11.1
Arjuna said, “O Lord, having heard the secret knowledge You have given me out of compassion, my delusion is now dispelled.
11.2
You have spoken to me in detail about the origin and dissolution of beings, and about
Your inexhaustible glories.
11.3
I have no doubt that You are as you declare Yourself to be, but I greatly desire to see You for myself in Your Divine Nature.
11.4
If you think I am strong enough to behold You, O Lord, please reveal Yourself.”
11.5
Lord Krishna said:
Behold, Arjuna, My celestial forms of all colors and shapes by the hundreds of thousands!
11.6
Behold the sun gods, the gods of nature, the god of storms, the twin gods of healing and the gods of roaring winds — wonders never before seen, Arjuna!
11.7
Behold the entire Universe, that which moves and that which does not, revealed within Me. Whatever else you desire to see, it is here for you to see!
11.8
But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. I give you, therefore, divine sight. Now, behold My opulent majesty!
11.9
Sanjaya said:
Having said this, O King, the Supreme Lord Krishna infused Arjuna with His Divine Being.
11.10
Arjuna then saw within himself, countless eyes and mouths, and numberless mystic forms adorned with celestial ornaments and brandishing divine weapons.
11.11
Incredible were the many forms of God, arrayed in garments and garlands, anointed with unguents and perfumes, resplendent, boundless, with infinite faces on all sides.
11.12
If a thousand suns blazed forth all at once, their radiance would be but a faint glimmer of the effulgence of the Supreme Lord.
11.13
There in the body of God, Arjuna witnessed the Totality of the Universe as One manifesting as many.
11.14
Then, awestruck and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head and spoke with folded hands.
11.15
He said, “O Lord, I see within You all the demigods and all the earthly beings. I see
Brahma the Creator on the lotus flower. I see Lord Shiva, the celestial sages, and the divine serpents.
11.16
In Your infinity I see countless arms, bellies, mouths and eyes. In You I see no end, no beginning, no between.
11.17
Your form, ablaze with radiance like the immeasurable fire of the sun, is difficult to gaze upon directly, but I perceive Your diadem, discus and scepter.
11.18
You are the supreme objective of all knowing, yet You are beyond my thinking. You are the imperishable foundation of the universe, the primordial progenitor of dharma, the guardian of eternal life.
11.19
You are One without other, the timeless Origin, without beginning, middle or end. You have arms and hands without number and the suns and moons of the universe are Your eyes. Your mouth is sacrificial fire, and Your effulgence floods all creation with heat and light.
11.20
You alone pervade heaven and earth and all space between, in every direction, forever. Seeing Your wondrous and terrifying form, the three worlds tremble and shake.
11.21
I see all the demigods and celestial beings surrendering unto You with bowed heads and hands folded in prayer. Some are afraid, and extol You with profusive chants and prayers, saying, “Peace, O Lord,” and “May all be well.”
11.22
The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Vishvadevas, Ashwinis, Kumars, Maruts, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, Siddhas, and the entire pantheon of demons, ancestors, and perfected souls, stand gazing upon You in wonder. And they are astonished.
11.23
O Lord, seeing your unimaginable might, Your many faces, eyes, arms, bellies, legs and feet, and staring into the teeth of Your terrifying jaws, all the beings of all the worlds tremble in fear, and so do I.
11.24
I can no longer hold my balance, O Lord. Seeing the infinite colors of Your effulgence reach beyond the heavens, looking transfixed into Your gaping mouths and enormous blazing eyes, my body shakes, my heart loses courage, and peace deserts my mind.
11.25
The terrifying flames of Your face, with its sharp tusks and hideous teeth, is like the fire of death standing before me, and I can find no place to hide In every way I am lost, fearful, and bewildered. O Lord of lords, please have mercy on me.
11.26 / 11.27
I see all the sons of Dhritarashtra, with their allied kings, Bhishma, Drona and Karna, and also the generals from our side, rushing headlong into Your fearsome mouths, where their heads are crushed to dust by Your dreadful teeth.
11.28
As great rivers torrent towards the sea to be swallowed up, so do these great warriors race to oblivion in the inferno of Your flaming mouths.
11.29
I see beings from everywhere fly into You like moths, full speed into the flame of Your destruction.
11.30
I see you, Vishnu, lapping up beings from all quarters with Your fiery tongues, licking Your lips and feeding Your effulgence.
