Chapter 11
The Universal Form
- arjun kahilen:
- anugraha kari more śunāile yāhā
- moha naṣṭa haiyāche śuni tattva tāhā
- sei se adhyātma tattva ati guhyatama
- bigata sandeha hala yata chila mama
Text 1: Arjuna said: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about these most confidential spiritual subjects, my illusion has now been dispelled.
- dui tattva śunilām kamala patrākṣa
- sṛṣṭi, sthiti, lay ār nitya tattva
- ei sṛṣṭi madhye yathā tumi he parameśvar
- nija rūpa prakaṭiyā prakāśa bistar
Text 2: O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible glories.
- puruṣottama se yadi dekhāo āmāke
- icchā mor dekhibār yadi śakti thāke
Text 3: O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see You here before me in Your actual position, as You have described Yourself, I wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours.
- ataev tumi yadi yogya mane kara
- dekhibāre viśvarūp tomāra bistara
- yogeśvara tāhā tūmi dekhāo āmāre
- nivedan ei mor kahinu tomāre
Text 4: If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that unlimited universal Self.
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- he pārtha āmāra rūp sahasra se śata
- ei dekha nānā-vidha divya bhāla mata
- aneka ākṛti varṇa karaha pratyakṣa
- sakala āmāra sei hay yogaiśvārya
Text 5: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, O son of Pṛthā, see now My opulence, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicoloured forms.
- adityādi vasu rudra aśvinī maruta
- adṛṣṭa apūrba sab āścarya bhārata
Text 6: O best of the Bhāratas, see here the different manifestations of Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aśvinī-kumāras and all the other demigods. Behold the many wonderful things which no one has ever seen or heard of before.
- carācara viśvarūpa āmāra bhitar
- dekha āj ekasthāne sab parāpar
- guḍākeś āmi kṛṣṇa parātpara tattva
- dekha tumi bhāla kari āmāra mahattva
Text 7: O Arjuna, whatever you wish to see, behold at once in this body of Mine! This universal form can show you whatever you now desire to see and whatever you may want to see in the future. Everything—moving and non-moving—is here completely, in one place.
- tumi śuddha bhakta mor nahe prākṛta darśan
- ataev divya cakṣu kari tomāre arpaṇ
- divya cakṣu sopādhik kintu sthūla nahe
- aparokṣa anubhūti sakale se kahe
Text 8: But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes. Behold My mystic opulence!
- sañjay kahilen:
- ataḥpar śuna rājā yogeśvara hari
- pārthake aiśvarya-rūp dekhāla śrī-hari
Text 9: Sañjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, the Supreme Lord of all mystic power, the Personality of Godhead, displayed His universal form to Arjuna.
- aneka nayana vajra adbhuta darśana
- aneka se astra ār divya āvaraṇa
- divya mālā gandha ār candana lepana
- sab-iāścarya rūp viśvera sṛjana
Texts 10-11: Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes, unlimited wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore many divine upraised weapons. He wore celestial garlands and garments, and many divine scents were smeared over His body. All was wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.
- yadi sūrya dine uṭhe sahasra sahasra
- ekatre kiraṇa bujha ananta ajasra
- tāhā hale kichu tār aṁśa anumān
- anyathā se divya tej naheta pramāṇ
Text 12: If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.
- arjun dekhila tabe kṛṣṇera śarīre
- ekatre se abasthān ananta viśver
- ek ek se bibhakta yathā-sthān
- sei tej jyoti madhye bidhira bidhān
Text 13: At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.
- dhanañjay hṛṣṭarām dekhiyā vismita
- śirasā praṇām kare kṛtañjalipuṭe
- kahite lāgila sei sambhrama-sahita
- devatār kāche yathā yāce nija hita
Text 14: Then, bewildered and astonished, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to offer obeisances and with folded hands began to pray to the Supreme Lord.
- arjun kahilen:
- he dev śarīre taba, dekhitechi ye vaibhava,
- nahe vākya manera gocara
- sakala bhūtera saṁgda, se ek viśāl raṅga,
- ekatrita saba carācara
- brahma ye kamalāsana sakala uraga-gaṇa
- antaryāmī-bhagavāna īśa
- yata ṛṣi-gaṇ hay, keha sethā bākī nay,
- divi dev yata jagadīśa
Text 15: Arjuna said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower, as well as Lord Śiva and all the sages and divine serpents.
- aneka vāhu udar, aneka nayana vaktra,
- dekhitechi ananta se rūpa
- ādi anta nāhi tār, viśveśvara ye apār,
- adbhūta ye dekhi viśvarūpa
Text 16: O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in You no end, no middle, and no beginning.
