Chapter 11

Arjuna said: My delusion has been dispelled by the supremely secret discourse regarding spiritual knowledge, which You have spoken out of compassion for me.

O lotus-eyed Lord, I have heard in great detail about the beginning and end of all beings, and also about Your inexhaustible glory.

O Supreme Lord, I long to see Your glorious form, just as You Yourself have described it, O Puruṣottama.

O Lord, if You deem it possible that this form is seen by me in this way, O Lord of yoga, then show me Your imperishable Self.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Pārtha, behold My hundreds and thousands of divine forms of various kinds and of different shapes, colors, and sizes.

O descendant of Bharata, see the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Aśvin-kumāras, and the Maruts. Behold many wondrous things which have never been seen before.

O Guḍākeśa, witness the whole universe with moving and non-moving, and whatever else you wish to see, all here in one place within My body.

But you cannot see Me with your own eyes. Therefore, I give you divine eyes. Behold My majestic power.

Sañjaya said: O king, having spoken thus, the great Lord of yoga, Śrī Hari, then revealed to Pārtha His supreme majestic form possessing many mouths and eyes, innumerable astonishing features, numerous divine ornaments, having many divine weapons raised aloft, wearing celestial garlands and garments, being anointed with divine perfumes—the limitless Lord facing all directions, full of wonders.

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to simultaneously rise in the sky, that brilliance might be comparable to the radiance of that Supreme Being.

Then the son of Pāṇḍu saw there the entire universe with many divisions, situated in one place, all within the body of the God of gods.

Then Arjuna, overcome with amazement and his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the Lord, and began to speak with hands joined together.

Arjuna said: O Lord, in Your body I see all the devas and all the various species of beings, Brahmā seated on a lotus, Śiva, all the sages, as well as celestial serpents.

I see Your boundless form everywhere, having innumerable arms, torsos, mouths, and eyes. I see neither end, middle, nor beginning to You, O Lord of the universe, O universal form.

I behold You with a crown, mace, and discus—a mass of brilliance, radiant in all directions, completely unbearable to gaze upon, and possessing an unfathomable brilliance like a burning fire or the sun.

You are the imperishable supreme, the One to be realized. You are the supreme refuge of this universe. You are unchanging and the protector of the eternal dharma; I perceive You to be the eternal Supreme Being.

I see You as being without beginning, middle, and end, possessing limitless creative power, having countless arms, with the sun and moon as eyes, and a mouth like blazing fire, engulfing the entire universe in its radiance.

The space between Heaven and Earth, and all the directions, are pervaded by You alone. Beholding Your astounding and terrible form, O Great Soul, the three worlds are trembling.

These multitudes of devas are entering into You, and some out of fear pray with joined palms. The collective of great sages and perfected beings proclaim, “Let there be prosperity”, and glorify You with abundant hymns of praise.

The Rudras, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvadevas, the Aśvinīs, the Maruts, the ancestors, and the hosts of Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Asuras, and Siddhas—all gaze upon You in amazement.

O mighty-armed One! Beholding Your great form with many faces and eyes, many arms, thighs, and feet, having many bellies and dreadful fangs, the worlds, as well as myself, are terrified.

O Viṣṇu, seeing You touching the sky, being radiant and multi-colored, with Your gaping mouths and huge glaring eyes, my heart is terrified and I can find neither composure nor peace.

O Lord of the devas! O shelter of the universe! Seeing Your mouths and awesome teeth that resemble the flames of cosmic destruction, I am disoriented and don’t find any peace. Have mercy on me!

All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with the host of other kings, Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and Karṇa, along with even our principal warriors, are all rushing into Your fearsome mouths with terrible fangs. Some are seen to be caught between Your teeth with their heads crushed.

Just as the countless torrents of rivers rush toward the ocean, so do these heroes of the world enter Your blazing mouths.

As moths rush with great speed into a blazing fire for their annihilation, so too do these people swiftly enter Your mouths to meet their destruction.

O Viṣṇu! Devouring all the worlds on every side, You incessantly lick them up with flaming mouths. Your fierce radiance scorches the entire universe, filling it with brilliant rays .