11.31
O Supreme God, Your present form is terrifying to me. I bow to You in quaking reverence. Please tell me who You are in such fierce adornment. I want to know You and Your origin, but I fear You, and do not know Your purpose.”
11.32
Lord Krishna said:
I reveal Myself to you as Time, the destroyer of beings and worlds. No matter what your intentions, Arjuna, none of the warriors on either side of this battle shall escape death today. Only you, the Pandevas, will continue to live.
11.33
Therefore stand up. Fight for honor and glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy an unrivalled kingdom. These men have already been doomed by Me. You are just the outer appearance of them being slain by your hand.
11.34
Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and the other great warriors assembled here have already been slain by Me. You do not kill. I kill. Forget your concerns. Simply fight and your enemies will be vanquished.
11.35
Sanjaya said:
Upon hearing these words of Lord Krishna, Arjuna bowed before him, and with trembling folded hands, addressed him in a voice choked with fear.
11.36
Arjuna said, “O Lord, it is fitting and proper that the world rejoices at the sound of Your name, and that all beings react to Your greatness. The saints and sages bow down to You in homage, and the demons scatter fearfully in all directions.
11.37
How could they do otherwise? You are the primal Source of all Creation, superior even to Brahma. You are the infinite God of all gods, the boundless abode of all worlds, the imperishable Reality beyond being and non-being.
11.38
You are the timeless Ancient One, the sole refuge of all that exists. You are the knower, the known, and the unknowable. You pervade the whole Universe, which consists solely of your limitless forms.
11.39
You are Brahma, the Creator. You are Vayu, god of Wind, Yama, god of Death, Agni, god of Fire, and Varun, god of Water. You are the Grandsire of all the gods and all things that live. I revere You and submit to You, O Lord. I praise You, I praise You, A thousand times I praise You!
11.40
I offer my obeisance before You, and salute You from all sides. You are all power, and You encompass All — for You are All!
11.41
In the past, without knowing Your true greatness, I have presumptuously addressed You as “Krishna,” “Yadava,” or “My Friend,” out of affection and thoughtless familiarity.
11.42
Many times I have shown you disrespect, either in jest or inadvertence while playing, resting, walking and eating, both when we’re alone and with other friends. For this, I humbly beg your forgiveness, O Great Lord.
11.43
You are the Father of the Universe, of all that moves and all that does not. You are the ultimate object of worship, the sole spiritual master, the supreme personality of God. You have no equal in the three worlds and beyond. What could possibly be greater than You and Your glorious power?
11.44
You are the Lord Supreme, to be worshipped by every living being. I prostrate myself before you in loving adoration and beseech your blessing. As a father forgives his wayward son, as a friend forgives his stumbling friend, as a lover forgives the frailties of his lover, please forgive me my many offenses.
11.45
Never before have I beheld Your fierce glory, and now having seen it, I am overjoyed. Yet at the same time my mind and body tremble in fear. Please have mercy and reveal Yourself as the Supreme Personality of God, as Lord and Home of the Universe.
11.46
I long to see You again in Your four-armed form, with diadem and scepter and discus, holding a lotus flower in your palm.”
11.47
Lord Krishna said:
I am well-pleased with you, Arjuna, and through Union I revealed to you, in all its resplendence, my supreme form in the material world. No one but you has ever seen this.
11.48
For neither by the study of scriptures, nor the performance of sacrifices, nor by rituals, charities or austerities, can my form be seen by men. I have granted it only to you, O Great Warrior.
11.49
Now that you have seen Me in fierce form, you need not fear Me again. But enough. Behold, my friend, I am again your charioteer. Be cheerful and release your anxiety.
11.50
Sanjaya said:
Having thus spoken, Lord Krishna passed first Through his mighty four-armed form then gradually assumed his human form and gently encouraged his frightened friend.
11.51
Arjuna said, “Seeing you again in your gracious human form has calmed me, O Lord. I have regained my composure and my mind is restored.”
11.52
Lord Krishna said:
The form in which you have seen Me is extremely difficult to behold. Even the demigods ever long to behold it.
11.53
The form in which you have beheld Me with the transcendental eyes of Union, cannot be seen by studying the Vedas, or by performing austerities, charities or sacrifices. It is not that easy.
11.54
But through intense one-pointed devotion, it is possible to not only see My True Nature, but to come into It. In Love I can be Known.
11.55
Truly, one who is free of attachment to the world, who is a friend to all creatures, who works only for Me, who is devoted only to Me, who has Me as his only goal — such a one will indeed become Me.