Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 49 to 50

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Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 49 to 50

(Verse Translation by Swami Gambirananda, Gita Bhasya and commentary

by Swami Chinmayanandaji)

 

Maa te vyathaa maa cha vimoodhabhaavo Drishtwaa roopam

ghorameedringmamedam;

Vyapetabheeh preetamanaah punastwam Tadeva me roopamidam prapashya.

 

49. May you have no fear, and may not there be bewilderment by

seeing this form of Mine so terrible Becoming free from fear and

gladdened in mind again, see this very earlier form of Mine.

 

Ma te vyatha, may you have no fear

and ma vimudha-bhavah, may not there be bewilderment of the mind

drstva, by seeing, perceiving

idam, this rupam,

form

mama, of Mine

idrk ghoram, so terrible, as was revealed. Vyapetabhih, becoming

free from fear

and becoming prita-manah, gladdened in mind

punah, again

prapasya, see

idam, this

eva, very

tat, earlier

rupam, form

me, of Mine, with four hands, holding a conch, a discus and a mace,

which is dear to you.

 

Vyasa's dramatic genius will not fail to seek its fulfillment

whenever an occasion arises. Here is an artistic example of such fine

brush-work, accomplished by Vyasa with words, on the canvas of the

Geeta. Arjuna's emotional agitations are dramatically indicated here

when the Lord says, " BE NOT AFRAID, NOR BEWILDERED, HAVING SEEN THIS

FORM OF MINE, SO TERRIBLE. "

 

Krishna consoles his friend Arjuna by words and actions and helps him

to be in a state of reassuring joys. The Lord comes back to His

original form and announces His entry into it with the words: " NOW

SEE AGAIN THIS, MY FORMER-FORM. "

 

This passage, which announces the return of the Lord into

His " gentler attitude " and " loving form, " should remind all Vedantic

students of at least one of the great Mahavakyas. The identity

between the Universal-Form, the Terrible-Totality and the gentle Form-

of-Krishna, the Divine-individual, is beautifully brought about by

the term " THIS MY FORMER-FORM. " In fact, the microcosmic

representation of Truth smiling temporarily from an assumed mortal-

form of Krishna is Itself the macrocosmic Universal-Form, wherein He

expresses Himself as the Essence in all forms and names. The wave is

in essence, the ocean; and if the ocean is mighty and fierce,

terrible and gigantic, the wave itself is tame and bashful, lovable

and attractive.

 

THE SCENE AGAIN SHIFTS FROM KURUKSHETRA AND THE WAR-FRONT TO THE

QUIET CHAMBERS OF THE LUXURIOUS PALACE IN HASTINAPURA, WHERE THE

BLIND OLD DHRITARASHTRA IS LISTENING TO THE RUNNING COMMENTARY GIVEN

BY HIS MINISTER, SANJAYA:

 

Sanjaya Uvaacha:

Ityarjunam vaasudevastathoktwaa Swakam roopam darshayaamaasa bhooyah;

Aashwaasayaamaasa cha bheetamenam Bhootwaa punah

saumyavapurmahaatmaa.

 

Sanjaya said:

 

50. Thus, having spoken to Arjuna in that manner, Vasudeva showed His

own form again. And He, the exalted One, reassured this terrified one

by again becoming serene in form.

 

Iti, thus

uktva, having spoken

arjunam, to Arjuna

tatha, in that manner, the words as stated above

Vasudeva darsayamasa, showed

svakam, His own

rupam, form, as was born in the house of Vasudeva

bhuyah, again. And the mahatma, exalted One

asvasayamasa, reassured

enam, this

bhitam, terrified one

bhutva, by becoming

punah, again

saumya-vapuh, serene in form, graceful in body.

 

Sanjaya confirms here to the blind old king that the terrible

Universal-Form, after announcing Its intentions of coming back again

to its original sweet form had actually accomplished that promise.

