Bhakti Shastri (113) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11 Text 36 to 50

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In our next class thank you very much Welcome back to our Bhagavad Gita Bhakti Shastri course we are now going to start with Arjuna’s prayers so till now we started with Arjuna’s request then Krishna’s description of the universal form Arjuna’s request was verses 1 to 4 verses 5 to 8 was Krishna’s description of the form that he was going to reveal 9 to 14 was Sanjaya’s description of the form that was being shown then 15 to 31 was Arjuna’s description of what he was saying we had discussed the division within that also which concluded with a enquiry a reverential fearful enquiry who are you and then in the last class we discussed how the lord responded 32 to 35 he told him how become my instrument essentially we are victories guaranteed act on my behalf and then the camera moves backwards and now Sanjaya speaks one verse Arjuna while trembling in fear is speaking verses so Arjuna speaks prayers to the Vishwaroopa 11 prayers lets have an overview of that before we go into those prayers so 36 to 46 are the prayers so the first three are glorification 36 to 38 then next two 39 to 40 are the offering of obeisances then 41 to 44 is apology he is begging the lord forgive me for taking you for granted for being so intimate to you and then last two 45 to 46 are request is a request actually to show the Saumya Roopa Chaturbhuja Roopa and then the Dvibhuja Roopa so lets look at these one by one lets go to 36 Arjuna Vach Sthane Rishikesh Tava Prakirtya Jagat Parishyatyan Rajyatecha Raksham Sibhitani Dishodravante Sarve Namasyanti Siddhasangaha so Sthane Rishikesh so it is rightly done that Sthane means position so Sthane means at the right position so it is rightly done everything is rightly done Rishikesh oh lord you are the controller of the senses so earlier Arjuna had not been able to place what is this particular form so we discussed how he could not identify the Kala Roopa but now that he has identified the Kala Roopa then he is now knowing this is the same Vishnu this is the same supreme lord so now he is using familiar describers also Rishikesh Sthane Rishikesh Tava Prakirtya your glories what happens when your glories are spoken Jagat Parishyatyan Rajyatecha the whole world becomes whole universe becomes delighted Jagat Parishyatyan Rajyatecha Jagat Parishyatyan Rajyatecha so two things happen when we glorify the lord we become joyful and we become attached to the lord actually when we glorify the lord these two results come out naturally our joy increases and our attraction to him increases and on the other hand this is for those who are devotionally inclined those who are pious minded but then Rakshamsi Bheethani Dishodravanti but those who are demoniac minded Rakshasas Bheethani means fearfully Dishodravanti they run away, Dravanti is to flee they run away in various directions various directions and then Sarve Namasyanti Siddhasangaha and all the Siddhas they are offering obeisances to you and all this is rightly done that means general people become delighted when the lord is asang and the demons flee and those who are saintly they start offering obeisances and welcoming the lord and showing respects to the lord so all this is appropriately done now what is the point of this was coming just after this just after the response of the Vishwaroopa now Arjuna is able to make sense of what he had seen actually he saw initially that actually everybody was Pravithitantaratma and all the three Lokatrayam Pravithitastathaham the word Pravithitas is used twice in the series of verses from 15 to 31 20th and again I think 24th verse, so Pravithita disturbed, disturbed so actually he is now thinking back and he is saying actually when the lord appears what happens, there are typical reactions now those typical reactions may not happen when the lord appears in a very fearsome form so but in general this is what happens and he says this is the demoniac become fearful the general people become jubilant and the sages start offering prayers, this is all sthane, this is all rightly done actually there are in the Vedic culture there are different kinds of Raksha Mantras so there are mantras to protect oneself from bad omens from ghosts, similarly there are mantras of protecting oneself from Rakshasas so this verse is a part of the Rakshasa Raksha Mantras so that this is meant that by speaking this verse the Rakshasas fly, go away then further says in the next verse, now everybody is glorifying, so he says why should they not glorify because you are ultimately supremely glorious so why should they not Nameran Mahatman Nameran means offer obeisances Mahatman oh supreme lord why should they not offer obeisances to you why so you are greater than so the word we have to be careful at what it means at different places it can refer to the brahmanas, it can refer to the brahman, the brahmajyoti or it can refer to brahmaji so here it refers to brahmaji brahmanopya adhikartre so actually you are greater than brahma also because brahma is considered to be a creator but you are greater than brahma, you are the supreme creator you are the adhikartre ananta devesha jagannivas you are ananta, you are unlimited, you are devesha so you are the lord you are the controller of all the gods not only the controller of all the gods but you are the shelter of the whole universe and then he says you are you are infallible you are imperishable so in this world there are causes and effects so causes produce effects and effects become causes for future chain of effects and like that the whole material existence goes on in a chain but he says you are transcendental to all this you are not mixed up in all this you are beyond all this so in the first verse he said ok whatever reactions I am seeing they are appropriate and this verse he says yes you are supremely worshipable, even for brahmaji you are the shelter of the whole universe and you are transcendental to the universe then after describing this he further goes and says so what is happening here after the first there is glorification going on, after the glorification there will be obeisances offered so we will see now the obeisances will begin from the next verse 36-33 verses are the verses of glorification The Vishwaroopa.
