wants a direct presentation of God in His forms as sovereign, creator, maintainer and dissolver of all entities.

He asks Kṛṣṇa to reveal himself completely if possible.  Arjuna wishes to see Kṛṣṇa’s Universal Form, not only for himself, but to convince others. It may be considered that Arjuna has no personal desire for confirmation, but wants to set a criterion for the future. Anyone who would pose as God would have to show his universal form to the people.

Kṛṣṇa explains that a vision of God is impossible to the ordinary vegetable eye, inaccessible to natural perception, but provides Arjuna with a divine vision.

At this point, God shows Arjuna his supreme and majestic form, the foundation of the entire universe, manifold and multiform, governing everything.

The Blessed Lord said: "My dear Arjuna, O son of Prtha, behold now My opulences, hundreds of thousands of varied divine forms, unlimited by tie and space, multicolored like the sea.  O best of the Bhāratas, see here the different manifestations of Ādityas, Rudras, and all the demigods. Whatever you wish to see can be seen all at once in this body. This universal form can show you all that you now desire, as well as whatever you may desire in the future. Everything is here completely. Behold the many things which no one has ever seen or heard before. But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore, I give to you divine eyes by which you can behold My mystic opulence."

Sañjaya said: “O King, speaking thus, the Supreme Lord of all mystic power, the Personality of Godhead, displayed His universal form to Arjuna. Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and made in many garbs.”

 “He was garlanded gloriously, and there were many fragrances smeared over his body. All was magnificent, all-expanding, unlimited. This was seen by Arjuna. If hundreds of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble your full versions 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 reverences to the supreme Lord.”

With this vision, Arjuna is  filled with awe and struck with terror.

Arjuna said, "my dear Lord Krishna, I see assembled together in your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see the creator Lord Brahma sitting on the lotus flower as well as Lord Shiva and many sages and defined serpents. Oh 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 grounds, clubs and discs, is difficult to see because of its glaring if oceans, 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 God. 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 heating this are  universe. Although you are one, you were spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. Oh great one, as I behold this terrible form, I see that all the planetary systems are perplexed.

"All the gods are surrendering before you and entering into you. They are awestruck,  and with folded hands they sing  the Vedic hymns. The different manifestations of Lord Shiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvadevas, the two Aśvins, the Māruts, the forefathers and the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, Asuras, and all the perfect gods are behold You in wonder. O mighty armed one, all the planets with their gods are disturbed at seeing your thousands of faces, eyes, arms, bellies, and legs and your terrible teeth, and as they are disturbed, so am I in shock and awe at your astonishing wonders.

"Oh all pervading Vishnu, I can no longer maintain my equilibrium. Seeing your radiant colors fill the skies and beholding your eyes and mouths, I'm afraid.  Oh Lord of lords, a refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. All directions I am bewildered." All the sons Dhṛtarāṣṭra along with their allied Kings and Bhīṣma, Droṇa and Karṇa, and all our soldiers are rushing into your mouths, their heads smashed by your fearful tea. I see that some are being crushed between your teeth as well.

"As the rivers flow into the sea, so all these great warriors and to your blazing mouths and perish. I see all people rushing with full speed into your mouths as moths – into a blazing fire.  O Viṣṇu, devouring all people in your flaming mounds and covering the universe with your immeasurable raise. Scorching the worlds, you are manifest. "Oh Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who you are. I offer my references unto you and bow before you. Please be gracious to me. I do not know what you want. Please tell me what you want.”

The terrible aspect of God is revealed as Time, the destroyer.

The blessed Lord said, "Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you and your brothers, all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.

“Therefore get up and prepared to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by my arrangements, and you, O Arjuna, can be but an instrument in the fight. The blessed Lord said, “ All the great warriors—Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa—are already destroyed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies.”