- kirīṭa ye cakra gadā, rāśi rāśi tejaprada,
- dīptamān dekhitechi saba
- dekhite durūha sei, pradīpta ujjvala yei,
- dīpta agni sūrya dyuti sama
Text 17: Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, spreading on all sides, like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun. Yet I see this glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs.
- tumi ye akṣara tattva, bujhibār yogya tathya,
- e viśvera parama āśraya
- sanātana dharmarakṣa, sanātana puruṣākhya,
- tumi hao ananta avyaya
Text 18: You are the supreme primal objective. You are the ultimate resting place of all this universe. You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest. You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the Personality of Godhead. This is my opinion.
- tava ādi anta nāi, madhyera ki kathā tāi,
- tumi hao se ananta vīrya
- tomāra vāhu mahān, candra-sūrya netravān,
- tomāra hutāśa dīpta vaktra
- nija teja rāśi dvārā, tapta kara viśva sārā,
- vyāpta tomāra sarvatra teja
- pṛthivī vā antarīkṣe, vāhire bhitare madhye,
- yata dig-digantera deśa
- dekhiyā tomār rūp, mahāna ye viśvarūp,
- yāhā hay adbhuta darśana
- hayeche dekhiyā bhīta, tribhuvane ye vyathita,
- sab loka śuna mahātmana
Text 19: You are without origin, middle or end. Your glory is unlimited. You have numberless arms, and the sun and the moon are Your eyes. I see You with blazing fire coming forth from Your mouth, burning this entire universe by Your own radiance.
Text 20: Although You are one, You spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the planetary systems are perturbed.
- ai ye yata deva-gaṇ, laiteche ye śaraṇ,
- keha vā hayeche bhīta mane
- stav kare joḍ hāte, maharṣira se santati,
- svasti-vād sakale bākhāne
Text 21: All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with folded hands. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings, crying " All peace!" are praying to You by singing the Vedic hymns.
- rudra ār ye āditya, vasu ār yata sādhya,
- aśvinī kumāra viśvadeva
- maruta vā pitṛlok, gandharva vā siddhalok,
- dekhite āsiyāche se saba
Text 22: All the various manifestations of Lord Śiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvadevas, the two Aśvīns, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, the Asuras, and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.
- tomāra mahāna rūpa, bahu netra bahu mukha,
- bahu pāda ūru mahāvāho
- bahu udara danta, karāla nāhika anta,
- dekhiyā manete bhayābaha
Text 23: O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your great form, with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs and bellies and Your many terrible teeth; and as they are disturbed, so am I.
- ākāśe ṭhekeche māthā, jhule yena agni-mākhā,
- vahu varṇa hayeche vistāra
- vyāptānana dīpta netra, jhalasiyā se sarvatra,
- dhairyacyuti kareche āmāra
Text 24: O all-pervading Viṣṇu, seeing You with Your many radiant colours touching the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of mind.
- karāla dṅātera pāṭi, mukhe tava āṭisāṭi,
- kālānala jveleche yemana
- dika-bhrama saba karma, bujhi nā āmāra śarma,
- rakṣā kara ohe bhagavān
Text 25: O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered.
- dhṛtarāsṭra putra yata, tārā saba avirata,
- saṅge laye yata dik-pāl
- bhīṣma droṇa ār karṇa, āmādera yata sainya,
- piṣṭa tava dantete karāl
- sabāi praveśa kare, bhayānaka danta stare,
- cūrṇa haye thāke se lāgiyā
- bhāvi se dekhiyā mane, nadī srota dhāvamāne,
- gela bujhi samudre miśiyā
- yata nara lokavīr, jvale gela hala sthir,
- tomāra mukhera ye gahvare
- yemana pataṅga jvale, agnite praveśa kāle,
- dhvaṁsa hay nijera vegete
- tumi'ta karicha grās, yata loka itihās,
- jvalita tomāra ei mukhe
- se tejete bhāsamān, jagatera nāhi trāṇ,
- he viṣṇu sabāi mare duḥkhe
Texts 26-27: All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with their allied kings, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa - and our chief soldiers also - are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.
Text 28: As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.
Text 29: I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire.
Text 30: O Viṣṇu, I see You devouring all people from all sides with Your flaming mouths. Covering all the universe with Your effulgence, You are manifest with terrible, scorching rays.
- kṛpā kari bala more, kevā tumi ugra-ghore
- praṇami prasāda tumi prabhu
- ki kāraṇa e adbhuta, dhariyācha viśvarūpa,
- dekhi nāi bujhi nāi kabhu
- kivā se pravṛtti taba, jijñāsi tomāre saba
- icchā haya jānibār tare
- yadi kṛpā taba hay, vivaraṇa se niścay,
- kṛpā kari kaha prabhu more
Text 31: O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. You are the primal Lord. I want to know about You, for I do not know what Your mission is.