So, what does it actually mean? Is that Universe God? The Universe is the form of God. So, what does it mean? Is it like the Lord of the Soul and the Universe is the body of the Lord? Or what does it mean? So, Tvaya tatam Vishwam anantaroopa. So, it says, Tvaya, by you, the whole Universe is pervaded.
But then after that, Vishwaroopa. So, actually, Vishwa is your Roopa. So, actually, this is, in this revelation, it’s mystical.
Is it that the Lord is not just the Soul within the Universe? That, He is always there. The Supersoul who is present in our body, that is Shirodaksha Vishnu. Similarly, the Garbhodaksha Vishnu is the Supersoul in the whole Universe.
Supersoul of the whole Universe. That is always true. But in this particular form, it is not just that the Lord is pervading everything as the Supersoul.
That is also definitely true. Tvaya tatam Vishwam anantaroopa. Yes, you have pervaded the Universe, but then you are manifesting as this anantaroopa also.
You are manifesting as this unlimited form. Unlimited form. And then it goes on to describe now.
He starts offering obeisances. So, the first three verses were glorification, praise and their obeisances. So, now here, this control is conveying that, actually, whatever are the manifestations of power in this world, ultimately, they are the Supreme Lord.
That doesn’t mean that there is absolute oneness, but there is a connection in the sense that those are the vibhutis of the Lord and the Lord’s power is manifested through them. So, Pujapati refers to Prabhupada as Brahma and the great-grandfather. So, here, now he says, I offer obeisances many, many times to you.
And after offering obeisances to you again and again, thousands of obeisances are offered to you. And then, because all these devatas are worshipable, but you are the source of the power and the glory of all the devatas. So, if you offer obeisances once, twice, thrice to the many devatas, to all the different devatas, if you are manifested one time, then you offer obeisances to you.
And even that is not enough. Therefore, I offer you obeisances thousands of times and yet again I offer you obeisances. And now he will describe, normally, when we go to a temple, then we will offer obeisances to the deities.
But here, when he is offering obeisances to Vishwaroopa, where does he offer obeisances? Vishwaroopa is everywhere. If you look at the front, you look at the back, you look at the right, you look at the left, everywhere Vishwaroopa is there. So, where do you offer obeisances? Therefore, he will say in the next verse, I offer obeisances from the front, from the back, from all directions I offer you obeisances.
That is the next verse in the prayers. namah purastad, namah purastad means from the front, from behind. So, from front, from behind, I offer obeisances.
namah purastad, namah purastad, namah purastad, namah purastad, namah purastad, namah purastad, I offer obeisances from all directions to you. Anantaveerya, Anantaveerya is your strength is unlimited. Amitavikrama and Vikrama is force, the force by which wonderful things are done.
Your force is Amitabh. It’s unlimited. Amitabhikramastam.
So, basically you are incredibly powerful. Therefore, I offer you obeisance. I offer obeisance from front, from back, from all directions because you are everywhere right now.
And sarvam samapnosi tathosi sarvaha. So, you are sarvaha. You are everything.
But in what sense are you everything? It’s not a simplistic equalisation of everything with God. He says sarvam samapnosi. Actually, you pervade everything and therefore you are everything.
So, in that sense that everything is a board for you. Everything is an arena where you pervade. Therefore, it is that you are extraordinary.
Sarvam samapnosi. Sarvam samapnosi. You pervade everything.
Tathosi sarvaha. Tathosi sarvaha. Therefore, you are everything.
Now, here, now Prabhupada quotes from the Vishnu Purana in the verses. He So, yoyam tavaagato deva. Tavaagato means in front of you whoever comes.
Sameepam devata ganaha. So, even if he is one of the devatas, like an ordinary human being can approach you, but even if it is a devata who approaches, actually, sattvam eva jagat srishta. You are the creator of the whole universe.
And because you are the creator of the universe, you are creator of everything and everyone within the universe. Yata sarvagato bhavan. And sarvagato bhavan.
So, in that sense that actually you are all pervading because you are the creator and controller of everything. You are all pervading also. So, after all this offering obeisances, so now Arjuna is thinking, you know, I behaved so intimately, intimately, with this absolute truth.
I treated him like a friend. So, now he’s offering apologies. sakheti matva prasabhamya duktam.
He krishna he yadava he sakheti. Ajanata mahimanam tavedam. Maya pramadat pranaye navapi.
Vicha vaha sarthama satkrutosi. Vihara shayasana bhojaneshu. Eko dhavapya chuttat samaksham.
Tat kshametva maham aprameyam. So, sakheti matva. I thought of you as friend and prasabham.
Prasabham means presumptuous on my part. To do like this. Sakheti matva prasabhamya duktam.
Prasabhamya duktam. So, I presumptuously addressed you as what? He krishna he yadava he sakheti. He krishna he yadava he sakheti.
So, I address you as O krishna ho sakha ho yadava. So, Vishwanath Chithakur explains that what is the meaning of this? He says that actually, you know, I thought that I am a member of the ruling dynasty. I am a king.
But you are not a king. You are simply a member of the royal family. Now, Ugrasen is the king.
He is your grandson. And you are one member among the many Yadus. So, actually, I have done a favour to you by befriending you.
That’s how I was thinking. Hey, Krishna. So, I would say you are not Yaduraj.
