Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God

Shloka: BG 11.1

Arjuna said, By this explanation of the highest secret concerning the Self which Thou hast spoken, for the sake of bless...

Shloka: BG 11.2

The origin and destruction of beings have been heard in detail from You, O lotus-eyed Lord, and also Your inexhaustible ...

Shloka: BG 11.3

Now, O Supreme Lord, as Thou hast thus described Thyself, O Supreme Person, I wish to behold Thy divine form.

Shloka: BG 11.4

If Thou, O Lord, thinkest it possible for me to see it, do Thou, then, O Lord of the Yogis, show me Thy imperishable Sel...

Shloka: BG 11.5

The Blessed Lord said, "Behold, O Arjuna, forms of Mine, by the hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, divine, and ...

Shloka: BG 11.6

Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins, and the Maruts; behold many wonders never before seen, O Arju...

Shloka: BG 11.7

Now, behold, O Arjuna, in this My body, the entire universe centered in one, including the moving and the unmoving, and ...

Shloka: BG 11.8

But you are not able to behold Me with these your own eyes; I give you the divine eye; behold My lordly Yoga.

Shloka: BG 11.9

Sanjaya said, Having thus spoken, O king, the great Lord of Yoga, Hari (Krishna), showed Arjuna His supreme form as the ...

Shloka: BG 11.10

With numerous mouths and eyes, with numerous wondrous sights, with numerous divine adornments, with numerous divine weap...

Shloka: BG 11.11

Wearing divine garlands and apparel, anointed with divine unguents, the all-wonderful, resplendent Being is endless with...

Shloka: BG 11.12

If the splendour of a thousand suns were to blaze out simultaneously in the sky, that would be the splendour of that mig...

Shloka: BG 11.13

There, in the body of the God of gods, Arjuna then saw the entire universe resting in one, with its myriad of divisions.

Shloka: BG 11.14

Then, Arjuna, filled with wonder and his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the God and spoke with palms joined.

Shloka: BG 11.15

Arjuna said, "O God, I see all the gods in Your body, as well as hosts of various classes of beings, Brahma the Lord sea...

Shloka: BG 11.16

I see You with boundless form on every side, with many arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes; neither the end nor the middle ...

Shloka: BG 11.17

I see You with the diadem, club, and discus, a mass of radiance shining everywhere, very hard to look at, blazing all ar...

Shloka: BG 11.18

You are the Imperishable, the Supreme Being, worthy of being known. You are the great treasure-house of this universe; Y...

Shloka: BG 11.19

I see You without beginning, middle, or end, infinite in power, with endless arms, the sun and moon as Your eyes, the bu...

Shloka: BG 11.20

This space between the earth and the heavens, and all the quarters, is filled by You alone; having seen this, Your wonde...

Shloka: BG 11.21

Verily, these hosts of gods enter into Thee; some extol Thee with joined palms in fear, saying, 'May it be well!' Bands ...

Shloka: BG 11.22

The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Visvedevas, the two Asvins, Maruts, the Manus, and the hosts of celestial singers, ...

Shloka: BG 11.23

Having seen Your immeasurable form with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed one, with many arms, thighs, and feet, with...

Shloka: BG 11.24

On seeing Thee, touching the sky, shining in many colors, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified a...

Shloka: BG 11.25

Having seen Thy mouths fearful with teeth blazing like the fires of cosmic dissolution, I know not the four quarters, no...

Shloka: BG 11.26

All the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with the hosts of kings of the earth, Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, as well as the chi...

Shloka: BG 11.27

Some hurry into Your mouths with their terrible teeth, fearful to behold. Some are found stuck in the gaps between the t...

Shloka: BG 11.28

Verily, just as many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, so too these heroes in the world of men enter Thy flamin...

Shloka: BG 11.29

As moths hurriedly rush into a blazing fire, leading to their own destruction, so too these creatures hurry into Your mo...

Shloka: BG 11.30

Thou lickest up, devouring all the worlds on every side with Thy flaming mouths. Thy fierce rays, filling the whole worl...

Shloka: BG 11.31

Tell me, who you are, so fierce of form. I offer my salutations to you, O God Supreme; have mercy on me. I desire to kno...

Shloka: BG 11.32

The Blessed Lord said, "I am the full-grown, world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without y...

Shloka: BG 11.33

Therefore, stand up and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the unparalleled kingdom. Verily, by Me they have alr...

Shloka: BG 11.34

Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other brave warriors have already been slain by Me; do not be distressed with fea...

Shloka: BG 11.35

Sanjaya said, Having heard that speech of Lord Krishna, Arjuna, with joined palms, trembling, prostrated himself, again ...

Shloka: BG 11.36

Arjuna said, "It is fitting, O Krishna, that the world delights and rejoices in Your praise; demons fly in fear in all d...

Shloka: BG 11.37

And why should they not, O great Soul, bow to Thee Who art greater than all else, the primal cause even of the Creator (...

Shloka: BG 11.38

You are the primal God, the ancient Purusha, the supreme refuge of this universe, the knower, the knowable, and the supr...

Shloka: BG 11.39

You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, the Creator, and the great-grandfather. I offer my salutations to You a thou...

Shloka: BG 11.40

Salutations to You in front and behind! Salutations to You on every side! O All! You, infinite in power and prowess, per...

Shloka: BG 11.41

Whatever I have presumptuously said from carelessness or love, addressing You as O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend! regardin...

Shloka: BG 11.42

In whatever way I may have insulted You for the sake of fun, while at play, reposing, sitting, or at meals, when alone (...

Shloka: BG 11.43

Thou art the Father of this world, both moving and unmoving. Thou art to be adored by this world; Thou, the greatest Gur...

Shloka: BG 11.44

Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I crave Thy forgiveness, O adorable Lord. As a father forgives his son, ...

Shloka: BG 11.45

I am delighted, having seen something never seen before; yet my mind is distressed with fear. Show me that form only, O ...

Shloka: BG 11.46

I desire to see You as before, crowned, bearing a mace, with the discus in hand, in Your former form only, having four a...

Shloka: BG 11.47

The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this Cosmic Form has graciously been shown to you by Me through My own Yogic power. It...

Shloka: BG 11.48

Neither by the study of the Vedas, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifices, nor by severe austerities, can I be seen in this for...

Shloka: BG 11.49

Do not be afraid, nor be bewildered on seeing such a terrible form of Mine; with your fear dispelled and with a gladdene...

Shloka: BG 11.50

Sanjaya said, Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Krishna again showed His own form. The great Soul, assuming His gentle form,...

Shloka: BG 11.51

Arjuna said, "Having seen this Thy gentle human form, O Krishna, now I am composed and have been restored to my own natu...

Shloka: BG 11.52

The Blessed Lord said, "It is very hard indeed to see this form of Mine which thou hast seen; even the gods are ever lon...

Shloka: BG 11.53

Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as thou hast seen Me so...

Shloka: BG 11.54

But by single-minded devotion, I can be known, seen, and entered into in reality, O Arjuna.

Shloka: BG 11.55

He who does all actions for Me, who regards Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who be...