Mahabharata: Vol. 5 (22 page)

‘“The lord said,
‘O Partha! Behold my divine multi-dimensioned, multi-hued, multi-shaped
hundreds and thousands of forms. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! See the
adityas, the vasus, the rudras, the
ashvini
s and the maruts.
⁴¹³
See the many wonderful things you have never seen before. O Gudakesha! In my
body, in one place, see the entire universe, with all that is moveable and
immovable. Also see today, whatever else you want to see. You will not be able to
see me with your own eyes. Therefore, I am giving you divine sight. Witness my
divine glory.’”

‘Sanjaya said, “O
king! Having said this, Hari, the great lord of yoga, then showed Partha the divine
and supreme form—with many mouths and eyes, with many miraculous things to
see, adorned in many resplendent ornaments, with many divine weapons raised, with
divine garlands and clothing, anointed with divine fragrances, extremely wonderful
everywhere, resplendent, infinite, with faces in every direction. If the brilliance
of a thousand suns simultaneously rises in the sky, then that brilliance can rival
the brilliance of that great soul. Then Pandava saw the entire universe in one
place, divided into many parts, in that great god of gods’ body. Then,
amazed and with his body hair standing up, Dhananjaya bowed down before the god with
his head lowered and, with joined palms, said…

‘“Arjuna said,
‘O lord! In your body I see all the gods and all the different types of
beings, the divine sages and all the serpents and the creator Brahma, seated on a
lotus. O lord of the universe! O universal form! I see you, with many arms, many
stomachs, many faces and many eyes, everywhere. And I don’t see an end, a
middle or a beginning to you. With a crown, with a mace, with the chakra,
resplendent everywhere, like a mass of energy, impossible to see,
⁴¹⁴
brilliant like the burning fire and the sun, impossible to measure, I see you
in every direction. I have no doubt that you are eternal and
supreme and the only thing worth knowing. You are the supreme refuge of this
universe. You are the indestructible and original being, the upholder of ancient
dharma. I behold you without beginning, middle and end, infinite in strength, with
uncountable arms, the sun and moon in your eyes, face like ignited fire, scorching
this universe with your energy. O great soul! This space between the sky and the
earth is pervaded only by you. The directions are also pervaded. Witnessing this
miraculous and terrible form, the three worlds are suffering.
⁴¹⁵
That array of gods is entering you alone. Some are frightened and, with joined
palms, are craving protection. The array of great sages and pure souls are uttering
words of pacification and are worshipping you, with pure and profound prayers. The
rudras, the adityas, the vasus and the
saddhya
s,
⁴¹⁶
the
vishvadeva
s,
⁴¹⁷
the ashvinis and the maruts, those who partake warm food,
⁴¹⁸
the gandharvas, the yakshas, the asuras and arrays of the siddhas
⁴¹⁹
are all gazing at you with amazement. O mighty-armed one! The worlds are
terrified, and so am I, at witnessing your great form, with many faces and eyes,
many stomachs, many arms, thighs and feet, fearsome with many teeth. O Vishnu!
Touching the sky, resplendent, multi-hued, mouths stretched out, eyes large and
fiery—seeing you, I am frightened and I cannot maintain my fortitude and
peace. Seeing your several faces, fearsome with teeth and blazing like the fire of
destruction, I have lost my sense of direction. I cannot find happiness. O lord of
the gods! O refuge of the universe! Have mercy. All those sons of Dhritarashtra,
with the collected kings, and Bhishma, Drona and that son of a suta
⁴²⁰
and the chief warriors on our side are
dashing into your
fearsome mouth with the terrible teeth. Some of them can be seen, heads smashed and
attached to the joints of the teeth. Truly, like many currents in rivers head
towards and enter the ocean, thus, those warriors of this earth are entering your
mouths, flaming in all directions. As moths driven to destruction speedily enter a
blazing fire, like that, these people are also swiftly entering your mouths, for
destruction. O Vishnu! In all directions, you are repeatedly licking, having
swallowed all the worlds
⁴²¹
with your flaming mouths. Your fierce resplendence is scorching, having filled
the universe with energy. Who are you? Tell me, you of the fierce form! I bow down
before you. O great god! Be merciful. I wish to know you, you who are the beginning.
Because I do not understand your inclination.’

