Devotion where there is no other

śrībhagavān uvāca mayā prasannena tavārjunedam rūpam param darśitam ātmayogāt |

tejomayam viśvam anantam ādyam

yanme tvadanyena na drstapūrvam ||11.47|| Śrībhagavān said: Arjuna! By Me, who is pleased, this cosmic form was shown to you through My power - a form which is limitless, full of brilliance, includes everything and is without end. That (form) of Mine was never before seen by anyone other than you.

This cosmic form was shown to Arjuna by māyā (power of manifestation of name and form) of Īśvara - ātmayogāt. Because without this māyā śakti, nothing can be perceived. It was a form that was all brilliance - tejomayam, included everything - viśvam, and with no end - anantam. It was never seen before - na drstapūrvam, by anyone except you Arjuna - tvadanyena. By saying that, Lord Krsna is consoling Arjuna who is frightened, to come back to his senses. He praises the vision of the cosmic form by saying how difficult it is to get, in the next verse.

na vedayajñādhyayanairna dānair-

na ca kriyābhirna tapobhirugraih |

evamrūpah śakya aham nrloke

drastum tvadanyena kurupravīra ||11.48||

Not by the study of the Vedas and rituals, not by charity, not by performing rituals, nor by severe austerities can I, in this form, be seen, in the world of men, by anyone other than you, Arjuna, the bravest of the Kurus!

This vision can't be seen by study Veda, because even the entire Veda ( karma and jñāna kanda) is studied by a person, but without full understanding, one will not have the cosmic vision. Therefore Lord Krsna said that by merely study of the Veda and the knowledge of rituals - vedayajñādhyayanaih this cosmic form cannot be seen. Also cannot be accomplished by charities - na dānaih which supposed to be great action which produces a lot of punya. Nor the most difficult ascetic religious practices - na api tapobhih ugraih. Because any karma (action) with its factors of action (which make the action possible) are limited, therefore its result will also be limited in nature. This limitless cosmic form can't be achieved by these limited karma. Except for Arjuna, he got it easily, merely from asking. Therefore Lord Krsna asked him to come back to his clear mind, said the following, and resumed to the form which pleased Arjuna.

mā te vyathā mā ca vimūdhabhāvo drstvā rūpam ghoram īdrn mamedam | vyapetabhīh prītamanāh punastvam tadeva me rūpam idam prapaśya ||11.49||

May you not have fear and may you not be confused seeing this frightening form of Mine. Being free from fear and pleased again, may you see that (particular) form of Mine.

sañjaya uvāca ityarjunam vāsudevastathoktvā svakam rūpam darśayāmāsa bhūyah |

āśvāsayāmāsa ca bhītam enam

bhūtvā punah saumyavapurmahātmā ||11.50||

Sañjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna in this way, the son of Vasudeva (Krsna), again showed his own form and consoled him, who was frightened, having once more become the Lord with a pleasing form.

arjuna uvāca drstvedam mānusam rūpam tava saumyam janārdana | idānīm asmi samvrttah sacetāh prakrtim gatah ||11.51|| Arjuna said:

Seeing this pleasing human form of yours, Janārdana (Krsna)! now I have become cheerful and restored to (my) original nature.

śrībhagavān uvāca sudurdarśam idam rūpam drstavān asi yanmama | devā apyasya rūpasya nityam darśanakānksinah ||11.52|| Śrībhagavān said: You have seen this from of Mine, which is very difficult to see. Even the Gods always (remain) desirous of seeing this form.

The form which Arjuna seen, is seen only with great difficulty - sudurdarśam. It is not easily available for perception and in fact almost impossible. Lord Krsna said, even the gods have a constant desire to see this form, to point out how lucky Arjuna is. Why he is so lucky?

nāham vedairna tapasā na dānena na cejyayā | śakya evamvidho drastum drstavān asi mām yathā ||11.53|| I cannot be seen in this form by (study of) the Vedas, nor by ascetic practices, nor by charity, nor by worship. You are the one who has seen Me in this way.

Here Lord Krsna repeated what he had said in verse 48. Generally repetition is considered to be a defect but not in the teaching. In this case it is an introduction to the two very important verses that followed. This verse has been introduced to provoke a question, "if this vision is not attainable by all these great practices, how then is it possible for one to see Īśvara as everything?"

bhaktyā tvananyayā śaksya aham evamvidho 'rjuna | jñātum drastum ca tatvena pravestum ca parantapa ||11.54|| Whereas, Arjuna, the scorcher of enemies! with devotion, in which there is no other, it is possible that I can be known and seen in this form, and in reality can be entered into.

To see Īśvara as everything is possible only by devotion which there is no other - ananyabhakti. It doesn't mean that only by devotion to Krsna, but the devotion in which there is only Īśvara, the non-dual reality which including the entire world and me. Only when I am the observer is included, then it is complete and can be called as cosmic vision. This is possible only through self-knowledge, having right vision about one's true nature over the wrong conclusion about one-self. It is not the mere knowledge through study of śāstra and knowing limitless brahman, rather right vision regarding one's own self. This limitless self can't be achieved by ascetic practice, charity or worship where one still sees the duality. One lives one's life only with commitment to know the svarūpa - nature of Īśvara which is not different from oneself and the entire world - jñātum, then one can see this fact in one's life - drastum, and the result for this person is moksa, where one enters into and becomes one with Īśvara - pravestum.

pravestum - enter here is in figurative sense. This is how the language presented moksa, because all along we only know we are all separate entities which is different from Īśvara, and now there is no separation anymore, therefore it is said as enter and become one. The enter here is just like the pot enters into clay.

Only with an appreciation that there is no other thing except Īśvara - ananyabhakti, then one can see the true cosmic form which has to be understood to include oneself.

Next, Lord Krsna sums up this chapter with the essence of entire Gītā.

matkarmakrt matparamo madbhaktah sangavarjitah | nirvairah sarvabhūtesu yah sa mām eti pāndava ||11.55|| The one who does all actions for My sake, for whom I am paramount, who is devoted to Me, free from attachment and free from enmity towards all beings, comes to Me, Pāndava (Arjuna)!

Lord Krsna listed the things one should have for the devotion where there is no other.

matkarmakrt - one who performs action in keeping Īśvara as the center. We often heard that one should perform action as the offering to the Lord as the definition of karma-yoga, what does it mean? It means one should perform action which is not under the hold of one's likes and dislikes, but should base on dharma and one's own duty. Although a karma-yogī has likes and dislikes, his/her actions are done as yoga for moksa's sak. Moksa is to own up one's true nature which is not different from Īśvara, therefore Īśvara become the most important - matparamah. And being matparamah, one lives one's life devoted to him - matbhaktah.

Since he/she is the one who manages his/her likes and dislikes very well, therefore sangavarjitah - one who is free from attachment and nirvairah - free from grudges towards all being. One who has all these characteristics becomes one with Īśvara - mām eti.

om tat sat