What form Krishna re-entered is evident: " THE VERY FORM IN WHICH HE

WAS BORN IN THE HOUSE OF VASUDEVA. " * He assumed the pleasant shape of

Lord Krishna, the familiar friend of Arjuna, the Blue-Boy of the

Gopikas, and thus consoled the mighty warrior, who was aghast with

wonder, and trembling with " fear. "

 

In these words of Sanjaya, we also can notice the minister's anxiety

that Emperor Dhritarashtra should see the suggestion that the Lord of

the Universe is Krishna, and that Krishna is on the side of the

Pandavas. But how ... how will a blind man ever see?

 

Swami Dayananda Saraswati's Explanations and Commentary:

 

Now Krishna tells Arjuna he need not be afraid seeing his cosmic form

which is sometimes frightening and cruel, ghoram. He says, " Let

there not be any fear for you, ma te vyatha. " He means, " I am going

to withdraw. " Arjuna was distressed that he did not know which was

right or left, north or south. So Krishna says, " May you not be

confused, ma ca vlmudhah bhavah. " Then, with Krishna's blessing,

he is vyapetabhlh, the one from whom fear has gone. Even when one is

free from fear, one may still be just in a neutral state. Not

here. " Having seen all this/you will be pleased again, prlta-manah

punah tvam. " Being no longer afraid and being pleased, Bhagavan

says, " May you see this very form, tadeva icfam rupam prapa3ya. " Re

means the form with 3ankha and cakram, the one that Arjuna had

requested to see in addition to the original form. This is Arjuna's

ista-devata, the particular form in which he chooses to worship the

Lord. It is easy for him to relate to and becomes an altar of worship

for him. Therefore Krishna says, " Please see, prapatya. "

 

Now Sanjaya narrates the situation. Sanjaya uvaca

 

Sanjaya says that after saying these words to Arjuna, hi arjunam

vasudevah tatha uktva, Krishna once more showed Arjuna his form in

this particular incarnation, svakam rupam darsayawasa bhuyah, and he

also consoled him, asvasayamasa ca. Arjuna was afraid, bhltam, and

Krishna calmed him down by assuming his original form. He became the

Lord, mahatma, in the pleasing body with which Arjuna was familiar.

Here the Lord is mahatma; he is everything and he is the self of

every one, mahan ca asau atma. Now he asumes a body that is very

pleasing to the mind, saumya-vapuh, and thus, easy to handle.

Previously Arjuna did not see the limits of the body - it encompassed

the whole cosmos. Once he sees Krishna back again, he comes to his

senses and is greatly relieved. He says so here in so many words.

[Guest guest]

praNAms Shri Ram Chandranji (and Satsanghis),

 

Here is the commentary of Shri Jnaneshwar on these verses.

 

advaitin , " Ram Chandran " <ramvchandran wrote:

>

> Gita Satsangh Chapter 11 Verses 49 to 50

>

> Maa te vyathaa maa cha vimoodhabhaavo Drishtwaa roopam

> ghorameedringmamedam;

> Vyapetabheeh preetamanaah punastwam Tadeva me roopamidam prapashya.

 

 

613. Rejoice in having seen this Form; have no fear of it, and do not

regard anything as good except this.

 

614. If a man were to come suddenly upon an ocean filled with nectar,

would he abandon it for fear of drowning in it?

615. Should a man find a mountain of gold, would he pass it by, deeming

it too heavy to be moved?

616. If by good fortune one were to wear a desire-stone would he reject

it as a burden? Would a man drive away the boon-giving cow because he is

unable to feed her?

617. If the moon were to appear in one's house, would one say, Depart

do not bring heat? Would a man say to the sun, Begone, thou dost cast

shadows?

 

618. Today thou hast been given the glorious vision of the great light;

why shouldst thou be so perturbed?

619. Thou ignorant one, thou dost not understand, O Arjuna; but should I

be angry with thee? Thou dost abandon the true body and cling to the shadow?

620. Is not this Form truly Myself? In thy timidity thou givest thy love

to the semblance of Me in My four-armed form.

621. O Partha, relinquish thy former conceptions and do not remain attached

to that form.

622. Though that Cosmic Form is fierce, terrifying and vast, let that be

the only goal of thy desire.

