top of page

Īśvara as time principle

Updated: Sep 13, 2021

amī hi tvām surasanghā viśanti

kecid bhītāh prāñjalayo grnanti |

svastītyuktvā maharsisiddhasanghāh

stuvanti tvām stutibhih puskalābhih ||11.21||

Indeed, these hosts of good people are entering into you. Some who are frightened pray with hands folded. The group of rsis and siddhas (yogins), having said, "Let there be well being," worship you with praises full of meaning.


rudrādiyā vasavo ye ca sādhyāh

viśve 'śvinau marutaścosmapāśca |

gandharvayaksāsurasiddhasanghāh

vīksante tvām vismitāścaiva sarve ||11.22||

The rudras, the ādityas, the vasus, the sādhyas, the viśvedevas, aśvins, the maruts, the ūsmapās, and the host of gandharvas, yaksas, asuras and siddhas are looking at you being struck with great wonder indeed.


How do different people respond to the cosmic form of Lord is described here. Good people are taking refuge to the Lord, even though death is fearing but they know whatever comes from the Lord will go back to the Lord, even though in the different perspectives, like being staying close to the Lord, being same form as the Lord, etc. Among those who are assembled in the battlefield, some of them knowing that they fight for adharma, even though not fear of death but they are fear of the karma-phala of their wrong doing. The rsis and siddhas who are seeing this destruction, they only can pray for this destruction not to be total.


Even others exalted beings amazed as they view the cosmic form.


rūpam mahatte bahuvaktranetram mahābāho bahubāhūrupādam | bahūdaram bahudamstrākarālam

drstvā lokāh pravyathitāstathāham ||11.23||

Krsna, the mighty armed! Seeing your immeasurable form of many mouths and eyes, of many arms, thighs, feet, and stomachs, and of many protruding teeth, the people are afraid and so am I.


Here Arjuna sees countless mouths and millions of varieties of eyes with different forms and colours in one form. The Lord has many arms, thighs, feet and stomachs, also many canines as the source of pain which fears people.


nabhahsprśam dīptam anekavarnam vyāttānanam dīptaviśālanetram |

drstvā hi tvām pravyakthitāntarātmā dhrtim na vindāmi śamam ca visno ||11.24|| Indeed, seeing you (your form) as one touching the heavens, effulgent, of numerous forms, open mouthed and with large brilliant eyes, O Lord Vishnu! I, whose mind is deeply disturbed, do not find courage or composure.

This immeasurable form of the Lord is described as the one touching the heaven. The Lord as one whose mouth is open, ready to swallow everything as kāla-tattvam time principle. Whatever is born in time will also goes in time, nothing can escape from it. Arjuna's mind is deeply disturbed by this scene, he doesn't have any courage to continue seeing this form of Lord anymore, but Lord Krsna didn't stop here.


damstrākarālāni ca te mukhāni drstvaiva kālānalasannibhani |

diśo na jāne na labié ca śarma prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa ||11.25||

Indeed, seeing your mouths, which have protruding canines and are equivalent to the fire of dissolution, I do not know the directions and I have no peace. Be pleased, Lord of all Gods! Lord in whom the world exists!


These protruding canines are the gates to the fire of resolution which consume the entire creation. Arjuna lost his direction, since everywhere he looks, this scene is there. In the beginning he had some amusement but not anymore. There is no longer any joy in seeing this cosmic form. He asked "May you become pleased now", resolve this form of yours, come back to the form of Krsna.


amī ca tvām dhrtarāstrasya putrāh sarve sahaivāvanipālasanghaih |

bhīsmo dronah sūtaputrastathāsau sahāsmadīyairapi yodhamukhyaih ||11.26||

vaktrāni te tvaramānā viśanti damstrākarālāni bhayānakāni |

kecid vilaghnā daśanāntaresu

sandrśyante cūrnitairuttamāngaih ||11.27||

And all these sons of Dhrtarāstra, along with hosts of kings, as well as Bhīsma, Drona and that charioteer's son (Karna) along with our most important fighters hurriedly enter your frightening mouths with projecting canines. Some are seen sticking between the teeth with their heads crushed.


Lord Krsna didn't stop showing the visva-rūpam to Arjuna. He continues with the scariest parts of the form, where people are chewed by the teeth of time.


yathā nadīnām bahavo'mbuvegāh samudram evābhimukhā dravanti

tathā tavāmī naralokavīrāh

viśanti vaktrānyabhivijvalanti ||11.28||

Just as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean alone, so too, these heroes in the world of men enter your flaming mouths.


yathā pradīptam jvalanam patangāh viśanti nāśāya samrddhavegāh |

tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokās-

tavāpi vaktrāni smrddhavegāh ||11.29||

Just as moths enter a glowing fire at full speed for their destruction, so too, indeed, people also enter your mouths with great speed for their destruction.


Arjuna sees all these heroes in the battlefield are rushing into the jaws of death, just like rapid river water flowing to the ocean. Everything is already decided by the law of nature, just like moths helplessly rushing to the glowing fire.

Recent Posts

See All

There is always victory

vyāsaprasādācchrutavān etad guhyamahaṁ param । yogaṁ yogeśvarāt kṛṣṇāt sākṣāt kathayataḥ svayam ॥18.75॥ By the grace of Vyāsa, I have...

My doubts have gone

Thus concluding, Bhagavān himself says that the one who teaches this knowledge is the most beloved to him. Further, the one who studies...

Sannyāsa

Next verse is summing up sannyāsa as yoga/means in terms of lifestyle, called vividisā-sannyāsa. sarvadharmān parityajya māmekaṁ śaraṇaṁ...

Comments


bottom of page