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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Revelation of God's cosmic form

 

CHENNAI, JULY 24. The Almighty has revealed His cosmic form

(Visvarupa), which is beyond the grasp of the human mind and the

senses, to His chosen devotees. The reason for doing so had

differed but it was certainly a special benediction as far as the

devotee was concerned. This has besides disclosing that the

entire creation is contained in Him and that He pervades the

entire universe, was necessary to tackle the situation on those

occasions during His incarnations.

 

The instance which comes readily to mind is when Lord Krishna

manifested His cosmic form for Arjuna's sake during the

exposition of the Gita before the Kurukshetra war. On an earlier

instance He had revealed it to all in the Hastinapura assembly

including the blind-king Drtharashtra. The Lord's manifestation

in the form of a man-lion (Narasimha) was also an occasion He

revealed His divine form. Akrura was another great devotee who

was also favoured thus in His Krishna incarnation.

 

The manner in which He assumed a dwarfish form as Vamana and

sought just three paces of land from King Bali and while

measuring them grew to such gigantic proportions as Trivikrama

that He did not have any space left to measure the third pace and

the king had to offer his head to do so, was a blessing indeed.

 

In his discourse Sri B. Sundar Kumar said that the occasions when

the Lord revealed His divine form to Yashoda had captured the

imagination of saints, like the composer of the Narayaneeyam,

because of the sheer merit of a simple cowherd maiden being

singled out for His grace and also His easy accessibility

(Saulabhya). Even though many miraculous incidents happened right

from the time of His birth, Yashoda looked upon her divine child

only with motherly concern and love.

 

Once when as an infant Krishna yawned, Yashoda saw the entire

universe inside His tiny mouth. This was a benediction merited by

her exemplary devotion. Krishna's foster parents Nandagopa and

Yashoda were great devotees in their earlier birth and they had

obtained a boon from the creator, Brahma, after intense penance,

that they should be blessed with devotion to the Lord in their

next lives. They merited enjoying the Lord's infantile sports

which increased their devotion to Him.

 

The other instance when Yashoda was favoured with His cosmic

vision was when Balarama complained to her that Krishna had eaten

mud and concerned that He would fall sick she chided Him and

examined His mouth when she saw the cosmos in its infinite form.

 

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