You are not the greatest among the Yadus. You are just one of the Yadus. He krishna he yadava.
So, O Krishna, you are Yadava. Actually, I thought that I had done a favour to you by making you a Sakha. Because I thought that I am a greater Kshatriya than you.
So, he says actually, this was such a terrible error of judgement from me. What was it? Ajanata mahimanam tavedam. Ajanata.
I did not know. Mahimanam tavedam. Your glory I did not know.
And then maya pramadat pranayena vapi. So, when I spoke this, when I thought of myself as superior to you and I spoke presumptuously to you, what was the reason for such presumptuous behaviour? He says it could be pramada, it could be pranaya. Pramada means it could be madness, it could be love.
So, here when Arjuna is apologising to the Lord, he is not making another presumption of claiming that I love you. He says love is a possibility, it could be madness also. Whatever it is, he says I beg forgiveness from you.
So, here we see that the rasa is changing. We generally don’t see that in the Sakhiras in Vrindavan ever the Gopas apologising to Krishna. Their relationship was very close.
They tease Krishna, they wrestle with Krishna, sometimes they defeat Krishna also. So, actually in the Gopalachampu, Jeev Goswami describes that after Krishna defeated all the wrestlers of Kamsa, he defeated Mushtikasura, Chanura, Mallayuddha, Visharadaha, all those who were Mallayuddha, Visharadaha, in wrestling they were all experts and he defeated all of them. So, after defeating them, some of them were destroyed, some of them remaining fled.
Then Krishna called all his friends on the wrestling arena and he wrestled with them. And just to increase the vexation of Kamsa, Krishna was defeated by his wrestling friends. And the Gopas in wrestling, Krishna was defeated.
Kamsa was mortified. He said, my trained champion wrestlers, they were killed by these children and these children are defeated by other children. What is going on over here? So, actually the Sakhiras of the Vrajavasis is called as Vishrambha Sakhya.
It is very intimate Sakhya. So, their Sakhya is very rarely, if ever, covered over by knowledge of Krishna’s divinity. For them, Krishna is just a lovable child among them.
Whereas Arjuna, now he is actually praying to the Lord, offering obeisances, bowing down and seeking forgiveness. So, this is called as Gaurava Sakhya, where there is awareness of the greatness of the person. It is Gaurava Sakhya and Vishrambha Sakhya.
So, this is Vishrambha Sakhya, which the Vrajavasis exhibit. So, Arjuna is exhibiting here Gaurava Sakhya. Now, of course, from our point of view, Sakhya itself is a very exalted platform.
So, these sort of subtle differences are just to understand how relishable and intricate, intimate the relationships in Vrindavan are. But overall, the point is, here that Arjuna is offering obeisances and begging forgiveness. And then he further describes, what was so bad? It was not just that I addressed you with derision in my mind, but actually even in the, even other times also, yaccha vahasartham asatkrtosi.
Yaccha, along with that hasartham, for the sake of joking, what did I do? Asatkrtosi. Asatkrt, means I acted improperly. So, what was that? Vihara shaiyasana bhujaneshu.
So, Vihara. So, they were friends. Sometimes they would lie down together.
Vihara. They would play together. Shaiyasana bhujaneshu.
They would sit together. They would take food together. So, at that time, what would happen? Eko thavapya chuttat samaksham.
Sometimes, when we are alone, I spoke teasingly to you. I made fun of you. I derided you.
Of course, it’s all out of love. But then, sometimes I did it even in the presence of others. Sometimes, when friends meet, there can be, there can be a little banter.
Just friendly talk, light talk. There may be teasing. There may be mutual joking and fun over there.
But at other times, there are other kinds of talks also, which will be much more serious. Yaccha vahasartham asatkrtosi. Asatkrtosi.
This is what I spoke was not appropriate. Eko thavapya chuttat samaksham. So, you are achyut, my dear Lord.
I can, I’m not achyut. I can commit mistakes. You don’t commit mistakes.
So, you please forgive me for my mistakes. Tatsamaksham, tatsamayetvam aham prameyam. So, tatsamayetvam, please forgive me.
I ask shama for that. So, Arjuna, when he understands how great his friend is and how powerful he is, he’s thinking that actually I have acted erroneously. I have erred grievously by talking so intimately with Krishna.
So, please forgive me. Tatsamayetvam. So, after requesting Arjuna to forgive, then he is now further giving the rational why you should forgive me.
So, he’s saying, Pitasi lokasya chara charasya. Tamasya pujyasya gurur gareehan. Matwat samostya abhidhika kutonyo.
Lokatraye prateema prabhava. So, Pitasi lokasya chara charasya. So, you are the father of all the world.
In the world, you are the father of the chara and the achara, of the moving and the non-moving, everyone. Tamasya pujyasya gurur gareehan. So, pujyasya, pujyas means worshipable.
Tamasya pujyasya gurur gareehan. So, you are more worshipable, you are the most worshipable among all worshipable people. Gareehan.
Glorious. Matwat samostya, there is no one equal to you. Therefore, abhidhika kutonyo.
Where can there be anyone greater than you? So, he’s saying, how foolish I was to think that you are just a Yadava and I am greater than you. That is such an absurd idea I had. He said, actually, nobody can even be equal to you.