 

623. A miser's whole heart is bound up in his treasure and he lives

[ourwardly] only as a body.

624. A mother bird leaves her heart in he nest with her unfledged young

ones when she flies away into the sky.

625. A cow roams on the mountain though her love remains with her calf;

so, O Partha, set thy affection on My Form alone.

626. So enjoy My four-armed form, for the sake of external pleasure.

627. but, O Pandava, again and again [i urge thee] never to forget my

words, that thou shouldst not withdraw thy devotion from My Cosmic Form.

 

628. Never having seen this [vision] before, thou art afraid; give up

this fear and let thy love be given wholly [to this Form].

629. Then Krishna said, I will do as thou sayest; I will gladly give

thee again [the vision of] My [four-armed] form.

 

 

> Sanjaya Uvaacha:

> Ityarjunam vaasudevastathoktwaa Swakam roopam darshayaamaasa bhooyah;

> Aashwaasayaamaasa cha bheetamenam Bhootwaa punah

> saumyavapurmahaatmaa.

 

 

630. As soon as He had spoken these words, the Lord resumed His human

shape. Se how wonderful is His love [for Arjuna].

631. Shri Krishna is the highest bliss and in the vision of His Cosmic

Form, He gave His all; yet Arjuna was not content with it.

632. He was like a man who accepts something and throws it away; like

one sho finds fault with a jewel, or who having seen a maiden rejects

her.

 

633. See how Shri Krishna by displaying His Cosmic Form, showed His

great love! In this He have to Arjuna the essence of all His teaching.

 

634. As a piece of gold made into ornaments according to one's wish is

again melted down if the ornaments do not please;

635. so Krishna, who out of love for His disciple had transformed Himself

into His Cosmic Form, assumed again His personal form when Arjuna was

not pleased.

 

636. Seeing this [we may ask] where there could be any teacher so patient

with the demands of his disciple. Sanjaya said, I do not understand such

love.

637. Then that Cosmic Form embracing all things around it, the divine

radiance which had been revealed, was drawn back into the personal form

of Krishna.

638. As the concept of 'thou' is embraced by the [wider] concept of 'THAT',

as the seed is contained in the tree,

639. as the fantasy of a dream is destroyed by the return to consciousness,

so did Shri Krishna withdraw His Cosmic Form.

 

640. The light of the sun is held within the disc of the sun, as clouds

form part of the sky, and the fullness of the tide lies in the bed of the

ocean, O King.

 

641. So, to please Arjuna, the Lord spread out as folds of a new garment

that Cosmic Form which had been concealed within His personal form;

642. and when Arjuna, as though he were a customer, had examined its

measure and its color, it did not please him and was folded away.

643. So it was that the Cosmic Form, which overpowers the world by the

vastness of its extent, changed again into the gentle and beautiful finite

form.

 

644. Or perhaps Ananta returned to His lesser form in order to reassure

the frightened Arjuna.

645. Then Arjuna was filled with amazement as a man waking suddenly

from a dream in which he has been in heaven;

646. or [one might say that] Arjuna looked at Krishna in the same way as

a man whose interest in worldly affairs had been withdrawn through the

grace of his guru might suddenly realize the eternal truth.

647. It seemed good to him that the Cosmic Form, which had been as a veil

[between them], had been withdrawn.

648. Then, as a man who had overcome death, or had escaped from a terrible

storm, or had crossed the seven seas by the strength of his own arms,

649. Arjuna rejoiced that after the Cosmic Form was removed he could see

Krishna as before.

 

650. Then as after sunset the stars appear again in the sky, Arjuna began

to see the two armies on the earth.

651. He looked round and saw the battlefield of the Kauravas and his

relatives ranged on the two sides, as before, the warriors hurling masses

of weapons against each other.

652. His chariot was still standing there, as though under a canopy of the

enemies' arrows with Krishna seated at the front of his chariot, himself

on the ground.

 

[The above translation has been taken from a book I have. Needless to say,

mistakes are mine!]

 

praNAms to all Advaitins,

Ramakrishna