The Bhagavad-Gītā is not an argument for violence or war.  Here, Kṛṣṇa is simply pointed out the inevitability of the conflict and its resolution. It is part of God’s plan. Arjuna is pointing out that even if he did not fight, all the warriors on the field would be destroyed anyway. It was God’s plan. Even if Arjuna did not take up his bow and fight, they would die another wary. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction. Death cannot be stopped by anyone.  All manifestations are to be vanquished by the will of God.

Finally, upon receiving the ocular proof  of this divine revelation, Arjuna is exalted.

Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāśtrara: O King, after hearing these words from the Lord God Himself, Arjuna trembled, fearfully offered reverences with folded hands in prayer and spoke with trembling voice:

"Oh my God, the world becomes joyful upon hearing your holy name and so everyone becomes attached to you. While perfected beings offer you prayers homage, those who are in ignorance are afraid. Such demonic persons fleeing here and there. So be it. Oh great one, who stands above even the creator of the universe Lord Brahma, you are the original master. Why should they not offer prayers to you, O limitless one? Oh refuge of the universe, you are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation.”

“You are the origin of all the gods, the supreme, the Lord God himself. You are the only sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You know everything, and you are all that is noble. 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! 

“I have in the past addressed You as "O Kṛṣṇa," "O Yadava," "O my friend," without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times while relaxing or while lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. Please excuse me for all my offenses. “

Although Kṛṣṇa is manifested before Arjuna in his universal form, Arjuna remembers his friendly relationship with Kṛṣṇa and is therefore asking pardon and requesting Kṛṣṇa to excuse him for the many informal gestures which arise out of friendship. He is admitting that formerly  he did not know that Kṛṣṇa could assume such universal form, although Kṛṣṇa explained it as his intimate friend. Here, Arjuna recognizes His friend as Divinity Himself.

  Arjuna said, “You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, the worship­ able 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 he 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 hear 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, hut 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.”

And yet the perfect and intimate forms of God are only revealed through devotion and dedication. In the final analysis, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa is not very important.  Devotees who are correctly situated in a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa are attracted by loving features, not by a godless display of opulences. The playmates of Kṛṣṇa, the friends of Kṛṣṇa, and the parents of Kṛṣṇa are all great devotees, they are unaware of his position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and wouldn’t like to be reminded of His opulences.  But for the purpose of demonstrating his position to the world,  Kṛṣṇa has revealed his Universal Form to Arjuna. Now, Arjuna wants to see his four-armed form.

“O universal Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form. 

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.  O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by per­ forming sacrifices, nor by charities or similar activities can this form he 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 froml all disturbance. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.”

Sañjaya said to Dhṛṭarāṣṭra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa,  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. 

In the end, Arjuna is terrified. He wants to see the two armed form of the Lord. And when Krishna finally shows in this form, he tells Arjuna that this essential nature of God, and his human form, can only be known through bhakti.

Kṛṣṇa knows that Arjuna was not interested in seeing a four-handed form, but since Arjuna asked to see this four-handed form, Kṛṣṇa also showed him this form again and them showed himself in his two-handed form, and in this way calmed Arjuna’s terror at seeing the destructive form of God Himself as Time and the Universe. Kṛṣṇa changes from the universal form to the four-handed form of Nārāyaṇa and then to His own natural form of two hands. This indicates that the four-handed forms and other forms mentioned in Vedic literature are all emanations of the original two-handed Kṛṣṇa. 

All four-handed forms of Viṣṇu are emanations of Kṛṣṇa

He is the original of all emanations. Kṛśṇa is distinct even from these forms, not to speak of the impersonal conception. As far as the four-handed forms of Kṛṣṇa are concerned, it is stated clearly that even the most identical four-handed form of Kṛṣṇa is also an expansion of the Supreme Lord.

When Arjuna saw Kṛṣṇa 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 serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.

“My dear Arjuna, 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 contaminations of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.”

Yamunacharya comments that the 11^th Chapter is a description of the immediate presentation of God and teaches that the quiddity of God can only be known and attained by bhakti.