‘“The lord said,
‘I am the terrible destroyer
⁴²²
of people. I am now about to destroy these people. Even without you,
⁴²³
all the warriors in the opposing army formations will not exist. O Savyasachi!
Therefore, arise! Attain fame. Triumph over enemies and enjoy the undisputed
kingdom. These have already been slain by me. You will only be the instrument. Kill
Drona and Bhishma and Jayadratha and Karna and the other brave warriors also,
already killed by me. Don’t be apprehensive. You will be able to triumph
over enemies in battle. Fight.’”

‘Sanjaya said,
“Hearing these words of Keshava’s, the trembling Kiriti
⁴²⁴
joined his palms and saluting Krishna, again said in a faltering tone, bowing
down in fear…

‘“Arjuna said,
‘O Hrishikesha! It is natural that the universe is extremely delighted to
hear of your glory and is attracted to you, the rakshas are scared and flee in all
directions and all the arrays of siddhas bow down. O great soul! O infinite! O lord
of the gods! O refuge of the universe! You are greater than Brahma and the original
agent. Why should you not be saluted? The manifest and the unmanifest and the
indestructible
⁴²⁵
that is beyond, is also you. You come before the gods. You are the eternal
being. You are the abode of the universe after destruction. You are the knower, that
which is to be known and the supreme abode. By you is the universe pervaded and you
are infinite in form. You are Vayu,
⁴²⁶
Yama,
⁴²⁷
Agni,
⁴²⁸
Varuna,
⁴²⁹
Shashanka,
⁴³⁰
Prajapati
⁴³¹
and the great-grandfather.
⁴³²
I salute you a thousand times. And again salute you. And yet again salute you.
I salute you in front and from the back. I salute you everywhere, in every
direction. O possessor of infinite energy and unlimited strength! You pervade
everything. Therefore, you are everything. Without knowing your glory and also
this,
⁴³³
inadvertently and in affection, thinking of you as a friend, expressions like O
Krishna, O Yadava, O friend, have been rudely used by me. O Achyuta!
⁴³⁴
At times of sport, sleeping, sitting or eating, alone
or in
front of other equals, in jest, you have faced irreverence, and for that, I crave
forgiveness from you, whose power is beyond thought. O infinite power! You are the
father, worshipped, teacher and also the greatest of all movable and immovable
objects in the worlds. In the three worlds, there is no one equal to you. Where can
there be someone greater than you? O god! For that reason, I prostrate my body and
bow before this revered god, craving your blessings. Like a son’s by the
father, a friend’s by a friend and a lover’s by the beloved,
forgive.
⁴³⁵
O god! Having seen that which has not been witnessed before, I am delighted.
But again, my mind is disturbed by fear. Therefore, show me your earlier form. O
lord of the gods! O abode of the universe! Be merciful. I wish to see your earlier
form, crowned, with a mace and chakra
⁴³⁶
in hand. O thousand-armed one! O universal form! Become manifest in your
four-armed form.’
⁴³⁷

‘“The lord said,
‘O Arjuna! Having been pleased, with my powers of yoga, I have shown this
resplendent, infinite, primeval and supreme universal form. Apart from you, this has
not been seen by anyone before. O great hero of the Kuru lineage! Not through the
Vedas, yajnas, study, nor through donations, nor even action or severe austerities,
can this form of mine be witnessed by anyone other than you in this human world. Be
not fearful at witnessing this fierce form of mine. Be not bewildered. Overcoming
fear, with a happy mind, may you behold that, my earlier
form.”’

‘Sanjaya said,
“Having said this, Vasudeva again showed Arjuna his natural form. Having
again assumed his peaceful form, the great soul assured the scared Arjuna.

‘“Arjuna said,
‘O Janardana! Having seen your peaceful and
human
form, my mind is now calmed and I am in control of my senses. I have become
normal.’

