The Path of Disclosure of the Cosmic Form

This chapter has fifty-five verses. Eight are spoken by Sañjaya, thirty-three by Arjuna, and fourteen by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In Chapter 10, Arjuna became aware of the Lord’s special grace. In this chapter, full of awe, he pleads with Śrī Kṛṣṇa to reveal His majestic form (1–4). Śrī Kṛṣṇa complies and awards Arjuna with divine vision, so that he can see His most astonishing form (5–8).
Sañjaya gives a description of Kṛṣṇa’s cosmic form as being effulgent like thousands of suns, and having unlimited faces, hands, and legs (9–14). Seeing this most marvelous, but also fearsome feature, Arjuna becomes awestruck. He describes his vision in sixteen verses (15–30) and then asks Kṛṣṇa what His intention is in assuming this terrifying form. Kṛṣṇa replies that He is the embodiment of time, who has appeared to destroy all the assembled warriors. He implores Arjuna to engage in battle and kill the enemies, who have already been slain by Him (32–34).
Sañjaya describes that, upon hearing this, Arjuna was terrified and in a faltering voice addresses Kṛṣṇa (35). He glorifies Him, pays respects to Him repeatedly, and asks for forgiveness for past misbehavior when he treated Kṛṣṇa on an equal level as a friend, not knowing His majesty. Arjuna declares that no one is equal or superior to Kṛṣṇa and that He is worshipable even by other divinities. He pleads with Kṛṣṇa to tolerate his misgivings, just like an affectionate parent tolerates the ill behavior of a child, a bosom friend that of a friend, and a lover that of a beloved (36–44). Finally, Arjuna entreats Kṛṣṇa to reveal His four-armed form (45–46). Being pleased with him, Kṛṣṇa shows Arjuna His four-armed form and then resumes His original humanlike form (47–49). Seeing this, Arjuna feels very peaceful and happy (51). Kṛṣṇa then informs Arjuna that His form is not easily perceived. One can see it only through devotion to Him. Kṛṣṇa concludes that His devotee, who is engaged in service to Him, free from all material attachments and enmity, attains Him (52–55).

All Verses

  1. Verse 1Arjuna said: My delusion has been completely dispelled by [hearing] Your discourse concerning the supremely confidential knowledge of the Self, which You have delivered as a blessing to me.
  2. Verse 2O lotus-eyed Lord, I have heard from You in detail of the origin and dissolution of all beings and about Your inexhaustible glory.
  3. Verse 3O Supreme Regulator, You are exactly as You have described Yourself. O Supreme Person, I desire to see Your majestic form.
  4. Verse 4O Master, if You think that Your imperishable form can be seen by me, then, O Master of yoga, reveal it to me.
  5. Verse 5Śrī Bhagavān said: O Pārtha, behold My divine forms in hundreds and thousands, multifarious and of various colors and shapes.
  6. Verse 6Behold, O descendant of Bharata, the twelve Ādityas, the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the twin Aśvins, and the forty-nine Maruts [in My majestic form]. See the many wonderful forms which have never been witnessed before.
  7. Verse 7O Guḍākeśa, behold now the entire universe of movable and immovable beings, and anything else that you desire to see, all situated here in one place in My body.
  8. Verse 8But you cannot see Me merely with these eyes of yours. Therefore, I grant you divine vision. Behold My majestic form.
  9. Verse 9Sañjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, Hari, the great master of yoga, next showed His supreme majestic form to Pārtha.
  10. Verse 10-11[Arjuna saw Bhagavān’s cosmic form] having many mouths and eyes, disclosing myriad astonishing sights, adorned with innumerable celestial ornaments, wielding many uplifted divine weapons, wearing divine garlands and dresses, anointed with heavenly fragrances, full of all wonders, resplendent, infinite, and having faces on all sides.
  11. Verse 12If the effulgence of a thousand suns were to appear simultaneously in the sky, it might resemble somewhat the splendor of His cosmic form.
  12. Verse 13Then Arjuna, the son of Pāṇḍu, saw the entire universe with its manifold divisions situated there in one place in the body of the Lord of the devas.