How can somebody be superior to you? So, and then he says, Lokatraye prateema prabhava. In fact, your prabhava, your power, your influence, it is a prateema. It has actually no comparison, no parallel.
He is translating that. You are immeasurably powerful. Oh, immeasurable power.
Lokatraye priya. Actually, there is no comparison, not just on earth, but in all the three worlds. We have seen how the Virat Rupa is pervading all the vision, all the lokas, all everything is included within him.
So, his power is far greater than anyone else’s power. So, here he is saying, the implication will be that, actually, it’s a mistake that I am a child. So, pitasi, you are the pita, I am the child.
So, please forgive me. So, now, Prabhupada quotes some verses to establish how, actually, na tat samas te abhyadhika kuto anyo. So, there is no one equal to or superior than him.
So, na tat samas te abhyadhika kuto anyo. Actually, if nobody can be equal, how can anyone be superior to him? So, Prabhupada quotes Shri Tashita Rupanishad for that. Na tat sakarim karanam javidyate, na tat samas cha abhyadhikas cha drushyate.
So, the first is not directly related. He doesn’t do any work. But second is, na tat samas, there is nobody equal to him, cha abhyadhikas cha drushyate.
Nowhere can we see anyone greater than him. And then, Prabhupada quotes from the Gita also, the famous verse, tattvati tattvataha, we should know in, in truth. And then, therefore, now he concludes his request for forgiveness with obeisances and with an example of how, three examples, in fact, of how, within intimacy, things can be forgiven.
tasmāt pranamya pranidhāya kāyam prasādayetvā maha-mīṣha-mīrdyam piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyo priya-priyāyā rhasideva sonaṁ So, tasmāt pranamya, therefore, I offer obeisances to you, pranidhāya kāyam, pranidhāya kāyam, that means, I lay down and offer obeisances to you. prasādayetvā maha-mīrsha-mīrdyam prasādayetvā maha-mīrsha-mīrdyam Have mercy on me, my dear Lord, atvam īśa-mīrdyam. You are the īśa, you are the controller, you are the most worshipable person.
Īrdyam. prasādayetvā maha-mīrsha-mīrdyam. So, you are worshipable, you are controller and you can forgive me.
So, I offer obeisances, I bow down to you, please forgive me. And then he gives two examples, three examples. Piteva putrasya.
So, whenever there is intimacy, earlier he had said that, mayā pranādāt pranayena vāpi. So, it could either be madness out of love. So, now Arjuna is saying, actually it was out of love.
And in love, how sometimes there can be some intimate speech, which is not to be considered offensive. So, he gives examples. Piteva putrasya.
There is a father, when the son speaks, son behaves slightly inappropriately to the father, the father forgives. Sakheva sakhyū. So, he says, when there are friends close to each other and friends may taunt each other, friends may tease each other, and that is also, they forgive each other.
And then, Priya priyāyārhasidhevasodham priya priyāyā. So, actually when a very loving husband and wife are there. So, at that time, the lover forgives the beloved.
So, the beloved may speak within, within love, the beloved may get angry and chastise, speak strong words. So, at that time or speak in the intimacy of love, may speak in a teasing way. So, if somebody else could have spoken that.
So, for example, in love, somebody says, you are a rascal, you are a rascal. Now, the words are strong, but I have spoken with love, so the emotion, so there is actually no anger over there. Somebody says angrily, I love you.
Oh, the very words are saying, I am angry with you. And I love you has no meaning when said like that. Isn’t it so? Actually, sometimes, even within love, when there are some inappropriate words spoken, actually the love is so great, the inappropriate words don’t matter.
And we overlook those inappropriate words, because we see the heart that is there. Generally speaking, when there is love, there is trust. And when there is trust, then one sees the intentions beyond the actions.
And even if the actions are not proper, one sees the intentions and understands. Yes, okay, that person actually meant well. Somehow, some words came out wrong at that time, some actions went out wrong, went wrong.
So, generally speaking, we see the good intentions and overlook the bad actions when there is trust. But when there is no trust, at that time, even when there are good actions, we wonder what are the intentions. Maybe this person is doing some flattery.
This person is doing some sycophancy so that the person can extract something out of me. So, at that time, when the person, even if the person does good actions, when there is no trust, then everything in the relationship is like walking in a landmine. You know, if you are walking in an area on a war field or somewhere where we suspect that the enemy might have put some mines.
So, you just put one step and boom, there might be a big explosion. Our leg might be blown off or even our head might be blown off. Disasters can occur.
So, actually speaking, when the trust level is low among people, at that time, everything is suspect. So, bad actions, immediately we infer, this person wants to put me down only. And bad actions, immediately we infer that it was bad intentions.
And we do not take into account at all the fact that there might be accidentally wrong actions that might have happened. We just assume. Bad actions, there must be bad actions.
I knew that person is like that only. That person hates me. That is why that person does like this.
And then, even when there are good actions, then what happens is, one still suspects. There must be some ulterior motive. So, here, you are saying, actually, but when there is love, love naturally, there are actually good actions only.
When two people love each other, then they speak sweetly, they behave kindly, they care for each other. But at times, when there is love and sometimes there is bad action, that is also forgiven. So, he is saying that out of love, my dear Lord, please forgive me.