‘“The lord said,
‘The form of mine that you have seen is difficult to witness. The gods
themselves are always desirous of seeing this form. Not through the Vedas, nor
austerities, nor donations, nor even yajnas, is it possible to see me in the form
that you have seen me in. O scorcher of foes! O Arjuna! It is only through
single-minded devotion that this form of mine can be truly known or seen, or it
becomes possible to get immersed in me. O Pandava! He who undertakes action for my
sake, is attached to me, is devoted to me, is detached and without enmity towards
all beings, attains me.’”’

‘“Arjuna said,
‘In this way, there are devotees who are always immersed in you and
worship you and there are those who think of the unmanifest and the
indestructible.
⁴³⁹
Who among these is the best yogi?’
⁴⁴⁰

‘“The lord said,
‘Those who worship me, with minds fixed on me and always united in me with
supreme devotion, in my view, they are the best yogis. But those who worship the
indestructible, indescribable, unmanifest, omnipresent, unthinkable, original,
⁴⁴¹
immovable and constant, controlling properly the senses and
looking upon everything equally, acting for the welfare of all beings, they only
attain me. Those who wish to immerse their minds in the unmanifest, find it more
difficult. Because those who possess bodies
⁴⁴²
attain the goal of the unmanifest with great perseverance.
⁴⁴³
O Partha! Those who offer all action to me, are devoted to me and with
single-minded yoga, meditate on me and worship me with minds rendered unto me, I
become swiftly their rescuer from this mortal world that is like an ocean. Establish
your mind in me alone.
⁴⁴⁴
Fix your intellect on me. After that,
⁴⁴⁵
there is no doubt that you will live with me alone. O Dhananjaya! If you cannot
steady your mind and fix it on me, then practise yoga
⁴⁴⁶
and wish to attain me. If you don’t succeed in the practice, then do
only my deeds.
⁴⁴⁷
Even if you do acts for my pleasure, you attain liberation. If however, you are
unable to perform these deeds also, then control your mind, give up attachment to
the fruits of all action and seek refuge in the yoga that is mine.
⁴⁴⁸
Knowledge is superior to practice. Meditation is superior to knowledge. Giving
up attachment to the fruits of
action is superior to meditation.
After renunciation, tranquillity is attained.
⁴⁴⁹
He who has no hatred for all beings, is friendly and also displays compassion,
is without sense of ego, without pride, regards happiness and unhappiness in the
same way and is forgiving, is always satisfied, a yogi and controlled in mind, firm
in resolution
⁴⁵⁰
and with mind and intellect immersed in me, such a devotee of mine is dear to
me. He from whom other people are not disturbed and he who is not disturbed by other
people and he who is free from delight, dissatisfaction,
⁴⁵¹
fear and concern, is dear to me. Without desire,
⁴⁵²
pure, enterprising, neutral, without pain and one who has renounced all
fruit,
⁴⁵³
such a devotee is dear to me. He who is not delighted,
nor
hates, he who does not sorrow, nor desires, he who has given up good and evil,
⁴⁵⁴
such a devotee is dear to me. Equal between friend and enemy, and respect and
insult, equal between cold and warmth, happiness and unhappiness and without all
attachment, like between criticism and praise, restrained in speech,
⁴⁵⁵
satisfied with whatever is obtained, without habitation
⁴⁵⁶
and controlled in mind, such a devoted man is dear to me. Those who are devoted
and look upon me as the supreme goal and worship according to this immortal dharma
mentioned earlier, such devotees are extremely dear to
me.’”’

