Bhagavatgita a detailed study- chapter 11The Cosmic Form

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Sanjaya uvaacha

 

9. Evam ukthvaa thatho raajan mahaayogeSvaro hariH

 

Dharsayaamaasa paarThaaya paramam roopam aiSvaram

 

Sanjaya said,

 

Saying thus, the great master of yogis. Lord Hari, showed to Arjuna His supreme cosmic form.

 

It should be remembered that the whole Gita and all that happened on the battlefield was being reported to Drtharashtra by Sanjaya, his charioteer who has been blessed with special insight by Vyasa so that he could know everything that was happening Kurukshethra from the palace of the king. Hence he could see even the cosmic form being shown to Arjuna perhaps like a man in trance who could see all that could not be seen normally by him. It was not as clear to Him as it was to Arjuna and his words prove this.

 

Sanjaya was a good soul and his affections were with Pandavas. At the I outset itself he tried to instill fear in the heart of Dhrathrshatra perhaps with the hope that the king might be able to avert the disaster if he willed so. But Dhrtarashtra was blind not only physically but also psychologically .He was blind to the faults of his son Duryodhana , blind to the course of dharma and blind to the power of Krishna ,the saviour of the Pandavas. Here also we see another futile attempt by Sanjaya to influence the king. He calls Krishna as mahayogeSvara, the supreme Lord of all yogic powers. The next sloka also is significant as we shall see.

 

 

10. aneka vakthranayanam anekaadhbhutha dharSanam

 

aneka dhivyabharaNam dhivya aneka udhyatha aayuDham

 

With multitude of faces, eyes and so many wonderful sights, various divine ornaments, many weapons raised in readiness.

 

Sanjaya could see multitudes of faces, eyes, ornaments and weapons which presents a wonderful picture. The weapons of the Lord seemed to be raised, meaning that He is set on punishing the kouravas.

 

11. dhivyamaalyaambaraDharam dhivyaganDhaanulepanam

 

sarvaaSchrya mayam dhevam anantham viSvatho mukham

 

Wearing divine garlands and garments, smeared with divine inguents, a divine wonder to all, infinite and facing everywhere.

 

He could see divine ornaments, garments, and could smell divine scents. The Lord has said in the seventh chapter puNyo ganDhaH prThivyaam, "I am the divine scent in the earth." It was an infinite vision with faces everywhere.

 

What Sanjaya describes in flashes Arjuna later describes in detail. He reason it was not very clear to him, apart from the will of the Lord, is given in the next sloka.

 

12.dhivi soorya sahsrasya bhaveth yugapath utThithaa

 

yadhi bhaaH sadhrSee saa syaath DhaamaH thasya

mahaathmanaH

 

The effulgence of the great being will compare only with thousand suns rising simultaneously.

 

The brilliance of the cosmic form was so dazzling that it could be compared only to thousand suns appearing all at once.

 

The Lord says later in chapter 15 sloka 6 that no luminous body, sun , moon or stars shine where He is, which means that the luminance of the Lord is so great that no other source of light could shine in Him, who is the source of light to all.

 

13. thathra ekasTam jagath krthsnam pravobhaktham

anekadHaa

 

apaSyath dheva dhevasya Sareere paandavaH thadhaa

 

The son of Pandu, saw in the body of the Lord there the whole universe in one place, distinguished in manifold forms.

 

Sanjaya says that Arjuna saw the various entities of the Universe in one place , that is the body of Krishna. This , unless understood properly, will present a picture as though the body of Krishna , no doubt expanded to fill the earth and sky , like a giant screen displayed the whole universe, showing all beings. This is the common conception influenced by the films etc showing the visvaroopa. The subsequent description of Arjuna also seem to conform to this picture. But we should bear in mind that both Sanjaya and Arjuna were trying to express something which eludes verbal expression.

 

14. thathaH savismayaavishto hrstaromaa DhananjayaH

 

praNamya Sirasaa dhevam krthaanjaliH abhaashatha

 

 

Filled with wonder from that, Arjuna, with horripilation, bowed down his head to the Lord and spoke with folded hands.

 

Sanjaya then describes the effect the viision had on Arjuna. He was wonder-struck and his hairs stood at their ends to experience such a spectacular vision and he was humbled by the magnificence of the Lord and bowing down, spoke with folded hands.