THE YOGA OF THE VISION OF
THE COSMIC FORM
Summary of Eleventh
Discourse
Then Arjuna puts a question: “I have understood everything that
You say, but I want to know how You are visibly present in this world. What are
Your special manifestations? I understand that You are, generally
speaking, present everywhere; but where are You especially manifest?”
Then Lord Sri Krishna gave a long list of special manifestations
of great glories, powers and magnificence.
The whole point is that the Lord wants to drive into the mind of
Arjuna the truth of God not merely being all things, or God being everywhere,
God being present in highly excellent manifestations, God being the Creator,
and God being the Procurer of all the welfare of people.
This kind of teaching is good, but it is not enough for God,
because God does not tolerate the presence of anyone outside Him. He is a
supremely selfish person, we may say. God does not tolerate anything outside
Him, not even the world.
There is no question of transmigration, going to another realm,
taking rebirth in some other place, becoming a yogi and again practicing yoga
to reach God, and contemplating on the creation of the universe as if creation
is outside God—as if there is a material out of which He fashions the world.
These ideas must be completely removed from the mind.
Also,
all Arjuna’s doubts having been removed through a clear description of the
nature of the Atman and the origin and destruction of all created things, he is
now ready to behold the Cosmic Vision. Krishna grants him the divine sight by
means of which Arjuna beholds the Lord as the vast Cosmic Manifestation.
The
vision is at once all-comprehensive and simultaneous. In every direction Arjuna
sees the Lord as the entire universe. All the created worlds, gods, beings,
creatures and things stand revealed as the one gigantic body of the Lord.
Arjuna further sees that the great cosmic drama is set in motion and controlled
by the all-mighty power of the Lord. His Will alone prevails in all things and
actions, both good and bad.
The
Lord exhorts him to fight, he being only an apparent cause of the destruction
of his enemies. Arjuna is unable to bear the pressure of the sudden expansion
of consciousness and is filled with fear. He begs the Lord to assume once more
His usual form.
Krishna
reiterates that this vision cannot be had through any amount of austerities,
study, sacrifices or philanthropic acts. Supreme devotion is the
only means by which one can have access to His grand vision.
Love.