‘“The lord said,
‘O Kounteya! This body is known as the
kshetra
.
⁴⁵⁸
He who knows this is called the
kshetrajna
by those who have the
knowledge.
⁴⁵⁹
O descendant of the Bharata lineage! In every field, know me to be the
kshetrajna. My view is that knowledge about kshetra and kshetrajna is knowledge.
⁴⁶⁰
Briefly, hear from me what is that kshetra, its nature and its transformation,
and cause and effect within it. Also that
⁴⁶¹
and its power. The rishis have sung this
⁴⁶²
in different metres in several diverse ways.
The definite
logical arguments are also there in the Brahmasutra passages.
⁴⁶³
The great elements,
⁴⁶⁴
the ego, the intellect and the unmanifest,
⁴⁶⁵
the ten organs of sense
⁴⁶⁶
and the single one
⁴⁶⁷
and the objects of the five senses,
⁴⁶⁸
desire, hatred, happiness, unhappiness, combination,
⁴⁶⁹
consciousness, patience, these together are said to be the kshetra and its
transformations. Lack of ego, lack of arrogance, lack of injury,
⁴⁷⁰
forgiveness, humility, servitude towards teachers, purity, single-mindedness
⁴⁷¹
and control over the self, detachment towards gratification of the senses and
lack of vanity, indifference towards unhappy travails like birth, death, aging and
disease, non-attachment,
⁴⁷²
no sense of belonging in wife, son and home, always equality in mind whether
good or evil results, faithfulness in devotion to me, fixedness and non-deviation in
yoga, habitation in secluded
spots, aversion to crowds, devotion
to knowledge about the atman and search for true knowledge—these are known
as knowledge. Anything opposed is ignorance. I will state that which is to be known.
Knowing that, attains immortality.
⁴⁷³
That brahman, without origin, is my form. It is said, both eternal and
transient.
⁴⁷⁴
That
⁴⁷⁵
has hands and feet everywhere, eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, and ears
everywhere, is established in everything in this world. Manifest in the qualities of
all the senses, but without any senses, alone, like the abode of everything, without
qualities and the preserver of all qualities.
⁴⁷⁶
That is outside all beings and yet inside them, moving and unmoving, beyond
knowledge because of subtleness, far and yet near. That is indivisible, but exists
in every being in divided form. Know
⁴⁷⁷
as the preserver, destroyer and creator of all beings. That is the light of all
bright bodies. Said to be beyond darkness. Knowledge, that which is to be known and
attainable through knowledge, is established in the heart of everything.
⁴⁷⁸
Briefly, kshetra and that which is knowledge, and to be known, have been
stated. Knowing this, my devotee attains my nature.
⁴⁷⁹
Know both prakriti and purusha to be without origin. And know transformations
and the qualities
⁴⁸⁰
to result from prakriti.
⁴⁸¹
Prakriti is said to be the reason behind caus
and effect,
⁴⁸²
purusha said to be
⁴⁸³
for happiness and unhappiness in enjoyment, because purusha is established in
prakriti and enjoys prakriti’s qualities.
⁴⁸⁴
And its
⁴⁸⁵
good and evil birth is because of its association with these qualities. The
supreme being in this body is known as one who witnesses, one who allows, one who
sustains, one who enjoys, the supreme lord and the paramatman. He who knows the
nature of purusha, and of prakriti, with the qualities, whatever be the position he
is in, will not be reborn. Some, through meditation, see the atman in the atman with
the atman.
⁴⁸⁶
Others use sankhya yoga
⁴⁸⁷
and still others use karma yoga. And others, failing to know,
⁴⁸⁸
hear from others and worship. Even they, who are devoted to hearing, transcend
death. O best of the Bharata lineage! Whatever movable and immovable objects are
created, know them to result from the link between kshetra and kshetrajna. He truly
sees who beholds the indestructible supreme lord equally in all beings, while
everything else is destructible. He who sees the great lord equally established in
everything, he doesn’t kill the atman with the atman,
⁴⁸⁹
and therefore, attains supreme liberation. He who perceives
all action as being performed by prakriti and the atman as a non-agent, he truly
beholds. When he sees the different aspects of beings as established in one
⁴⁹⁰
and also everything manifested from there, he attains the brahman. O Kounteya!
Because it is without origin and without qualities, this paramatman is unchanging
and although based in the body, does nothing. It is not attached.
⁴⁹¹
As the sky that is everywhere is not attached because of its subtlety, like
that, the atman is not attached, though it is in every body. O descendant of the
Bharata lineage! Just as a single sun lights up the entire world, like that, a
single
kshetri
lights up all kshetras.
⁴⁹²
Those who, through their eyes of knowledge, know the difference between kshetra
and kshetrajna in this way and freedom from beings and prakriti,
⁴⁹³
they attain the supreme goal.’”’