  13. Verse 14Thereafter, Arjuna, filled with wonder and his bodily hairs standing on end in ecstasy, bowed his head and spoke to Bhagavān with palms joined together in supplication.
  14. Verse 15Arjuna said: O Lord, in Your body I see all the devas and hosts of unique living beings, Brahmā situated on his lotus seat, Śiva, all the sages, and the celestial serpents.
  15. Verse 16O Master of the universe, O Cosmic Form (Viśvarūpa), I see You in all directions, having an unlimited form possessing innumerable arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes. Yet, I can see neither Your end, nor Your middle, nor Your beginning.
  16. Verse 17I see You everywhere adorned with helmet, mace, and disc, displaying a massive radiance of light, resplendent on all sides, very difficult to behold, having an effulgence like that of the sun and of blazing fire, and immeasurable.
  17. Verse 18In my opinion, You are the supreme imperishable Brahman and the entity to be realized [by the aspirants for liberation]. You are the supreme shelter of this universe. You are imperishable and the guardian of the eternal dharma. You are the eternal Supreme Person.
  18. Verse 19I see You as without beginning, middle, or end, as endowed with infinite prowess, having infinite arms, with the moon and sun as Your eyes, and a mouth like blazing fire, scorching this universe with Your own brilliance.
  19. Verse 20This interim space between heaven and earth and all directions are entirely pervaded by You alone. Seeing this astonishing, terrible form of Yours, O Great Being, the three worlds are extremely perturbed.
  20. Verse 21These hosts of devas are verily entering into You. Some, being frightened, are praising You with palms joined in supplication, while multitudes of great sages and perfected beings, uttering “let there be universal wellbeing” (svasti), are extolling You with magnificent hymns.
  21. Verse 22The Rudras, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Viśvadevas, the twin Aśvins, the Maruts, the forefathers, as well as the hosts of Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Asuras, and Siddhas — all these indeed are beholding You in amazement.
  22. Verse 23O Mighty-Armed Lord, seeing Your immense form equipped with innumerable faces and eyes, with unlimited arms, thighs and feet, with many bellies and countless terrible fangs, the worlds are awestruck and so am I.
  23. Verse 24O Viṣṇu, seeing Your form which touches the sky, full of effulgence, of myriad colors, with gaping mouth and blazing gigantic eyes, my heart is overcome by fear and I cannot at all secure fortitude nor peace.
  24. Verse 25Indeed, seeing Your faces with terrible fangs and blazing like the fire of dissolution, I cannot distinguish one direction from another, nor can I find peace. O Master of the devas, O Abode of the Cosmos, be merciful unto me.
  25. Verse 26-27All these sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with the hosts of kings, as well as Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Karṇa, together with the chief warriors on our side, are rushing toward You, entering Your dreadful jaws with terrifying fangs. Some of these warriors can be seen with smashed heads stuck between Your teeth.
  26. Verse 28As myriad water currents of the rivers rush only toward the sea, so also these heroes among men are entering Your flaming mouths.
  27. Verse 29As moths enter a blazing fire with great speed only for self-destruction, similarly these people too are rushing into Your mouths with great speed to meet their doom.
  28. Verse 30Devouring all these people with Your blazing mouths, You are licking them up from all sides. O Viṣṇu, Your fierce glow is scorching the entire universe, filling it with its radiance.
  29. Verse 31Please tell me who You are, O ferocious one. O best of the devas, I offer salutations to You, please be gracious. I wish to know You, the primeval being, since I do not comprehend Your purpose.
  30. Verse 32Śrī Bhagavān said: Time I am, the mighty annihilator of the worlds. I am here to destroy these people. Even without you [killing them], all these warriors on the enemy’s side will not survive.
  31. Verse 33Therefore, you must stand up, seize fame, conquer your enemies, and enjoy the affluent kingdom. These warriors have already been killed by Me alone. You are to become merely an instrument, O Savyasācī*.
  32. Verse 34You must slay Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa, and the other great warriors as well, who are already killed by Me. Do not be distressed. Fight, and you will conquer your enemies in the battle.
  33. Verse 35Sañjaya said: Hearing these words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the trembling Arjuna, saluting Him with palms joined together and bowing down in extreme fear, spoke again to Kṛṣṇa with a faltering voice.