Even if I have spoken appropriately, just as a son forgives, just as a parent forgives the son, just as a friend forgives a friend, just as a lover forgives the beloved, similarly, please forgive me. So, now, in one sense, these may seem like the three rasas, Vatsalya, Sakya and Madhurya. They seem to be, the last two are similar, but the first is not.
In Vatsalya, the Lord is the son and the devotee is the parent. But here it is saying, it is as a father forgives the son. So, this is the first part of the opposite of Vatsalya.
So, here he is talking about the normal in the Western religions, to a large extent, this idea is there. And it is not alien to the Indian religious tradition also. Also, the idea that God is the father and we are his children.
So, Priya priya yaar hasi deva sodhum. So, like this, my dear Lord, deva sodhum, please tolerate whatever I may have done wrong and forgive me, forgive me. So, Akshama etvam, we have talked in the earlier verse.
Now, he is emphasising, please forgive, my dear Lord. So, as devotees, whenever possible, we should act upon a positive way. And by positive actions, by positive interactions, then we create good trust level.
And even if there are accidental slips, we understand, okay, so just accidental, it does not matter so much. And we keep moving forward in our spiritual life. Actually, the next two verses, he is making a request, these two prayers, let us look at those prayers.
Adhrishtapurvam rishitosmi dhrishtva, bhayena cha pravititam manome, tadevame darsha deva roopam, prasida devesha jagannivasa. So, devesha jagannivasa, this part had come earlier also. See, you are the Lord of the Gods and jagannivasa, you are the shelter of the universe.
But here the context is Adhrishtapurvam. So, earlier in Krishna’s self-description of what he is going to say, the first time the word Adhrishtapurvam had come. That this is never, what you are going to say is, nobody has seen this.
Now, Arjuna is repeating that, yes, Krishna, what you showed me is, it’s extraordinary. See, I am not just extraordinary, it’s unique. You have not shown this to anyone.
Adhrishtapurvam rishitosmi dhrishtva, rishitosmi dhrishtva. Rishito means, actually, to see, think that you have bestowed such extraordinary, unparalleled, unique mercy on me and you have revealed something so rare and special to me. I am so, I am rishitosmi dhrishtva.
Yes, I am seeing this rishito, I have become jubilant, I am delighted, I am glad and at the same time, bhayena cha pravititam manome. Actually, still my mind is, by fear, it is bhayena pravititam, it is tormented. So, why is it tormented? Why is it tormented? Because, he has seen this kala rupa and this kala rupa, things were so fearsome, so deadly.
Seeing all the blood coming out, the heads getting smashed, the blood being licked, the teeth coming out, it is a gruesome form. So, bhayena cha pravititam manome. So, earlier he had said, actually, before the kala rupa was seen, the vishwa rupa was being seen, vishmita hashai, sarve, so that time vishmita, amazement was there, but that amazement soon changed into agitation, trepidation and then mortal fear there was.
So, he is saying, I am troubled by fear now. So, what you have shown is very rare and special, but still I am fearful. Tadevame darshaya.
Please show me, my dear lord, darshaya, devarupam. Oh, God, show me the form. Which form? Prasid devesha jagannivasa.
So, please show me your form. Now, which form? Tadevame darshaya devarupam. Devarupam means, your form as the, devarupa translates as the supreme personality of Godhead.
So, here you showed me the vishwa rupa, I am grateful to you for that, but please show me your form as supreme lord. So, the point here is, this request is significant. Normally, in this world, big is thought to be better.
If somebody has a TV with two channels and then person gets a TV with 100 channels, then will people say, oh, please, I don’t want this. Give me this TV with two channels. Generally, the more it is, the better it is.
That’s how the idea is in material world. So, if somebody has seen a form of God with two hands and now after that you see a hand formed with hundreds, thousands of hands. So, now the bigger is better, isn’t it? It’s an awesome form.
But as Prabhupada said, a devotee is not interested in the godless display of opulence. You can’t reciprocate love with that. So, therefore, Arjuna is saying, please show me your form as the supreme personality of God.
Please have mercy on me, oh prasidha, devesha jagannivasa. You are the lord of the universe. So, please show me that form, normal form.
So, now it is described that actually he’s asking for the chaturbhuja. So, that request comes in the next verse. So, what does he want to do? He wants to, why does Arjuna asking for this chaturbhuja? Actually, he wants to make sure that there is no doubt about the divinity of Krishna.
So, yes, Krishna shows the virat rupa and Krishna shows the Vishnu rupa also. In that way, it’s clear that whatever other forms are there, Krishna can manifest all those forms. And in that sense, Krishna is the original supreme personality of God.
That is established. So, Arjuna wants to establish that beyond any ambiguity. kiritinam gadhinam chakrahastam icchami tvam drstum aham tathaiva tenaiva rupena chaturbhujena sahasrabhahobhavishvamurte So, kiritinam gadhinam, kiritinam gadhinam means, so kiriti refers to the crown, gadhinam refers to the gada and chakrahastam, chakrahastam refers to the chakrasudarshan chakra in the hand, so gada and chakra are two of the symbols of Vishnu.
So, by talking about these symbols, it’s understood that also the other symbols are referred to. And in icchami tvam drstum, I desire to see aham tathaiva, that kind of form. And if it is not clear, he makes it even clearer, tenaiva rupena chaturbhujena, tenaiva rupena, that form which is chaturbhujena.
