Gita 18.77 Recollecting Krishnas universal form stimulates wonder in some and fear in others

Transcript

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Gita 18.77 so here Sanjay is speaking the penultimate words of the Gita and here he says that he is talking about the joy of recollecting the Gita of contemplating the Gita the previous verse also had a similar theme but the stress was different here the translation is as I remember O Lord the extraordinary form of Lord Hari Vishmayo me Mahan Rajan I am hugely astonished again and again I am feeling thrilled if we look at the previous verse so overall there is a theme of remembrance there is a theme of being constantly thrilled there is the address to the person being spoken Rajan although it comes in the first line in the 76th text in the third line in the 77th text but it is there so all these are commonality the difference is on what is the object of remembrance I show Rishya Amitya Punah Punah and Rishya Amitya Muhur Muhur is more or less identical the key difference is what is being remembered the previous verse focuses on the remembrance of the message itself as I hear this wondrous conversation between Keshav and Arjuna so in this text the focus is on the form of the form that is the extraordinary form of Hari now which form is he referring to of course Krishna’s form itself is extraordinary it is a reservoir of all beauty and there are great saints and poets who have composed large amount of poetry and literature describing the beauty of Krishna’s form Acharya specifically said that this description refers to the form of the Vishwaroopa which was shown although Krishna’s form in two handed form is extremely attractive that is supremely attractive but to some extent that form is regularly seen by people when he descends to this world whenever the whenever he comes to Hastinapur or be in Dwaraka or travel in between various places people would see that form and because that form is just a two handed is a two handed form like the form of most human beings people may not be able to appreciate its extraordinariness but the form which is which is revealed in the Bhagavad Gita in the 11th chapter the Vishwaroopa that is an extraordinary form that is not a form that can be very easily seen by most people in fact its only on a handful of occasions during his entire descent in this world that Krishna revealed that form so in that sense the form is extraordinary and Krishna it is that form that Sanjay is meditating another clue is that he used the word Hare while Hare refers generically to the supreme lord and it refers can refer to Krishna in general but it also refers to this is the name which is used while referring to Krishna when he reveals the universal form Mahayogeshwara Hare that that Hare means Mahayogeshwara there are yogis but there is Yogeshwara the lord of the yogis and Mahayogeshwara refers to the great lord of the yogis so there the name while referring to him as Mahayogeshwara the name also used is Hare so that correlation of the names along with the commentary of the Acharyas conveys that the form that that Sanjay is finding astonishing is the Vishwaroopa now Vismai Vismai is astonishment that is the emotion that he is experiencing and also he is experiencing Rishami jubilation so astonishment and jubilation you could say a broad sense of wonder is what he is experiencing and for Krishna to be present one moment on the chariot of Arjuna as a humble chariot here and for the next moment to reveal how he is the god of all gods the abode of the universe the one with the omnipotence to devour and destroy everyone assembled in the battlefield that change of perspective and dynamic is truly extraordinary and when Krishna exhibits that it is truly for it is a memorable unforgettable sight Krishna’s revelation in the universal form is one of the greatest mystic revelations in world theology and naturally Sanjaya is astonished to see that at the same time his repeated word use of the word Rajan is significant earlier also Krishna had shown this universal form when Duryodhana had tried to arrest him and at that time Duryodhana’s attempt to arrest him although that attempt was done using many many soldiers and warriors who simultaneously charged towards Krishna that attempt was totally foiled because this universal form was so fearsome and unmatchable but now when Arjuna is and at that times Dhritarashtra had also seen that universal form although he was blind he had desire to see and he had been given the eyes to see at that time that particular form so thus he had he also knew the astonishing power of that form and Krishna now of course when he showed this form he also showed the Kala Rupa in which there is a far greater destruction there is far greater destruction that was seen and the destruction of the Kurus was also seen in that so gently by using the word Rajan and reminding him and stressing the universal form in the penultimate verse Sanjay is gently prodding the king to recognize the reality that those on his side are doomed that great lord who is the lord of the universe who can at any moment manifest formidable power that lord is here to see is here on the side of the Kauravas and rather than being fearful is on the side of the Pandavas so rather than being fearful because of his antipathy towards the Pandavas because of his partiality towards his own evil minded son at one level Sanjay is offering him an invitation that you can also become thrilled you can contemplate the form which you have seen that form was remarkable extraordinary unparalleled and Arjuna also had a similar reaction that form which has never been seen I am feeling thrilled I am feeling jubilant that same Rishami what he says over here Arjuna also experiences that thrill on seeing the universal form and if Dhritarashtra could change his disposition then he too would glimpse that thrill so Sajiya tells the effect of this of hearing this conversation and seeing this vision on him and thus he reveals his own devotional side he is not just simply an assistant or a messenger he is also at one level becoming a gentle advisor to Dhritarashtra Sajiya took up that position especially after Vidura departed and herein he is indicating to Dhritarashtra that there is the positivity of recollecting with devotion the greatness of Krishna that is available for him and regarding the specific question that Sajiya has been asked by Dhritarashtra what happened in the battlefield that Sajiya will respond in the next