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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

 

Existential facts about the Reality

 

CHENNAI, NOV. 9. The Supreme Being assumes the three roles of

creation, sustenance and dissolution of the cosmos and the Lord

performing these three functions are known as Brahma, Vishnu and

Siva respectively. It becomes obvious that birth, growth and

decay are intrinsic to every created being. Due to ignorance man

looks upon birth and growth as positive aspects of existence and

is prejudiced against demise. Thus a partial appreciation of the

Reality amounts to immaturity. One who understands that the Self

(Atman) is indestructible will not grieve over the loss of the

body as anything which comes into existence in time must have an

end sometime.

 

Arjuna learnt this truth when Lord Krishna revealed His cosmic

form (Viswarupa) to him and endowed him with divine vision to

behold His wonderful form. He had requested the Lord to reveal

His transcendental form about which he had only heard before and

when He conferred this rare privilege on him, Arjuna's first

reaction was one of wonder and it later turned to fright because

of what he saw. ``I see You without beginning, middle or end,

possessing unlimited prowess and endowed with countless arms,

having the Moon and the Sun for Your eyes, blazing fire for Your

mouth and spiritualising this universe with Your radiance...

Seeing Your form reaching the heavens, effulgent and multihued,

mouth wide open and possessing large flaming eyes, I feel shaken

to the core of my being with awe. My strength is exhausted and my

mind is without peace.''

 

In her discourse on the Bhagavad Gita, Swamini Satyavratananda

Saraswathi said Arjuna was terrified because he was blessed by

the Lord only with divine eyes to behold His cosmic form but not

yet blessed with wisdom to understand the unity behind the Lord's

three aspects. As long as ignorance persists, duality blinds the

individual to the truth of unity behind the phenomena he beholds.

Arjuna was not an ordinary man. All the Pandavas were divine,

born of a celestial and, moreover, he was a brave warrior. Yet,

even he became terrified because he saw hosts of gods entering

the Lord. Some were uttering His names with palms joined out of

fear while sages were extolling Him with excellent hymns.

 

The import of the description of the Lord's cosmic form in the

Gita elaborately is to teach the spiritual aspirant about the

existential truths about Reality. Only in the relative world do

we experience everything in opposites. We have to transcend this

level and intuit the unity which holds this diverse creation

together. This unitive vision is the result of spiritual

knowledge.

 

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