And then he’s saying, sahasrabhahobhavishvamurte, so he says, oh my dear lord, you are vishvamurte, and as vishvamurte, you have sahasrabhaho, that means you have, right now thousands of mouths, but then from all thousands of mouths, please display the mouths which are, the form which has four arms. So, now when he requests this, what happens in the next verse is significant, because Sanjay concentrates the description and he makes it very short. But before Krishna reveals the form, Krishna responds to Arjuna.
Let us see how Krishna responds to Arjuna. So, Krishna, in a sense, a little bit teases Arjuna over here. So, how does it happen? Krishna tells Arjuna, Arjuna, see, you only requested to see this form and I have shown it to you.
And this form is so rare, nobody else has seen it. Now, why do you want to see that other form? See this form only. This is so rare, so special.
So, Arjuna says, no, no, no, I don’t want to see this form. I asked you, I am grateful to you, but it was a mistake. Your form is so fearsome, I don’t want to see it anymore.
So, Krishna, this form is so rare. By the study of Vedas, by this, by that, you cannot get this form. This is so rare.
He says, no, no, I will never again ask you for this form, my dear lord. Please don’t show it to me. So fearsome that he becomes frightened.
Like earlier, I gave the example that somebody is watching a movie and it’s a horror movie and some ghastly creature is destroying, devouring everyone on the screen. And suddenly you find that the destruction is happening not in some sets in the screen, the destruction is happening in the room where you are staying only. You know, the room, the walls and the other people in the room, they are all getting devoured.
And then you feel like, what kind of terrible horror channel is this? I don’t want to see it. And you try to turn off the channel, turn on the channel so that you browse and go to another channel and then the remote freezes. You can’t change the channel only.
You know, I don’t want to see this. This is horrible. Next, I am going to be destroyed.
So, but you just can’t move forward. So, for Arjuna, he is himself asked, please show me the Vishwaroopa. And he sees the Vishwaroopa and after that he is not able to digest it.
It’s so frightening. And he says, my dear lord, I don’t want to see it. Krishna says, no, see it.
It’s so special. No, no, no, I don’t want to see it. It’s enough, enough.
I don’t want it. So, like that Arjuna says, begs to Krishna. So, that’s what is happening in the dialogue, which is implied in the three verses, next three verses.
So, this is the next verses are actually the response of Bhagawan. Till now, the word used is Bhagawan. Till now, it is the Vishwaroopa speaking only.
So, 32, 33, 34 was also Vishwaroopa speaking. And now also it is the Vishwaroopa speaking. So, maya prasannena tava arjunedam, roopam param darshitam atma yogat, tejo mayam vishvam anantamadhyam, yenmetu dhanyena drishtapurvam.
So, maya prasannena, by me, happily tava arjunedam. So, happily ho, Arjuna, have I shown you, what I have shown? Roopam param darshitam atma yogat, atma yogat, by my own mystical potency, by my internal potency, I have shown you the form which you had asked for. This is param darshitam.
It is actually a great form. It is transcendental form. Tejo mayam vishvam anantamadhyam.
Tejo mayam, it is effulgent, it is pleasingly effulgent. Vishvam, it pervades the entire universe. It is anantamadhyam.
All these are the same, similar epithets to what Arjuna himself has used to glorify the Vishwaroopa. So, Krishna is trying to drive home the point. Actually, this is very rare what I have given you.
And then again to emphasise it, yanme tvadanyena dhrishtapurvam, what I have shown you, tvadanyena, apart from you, dhrishtapurvam, I have not shown it to anyone else. So, it is so rare, it is so special. So, Arjuna, happily I have shown this form to you.
And this form is supreme, it is original, it is extraordinary. And actually, apart from you, no one else I have shown it to you. So, after now, Prabhupada mentions how Duryodhana was shown, but he was not shown the Kalaroopa.
So, these forms are different from what was shown to Duryodhana. So, now, after this, he will describe, actually, that this form is very rare to see. So, it cannot be seen by any ordinary person.
na vedavyajna dhyanai nadanair na chakriya bhena tapo bhirugraye evam roopashakhyaham reloke dhrishtam tadanyena kuru pravira. So, na vedavyajna dhyanai nadanair, by not by the study, by doing of vedavyajna, by doing sacrifice, as mentioned in the verse, adhyanai, adhyanai, by the study of Vedas, nadanair, by the giving of charity. And then, similarly, nachakriya bhena tapo bhirugraye, that not by the performance of kriya, kriya refers to karmakand activities or pious activities, nor by the performance of great austerities, tapo bhirugraye, severe austerities, by none of these can one know the Supreme Lord.
And here he is talking about not knowing the Supreme Lord in the form of the viratroopa, evam roopah. So, at this point, evam roopa refers to the form which is still being manifested and that form is the form of the viratroopa. Shakyaham reloke, actually, on the earthly planetary system, I cannot be seen like this.
Dhrishtam tadanyena kuru pravira. So, kuru pravira, O best among the poor warriors, apart from you, nobody has seen it. So, Krishna is describing, is building up to the point that the visions of the Lord are not very easy to see, to get the darshan of the Lord.