  34. Verse 36Arjuna said: It is appropriate, O Hṛṣīkeśa, that the universe becomes delighted and filled with love by glorifying You, that the terrified demons flee in all directions, and that all the hosts of Siddhas bow down to You.
  35. Verse 37O Mahātman, why indeed should they not bow down to You, who are greater even than Brahmā, being the origin even of him? O Unlimited One, Master of the devas, Abode of the Cosmos, You are the imperishable Brahman, which is beyond cause and effect.
  36. Verse 38You are the primeval God, the primordial Supreme Person. You are the ultimate refuge of this cosmos. You are the knower and the knowable, as well as the embodiment of transcendence. O Limitless Form, the cosmos is pervaded by You!
  37. Verse 39You are the wind god (Vāyu), the god of death (Yama), the god of fire (Agni), the god of water (Varuṇa), the moon (Candra), the grandfather of all beings (Brahmā), and also the great grandsire [the father even of Brahmā]. My obeisance to You thousands and thousands of times, obeisance to You again and again, repeated obeisance to You.
  38. Verse 40O all-encompassing One, my obeisance to You from the front and from behind, obeisance to You from all sides indeed. You, who are of infinite prowess and immeasurable valor, pervade everything. Therefore, You are everything.
  39. Verse 41-42Being unaware of this glory of Yours and thinking of You as my friend, I may have spoken to You brashly out of carelessness, or indeed out of love, addressing You as, “O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O dear Friend.” I may also have slighted You in jest, O Acyuta, while at play, resting, sitting, or eating, either alone with You or even in the company of others. For all that, I beg forgiveness from You, who are incomprehensible.
  40. Verse 43You are the father of this world of movable and immovable beings, the most venerable, the preceptor and the greatest of all. O Master of unrivalled power, there is none equal to You even in all the three worlds, so how could anyone be greater than You?
  41. Verse 44Therefore, O Lord, prostrating my body and bowing down, I beseech You, my worshipful Master, to be gracious. Please forgive my offences, just as a father forgives his child, as a friend excuses a friend, or as a lover pardons the beloved.
  42. Verse 45I am overjoyed by seeing Your Cosmic form which has never been seen before, and yet my mind is extremely perturbed with fear. O Lord, O Master of the devas, please show me that very form [Your four-armed form]. O Abode of the Cosmos, please be gracious.
  43. Verse 46I wish to see You as before, adorned with a helmet and holding a mace and disc in Your hands. O Thousand-Armed One, O Cosmic Form, please assume that very form with four arms.
  44. Verse 47Śrī Bhagavān said: O Arjuna, being pleased with you, I showed you through My intrinsic potency (ātma-yoga), this supreme form, which is resplendent, universal, unlimited, and primeval. It has not been seen before by anyone other than you.
  45. Verse 48O great hero among the Kurus, in this mortal world I cannot be seen in this form by anyone other than you, whether through reciting the Vedas, performance of sacrifice, study of scriptures, charity, ritualistic activities, or severe austerities.
  46. Verse 49Do not be perturbed or deluded by seeing this terrible form of Mine. With a cheerful mind, free from fear, behold once again that very [human] form of Mine.
  47. Verse 50Sañjaya said: Speaking in this way to Arjuna, Śrī Kṛṣṇa again showed His own human form. Assuming His gentle form as before, the Mahātmā (the great Self) consoled Arjuna who was full of fear.
  48. Verse 51Arjuna said: O Janārdana, seeing this gentle human form of Yours, I have now become self-composed at heart and have regained my normal state.
  49. Verse 52Śrī Bhagavān said: This form of Mine which you have seen is extremely difficult to behold. Even the devas are always eager to catch sight of this form.
  50. Verse 53Not by study of the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by charity, nor by yajñas, can I be seen in this manner, in the form that you have seen Me.
  51. Verse 54O Arjuna, O scorcher of enemies, by exclusive devotion, however, I can be known, realized, and entered into* in truth in this very form.
  52. Verse 55O son of Pāṇḍu, one who is engaged in action for My sake, who considers Me as the supreme goal, who is devoted to Me, without attachment, and devoid of enmity toward all living beings — such a person attains Me.

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