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- mahākāl āmi sei, pravṛddha icchāy hai,
- yata lok grās karibāre
- pravṛtta hayechi āmi, āmi sei antaryāmī,
- loka-kṣay antare antare
Text 32: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you (the Pāṇḍavas), all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
- ataev yāra hethā, yuddha lāgi samavetā,
- tumi vinā sakale maribe
- yata yoddhā āsiyāche, sammukhe dṅāḍāiyāche,
- keha nāhi jīvita se rabe
- ataev kara yuddha, yaśa-lābh habe śuddha,
- śatru jini sukhe rājya kara
- āmi sei prathamete, māriyā rekhechi ete
- nimittamātra se tumi yuddha kara
Text 33: Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasācī, can be but an instrument in the fight.
- droṇ ār bhīṣma karṇa, jayadratha tathā anya,
- yata yoddhā vīr āsiyāche
- mariyāche jāna tāra, āmāra icchāra dvārā
- kivā duḥkha karibāra āche
Text 34: Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.
- sañjay kahilen:
- arjun śuniyā tāhā, kṛtāñjalipuṭe ihā,
- kampita śarīr punaḥ punaḥ
- namaskār kare bhūme, bhaya-bhīta sasambhrame,
- ye kahila bali tāhā śuna
Text 35: Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: O King, after hearing these words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the trembling Arjuna offered obeisances with folded hands again and again. He fearfully spoke to Lord Kṛṣṇa in a faltering voice, as follows.
- arjun kahilen:
- taba kīrti hṛṣikeśa, śuniyāche ye aśeṣa,
- jagatera yevā yethā āche
- ānandita haye tārā, anugata hay yārā,
- pāgala haiyā dhāya pāche
- rākṣasādi bhaye bhīta, yadi cāhe nija hita,
- palāya se dig-digantare
- yārā haya siddhajana, sadā praṇamita mana,
- yukta hay se kārya tādere
Text 36: Arjuna said: O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful upon hearing Your name, and thus everyone becomes attached to You. Although the perfected beings offer You their respectful homage, the demons are afraid, and they flee here and there. All this is rightly done.
- kena nā he mahātmana, nāhi labe se śaraṇa,
- tumi hao sarva garīyasī
- brahmāra ādi kartā, tumi hao tār bhartā,
- taba kīrti ati mahīyasī
- he ananta deva īśa, tumi hao jagadīśa,
- sadasad pare ye akṣara
- tumi hao sei tattva, ke bujhibe se mahattva,
- naha tumi bhoutika vā jaḍa
Text 37: O great one, greater even than Brahmā, You are the original creator. Why then should they not offer their respectful obeisances unto You? O limitless one, God of gods, refuge of the universe! You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation.
- tumi ādi deva hao sakalera sādhya nao
- purāṇa puruṣa sabā hate
- jagatera yāhā kichu sambhava hayeche pichu
- sthira ei jagata tomāte
- tumi jāna sab prabhu sanātana tumi bibhu
- tumi hao parama nidhāna
- e viśva tomāra dvārā vyāpta hayeche sārā
- ananta se tomāra bidhāna
Text 38: You are the original Personality of Godhead, the oldest, the ultimate sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You are the knower of everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are the supreme refuge, above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You!
- vāyu yama bahni candra sakalera tumi kendra
- varuṇa ye tumi hao saba
- tumi hao prajāpati prapitāmaha se ati
- yāhā hay tomāra baibhava
- sahasra se namaskār kari prabhu bār bār
- tomāra caraṇe āmi dhari
- punaḥ punaḥ namaskār bhūya bhūya bār bār
- kṛpā dṛṣṭi kara he śrī-hari
Text 39: You are air, and You are the supreme controller! You are fire, You are water, and You are the moon! You are Brahmā, the first living creature, and You are the great-grandfather. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again!
- sammukhe paścāte taba sarvato praṇāme raba
- namaskāra taba pādapadme
- antaryāmī urukrama tumi vinā saba bhrama
- prakāśita tumi nija chande
Text 40: Obeisances to You from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything!
- māniyā tomāke sakhā pragalabha karechi vṛthā
- he kṛṣṇa he yādav kata balechi
- nā jāni ei mahimā āścarya se nāhi sīmā
- sāmānyata tomāke bhebechi
- parihās kari sakhā asatkāra yathā-tathā
- se pramāda yā kichu balechi
- vihāra śayyā āsane parokṣa bā sāmne
- kṣama aparādh yā karechi
Texts 41-42: Thinking of You as my friend, I have rashly addressed You "O Kṛṣṇa," "O Yādava," "O my friend," not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. I have dishonoured You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible one, please excuse me for all those offences.