And those darshans, they do not come because of any material endeavours. Now, we may wonder, actually, veda, yajna, dhyanair, nidanair, all these are material endeavours. Well, the word material can have various connotations.
The word material can be as contrasted to spiritual. And in that sense, that which is not spiritual will be material. But often we use the word material in terms of materialistic.
And generally, materialistic will refer to those people who live in passionless ignorance. So, those who live in goodness, they have human sensitivity, and they have the human thoughtfulness and discrimination. So, their activities can be material or they can be spiritual.
That two possibilities are there for everyone. But in general, those who are in passionless ignorance will mostly act materialistically. So, tadanyena kuru pravira, apart from you, nobody else has seen this form.
It can be seen only through mercy. Now, after describing this, Prabhupada basically explains all the characters in the purports. All the words in the purports, he explains many of them systematically.
And now Arjuna, actually, the main point of both the verses is that actually this is such a rare form. It cannot be seen by anyone. So, why do you want to give it up? So, here Chakravarti Pada explains that Arjuna says in his mind that he is responding Krishna.
Krishna, no, I don’t want to say this form. Please, please free me from this. So, then Krishna will respond to that.
And this verse is Krishna’s response. So, do not get into trouble. Let there not be any bewilderment.
So, Drishtva, on seeing this rupam ghoram, on seeing this ghora rupa, the form which I am showing you, this ghora rupa, on seeing it, let there not be any bewilderment. So, this is a frightful ghora rupa. And let the mimudh bhava, let the bewilderment, the fear, all that go, let it go away.
The peta bhi, bhita bhi means let the fear go away. Preetamana, so once the fear goes away, the mind becomes peaceful. Preetamana punastham.
So, again, you see, it’s the Lord is offering a sort of blessing through all these statements. So, punastham, let you become peaceful once again, satisfied in the mind. And then, So, through his points over here, Krishna is reassuring Arjuna, actually, no, no, no, you are my dear devotee, there is no need for you to get overwhelmed, there is no need for you to become fearful.
No fear, no bewilderment, just the form that will pacify you, please see that form now. That’s what he tells in the verse. So, Prabhupada writes in the point that, the devotee is not much interested in the universal form, for it does not enable one to reciprocate loving feelings.
Actually, you know, Virat Rupa is so Virat, Vishwa Rupa is so all-pervading that you just don’t know, what do I love, whom do I love, how do I converse, what do I do actually to express love? It is very difficult to reciprocate love, when Krishna is a person, we can talk with him, we can offer our love to him through practical service. Now, this is a verse in which, again, what is happening? Third time in the same chapter, the camera is now moving back to Sanjaya. So, first time it happened from verse 9 onwards, and second time it happened just for one verse in verse 35.
And now it is happening for third time, when the events are to be described. See, when there are conversations going on, unless the persons themselves narrate the events, unless they themselves give a running commentary, people will not be able to understand what is happening, if they are only hearing about it. That’s why, if cricketers are playing a cricket match, then the cricketers are so busy playing, they cannot offer a running commentary.
The batsmen are going to say, oh, now the ball was bowling and now I have hit a sixer. Their attention will get distracted. Normally, when we are doing actions, at that time, we are not giving a commentary of the action, we are only doing actions.
And someone else who observes, they can describe the actions. So now, if there is a recording done, say, then actually my actions and your actions both can be seen and then they can be recorded and reported. But if you are only focussing on the conversation that is happening, okay, this person said this, this person said this, then at that time, that conversation cannot reveal the action.
So to reveal the action, the camera has to be, the same camera which is focussing only on the conversation, that camera moves backward to some other conversation in which this action is seen and described. So therefore, now in this verse, what happens is, Krishna actually in one verse itself displays the Chaturbhuja rupa and then also displays the Dvibhuja rupa. Let us look at how it happens.
sañjaya vācā ity arjunaṁ vāsudeva-stathoktvā kamrÅ«kaṁ darshayā māsabhÅ«yā āśvāsayā māsacchabhÄ«ta-venaṁ bhÅ«tvā punhā samyavapÅ«ra-mahātmā So, ity arjunaṁ, in this way, after speaking to Arjuna, vāsudeva-stathoktvā. And after speaking to Vāsudeva, then what happens? svakam rÅ«paṁ, one’s own form, darshayā māsabhÅ«yā, darshayā, after revealing āsabhÅ«yā. So, svakam rÅ«paṁ, what does it refer to? Actually, Vāsudeva has many forms and one of the forms is, we know, we just showed earlier the diagram in which, actually, Vishnu comes, Vishnu is, we see that actually there is Krishna, then there is Balarāma, then Vāsudeva-saá¹…kará¹£aṇa-pradyumna-vidya, then Nārāyaṇa, and then after that Vāsudeva-saá¹…kará¹£aṇa-pradyumna-vidya.
So now, this Vāsudeva expansion is a Viṣṇu-mūrti in the spiritual world. Then, here, Vāsudeva is being referred, that is not referring to the Vāsudeva expansion, it is referring to Krishna only because he is the son of Vāsudeva, so he is called as Vāsudeva. From Vāsudeva comes Vāsudeva.
So, ityārjunaṁ vāsudevas tathoktvā. So, Vāsudeva spoke like this and then Vāsudeva revealed. So, svakam rūpaṁ.