Tell me who You are, O Lord possessing a fearsome form! Glories to You, O best of devas. You are the Original Person whom I wish to know, be merciful to me. I cannot comprehend Your actions.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: I am Time, the mighty destroyer of the world, engaged in annihilating all these worlds. Even without you, none of the warriors gathered here for battle shall survive.

O great Archer! Therefore rise and win glory! After conquering the enemies, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. They have already been slain by Me; become merely My instrument!

Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa, as well as other heroic warriors, are already slain by Me, thus do not hesitate and kill them. Fight and you shall defeat your enemies in battle.

Sañjaya said: Hearing these words of Keśava, Arjuna shuddered and placed his palms together. Bowing down to Kṛṣṇa with fear and awe, he paid his respects and spoke in a choked voice.

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, it is proper that the world is delighted and becomes filled with affection by glorifying Yout. While the terrified demons flee in all directions, the hosts of perfected beings pay homage to You.

And why should they not bow down to You, for You are superior to even Brahmā, the first creator. O Infinite One, Lord of devas, O refuge of the universe! You are the Imperishable One, the manifest and the unmanifest, and that which is beyond both.

You are the original deity, the Lord, the most ancient being. You are the ultimate support of the universe. You are the knower and the knowable. You are the supreme abode. This whole universe is pervaded by You, O Lord of infinite forms.

You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the moon god, Prajāpati, and the great-grandfather of creation. Glories be to You a thousand times! Again glories be to You. Yet again, repeated glories to You.

I bow to You from the front and the back! I bow down to You from all directions, O all-pervading One. O Lord of limitless power and boundless might, You pervade everything and therefore, You are everything.

Considering you as my dear friend and being unaware of your majesty, whatever was rashly spoken by me out of delusion or affection, such as “O Kṛṣṇa, O Yādava, O friend” and whenever You were jokingly shown disrespect while playing, resting, while sitting or eating together, whether alone or in the presence of others, O Acyuta—for all that, I beg Your forgiveness, O incomprehensible One.

You are the father of this world, of both the moving and the non-moving beings. You are the most worshipable and the greatest teacher. There is no one equal to You; how could there be someone greater in even all the three worlds, O incomparable power?

Therefore, bowing down and prostrating this body, I beg Your pardon, O venerable Lord. Please forgive me, just as a father pardons his son, a friend their friend, and a lover their beloved, O Lord.

O Lord! Having seen that form which has never been seen before, I am gladdened, but my mind is overwhelmed with anxiety. Be gracious and show me Your original form, O Lord of the devas! O abode of the universe!

I wish to see You wearing a crown, holding a mace and discus in hand. O universal form! O thousand-armed one! Manifest that four-armed form exactly in this manner.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Arjuna, by My grace this supreme resplendent, universal, infinite, beginningless form of Mine, which has never been seen before by anyone apart from you, was revealed to you through My own potency.

Neither through the study of the Vedas, sacrifices, nor by Vedic recital, nor by charity, nor by rituals, nor by strict austerities, can I be seen like this by anyone other than you in this human world, O hero of the Kurus!

Do not fear or be confused by seeing this terrifying form of Mine. Free from fear and with a pacified mind, again behold that very form of Mine.

Sañjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vāsudeva again showed His own form. Having once more assumed His gentle form, that great being reassured the frightened Arjuna.

Arjuna said: Seeing this mild human form of Yours, O Janārdana, I am now composed. My mind has returned to its natural composure.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: This form of Mine that you have seen is extremely difficult to behold. Even the gods are ever eager to have a vision of this form.

Neither through the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by charity, nor by the performance of sacrifices, is it possible to see Me in the way You have seen Me.

By single-minded devotion, however, it is possible to truly know, see, and become absorbed in Me in this way, O Arjuna, vanquisher of enemies.

Whoever performs action for My sake, regards Me as the highest, is devoted to Me, free from attachment, and without malice toward any living being—such a person comes to Me, O son of Pāṇḍu.