- yata loka carācar tumi pīta se sabār
- tumi pujya guru se pradhāna
- samāna adhik taba anya keha asambhaba
- apratima tomāra prabhāba
Text 43: You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, of the moving and the non-moving. You are its worshipable chief, the supreme spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. How then could there be anyone greater than You within the three worlds, O Lord of immeasurable power?
- daṇḍavata namaskār kari āmi bār bār
- he īśa, he pūjya jagate sabār
- kṛpā taba bhikṣā cāi anyathā se gati nāi
- pitā putre yathā vyavahāra
- athavā sakhār sāthe priya ār ye priyāte
- doṣ kṣamā hay se sarvadā
- he deveśa jagannāth se samṛddha mor sāth
- tuṣṭa hao tathā he bhūrīdā
Text 44: You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, a friend the impertinence of a friend, or a wife the familiarity of her partner, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You.
Text 45: After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
- caturbhuja ye svarūp dekhibāre ye icchuk
- saṅkha cakra gadā padma-dhārī
- ye viṣṇu svarūp hate viśvarūpa e viśvete
- hao se sahasra vāhudhārī
Text 46: O universal form, O thousand-armed Lord! I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- tomāra prasanna lāgi he arjun āmi yogī
- ei jaḍa viśvarūpa dekha
- āmāra yoga prabhāve tāhā sei sasambhave
- asambhav nāhi yār lekha
- sei tejomaya vapu nā dekhila keha kabhu
- tomāra sei prathama darśan
- veda yajña kimbā dān ati paṭu adhyayan
- asamartha sesaba varṇan
- kimbā ugra tapobal kriya-kāṇḍa ye sakal
- sādhya nāi erūpa darśane
- he kuru pravīr śuna nā dekhibe tumi bhinna
- āmāra ye rūpa tribhuvane
Text 47: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you, by My internal potency, this supreme universal form within the material world. No one before you has ever seen this primal form, unlimited and full of glaring effulgence.
Text 48: O best of the Kuru warriors, no one before you has ever seen this universal form of Mine, for neither by studying the Vedas, nor by performing sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by pious activities, nor by severe penances can I be seen in this form in the material world.
- diba nā tomāke vyathā bibhrama hayeche yathā
- dekhi mor ei ghora rūp
- chāḍa bhaya prīta hao punaḥ śānti prāpta hao
- dekha mor ye nitya svarūp
Text 49: You have been perturbed and bewildered by seeing this horrible feature of Mine. Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free again from all disturbances. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.
- sañjay kahilen:
- se kathā baliyā hari arjunke lakṣya kari
- vāsudev bhagavān punaḥ
- nija caturbhuja rūp dekhāicha aparūp
- pūrṇa brahma aprākṛta guṇa
- tārpar nityarūp śrī-kṛṣṇera yei rūp
- dvibhuja mūrati āvirbhāva
- punarvāra hala souma svarūper ye māhātmya
- āśvāsane phirila svabhāva
Text 50: Sañjaya said to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, having spoken thus to Arjuna, displayed His real four-armed form and at last showed His two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.
- arjun kahilen:
- dekhiyā tomār ei manuṣya svarūp
- he janārdan peyechi phiri mor rūp
- saṁvṛtta hayechi āmi sacetā prakṛti
- idanīṁ se citta sthira svābhābika gati
Text 51: When Arjuna thus saw Kṛṣṇa in His original form, he said: O Janārdana, seeing this humanlike form, so very beautiful, I am now composed in mind, and I am restored to my original nature.
- śrī-bhagavān kahilen:
- āmāra dvibhuja rūp durlabha darśan
- tumi yā hericha āj haye ekman
- brahmā śiv ādi dev se ākāṅkṣā kare
- śuddha bhakta hay yārā bujhibāre pāre
Text 52: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, this form of Mine you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear.
- ved niṣṭhā jap tap kimbā dān puṇya
- pūjā-pāṭh yata kichu dharma-patha anya
- konaṭāi nahe yogya e rūpa dekhite
- yadyapi se avatīrṇa āmi pṛthivīte
Text 53: The form you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.
- ananya-bhakti ye hay ekmātra kām
- he arjun dekhibāre yogya mor dhām
- sei se bujhite pāre tattve dekhibāre
- nitya līlāte mor se praveś kare
Text 54: My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.
- āmāra santoṣa lāgi kara saba karma
- nitya yukta mor bhakta se parama dharma
- tār kona śatru nāi sarva-bhūta mājhe
- sei mor śuddha bhakta thāke mor kāche
Text 55: My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being—he certainly comes to Me.
- bhaktivedānta kahe śrī-gītāra gān
- śune yadi śuddha bhakta kṛṣṇagata-prāṇ
Thus Bhaktivedānta sings the song of Śrī Gītā, with the hope that hearing this, Kṛṣṇa conscious pure devotees will be pleased.