So, actually, from him has come the Viṣṇu-rūpa. So, he shows the Viṣṇu-rūpa. Darshayāṁ āsa-bhūyahā.
And then, in this way, my dear lord, my dear devotee, do not be afraid, do not be bewildered. āśvāsayāṁ āsa-āśvāsan. When somebody is anxious, when some patient is very anxious, the patient comes to doctor, doctor says, everything will be alright.
We know how to treat. We will give the medicine, things will become alright. āśvāsayāṁ āsa-bhītamenam.
Bhītamenam. Actually, Arjuna was fearful at this point. So, what happens when he is fearful? Bhūtvā punā.
Bhūtvā punā. And then, after that, again. What did he become? Saumya-vapur.
Mahātmā. Saumya-vapur. That means the sweet form that was manifested.
So, how is the sweet form manifested over here? Saumya-rūpa means, Saumya is mellow, soft, sweet form. That refers to the form of the lord as the two-handed Krishna. So, that means, at the start of this verse, there is Virat-rūpa.
Then, by the time the first two lines get over, and that, the Virat-rūpa has changed to the Vishwa-rūpa. So, the Virat-rūpa changes to Vishnu-rūpa, Chatur-bhuja-rūpa. And then, from Chatur-bhuja-rūpa, by the end of the third and fourth lines, the Vishwa-rūpa changes to, the Vishwa-rūpa changes first to Vishnu-rūpa, and from Vishnu-rūpa changes to Krishna-rūpa.
So, that Krishna-rūpa is referred to as Saumya-vapur. Mahātmān. Now Arjuna will speak.
Arjuna, what does Arjuna say? So, he says, yes, now I am seeing. Dhrishtvedam ānushyam-rūpam. Tavasaumyam janārdhana, idānimasmi samṛttaḥ.
Sacetā prakṛtiṁ gataḥ. So, Dhrishtvedam, Dhrishtvaidam. Seeing here, ānushyam-rūpam.
The human form. So now, can Krishna’s form be called as human form? Yes, Krishna’s form can be called as human form. Krishna’s form cannot be called as material form.
Human form means, that actually Krishna has two hands, two legs, Krishna has a head. Krishna certainly doesn’t have the canine form, a form like a dog, or a bovine form, a form like a cow. Krishna can have incarnations in which he can have any kind of form.
But his normal original two-handed form is a human form. So to say that Krishna has a human form is not offensive. To say Krishna has a material form is incorrect.
And to say that Krishna’s material form is there, but it is an illusory cover, and one has to go beyond the form to the formless, that is not just incorrect, that is offensive. So, vishvedam ānushyam-rÅ«pam. Tava saumyam janārdhana.
So the same word saumya is used. Soft, gentle, sweet. So previously in the 50th verse, Krishna had said now, or Sanjay had said, Saumya vipur mahātmā.
So that absolute truth has now become saumya-rūpa. So Arjuna is also confirming that. He says, yes, now I am seeing your saumya-rūpa.
Tava saumyam janārdhana. You are the maintainer of all living beings. So you have maintained me, I was filled with fear, but now you have ensured that my fear has gone away.
Idāniṁ asmi-sambhṛttaḥ. So now of sambhṛttaḥ, I am settled properly. Idāniṁ asmi.
I have become situated. Sacetāḥ prakṛtiṅgataḥ. Sacetāḥ.
In my consciousness, I have become settled. Prakṛtiṅgataḥ. I have returned to my normal nature.
To my own nature. So what is that nature? At a material level, it is the nature of ká¹£atriya who is chivalrous and fearless. At a spiritual level, it is the nature of a loving devotee rejoicing in the Sangha of the beloved Lord.
So both ways, he says, now I have returned back to my nature. Sacetāḥ prakṛtiṅgataḥ. So Arjuna is seeing the form of the Lord.
And after seeing the form of the Lord, which form is he seeing now? Saumya-rūpa. Idāniṁ. And when he sees the saumya-rūpa, he feels peaceful.
He feels relieved. Because he has such a nightmarish sort of experience. For seeing that ghastly scene of everybody going into the mouth and blood being all around, it was quite a nerve-wracking scene.
And Arjuna says, what has happened, now that I am seeing your normal form, then I am feeling peaceful. Like this in our life also. Sometimes there are huge destabilizations.
Suddenly something, this goes wrong, some relative gets a disease, we lose our job, our health goes down, and then we feel very disturbed. What is this? What is happening? But then gradually, when we understand, Krishna is still there. Nothing has changed as far as my relationship with Krishna is concerned.
Material world things may change. But to the extent we can see the unchanging reality and underlying the changing, to the extent what will happen? To the extent we will become peaceful. So Arjuna, on seeing the familiar form of Krishna, feels grateful.
And he says that, thanks, confirms to Krishna, yes, Krishna was concerned that, He wanted to reassure Arjuna that everything will be alright. So Krishna says, yes. So Krishna wanted to reassure Arjuna.
So Arjuna is saying, yes, everything is alright now. Thank you. So now in the next verse, Krishna will speak.
And that we will discuss in the next four verses. That is the conclusion of this chapter which focusses on bhakti. That we will discuss in our next class.
Thank you very much.