Bhagwad Gita - Post 127

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.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 126

Verse 25

Maharsheenaam bhriguraham

Giraamasm yekamaksharam;

Yajnaanaam japayajno’smi

Sthaavaraanaam himaalayah.

  

Among the great sages I am Bhrigu;

Among words I am the monosyllable Om;

Among sacrifices I am the sacrifice of silent repetition;

Among immovable things the Himalayas I am.

While all fruits and flowers grow from the same land, only the best amongst them are selected for an exhibition. 

Similarly, everything that is manifest and unmanifest in the universe is the glory of God, but the prominent amongst them are singled out for mention as his opulence.

Amongst the sages in the celestial planes of existence, Bhrigu is special. He possesses wisdom, glory, and devotion. 

Lord Vishnu holds the mark of his foot on his chest as a consequence of a divine pastime described in the Puranas in which Bhrigu tested the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv. Shree Krishna’s glory is revealed best through him.

AMONG  WORDS, I AM THE ONE-SYLLABLED "OM"

If ordinary word-symbol indicate only the finite, the Rishis thought that they must conceive a word-symbol to indicate the Eternal. Thus, they discovered the one syllabled word 'OM,' which is the greatest mantra in all the Vedas and traditionally, up-to recent times, this has been, in the spiritual world, the one sound idol used as a prop (Alambanam) for all early meditators.

Of sound vibrations, Lord Krishna's vibhuti or divine, transcendental opulence manifests as the sacred monosyllable OM which is uttered before every Vedic ritual can begin. The words ekam aksaram directly refers to OM.

In one of the sadan talks (Talk in a Sai Center in Oman), the author shared an incident when John Hislop asked Swami,

"Swami,  If we have to worship You without Your form, how do we do worship?”.

Swami answered, “Worship me as AUM”.

Let us go through some more words of Bhagwan on OM/ AUM.

“Om is the symbol of the unchanging eternal universal supreme God .... Om is the sound of the movement of the stars in the firmament; it is the sound that manifested when the dawn of Creative Will stirred the Niraakaara (the Attributeless) into activity. SSS6, Chap. 42 

If you have the ear, you can hear 'Om' announcing the Lord's Presence in every sound. All the five elements produce this sound, 'Om.' The bell in the temple is intended to convey the Om as the symbol of the Omnipresent God. When the bell sounds Om, the Godhead within you will awaken and you will be aware of His Presence. That is the meaning of the bell which is rung in front of the inner shrine in the temple. SSS1, Chap. 9”

Yajña is the act of dedicating ourselves to the Supreme. The simplest of all yajñas is the chanting of the holy names of God. This is called japa yajña, or the sacrifice of the devotional repetition of the divine names of God. In the present age of Kali, the chanting of the names of God is even more emphasized.

Kalijuga kevala nāma ādhārā,

Sumiri sumiri nara utarahiṅ pārā

(Ramayan)[v28]

“In the age of Kali, the chanting and remembrance of the names of God is the most powerful means of crossing the ocean of material existence.”

The Himalayas are a mountain range lying at the north of India. Since ages, they have inspired spiritual awe and wonder in billions of devotees. 

Their atmosphere, environment, and solitude are conducive to the performance of austerities for spiritual progress. Thus, many great sages reside in the Himalayas in their subtle bodies, practicing penance for their own advancement and for the benefit of humankind. 

And so, of the multitude of mountain ranges in this world, the Himalayas best display his opulence.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 125

Verse 22

Vedaanaam saamavedo’smi

Devaanaam asmi vaasavah;

Indriyaanaam manashchaasmi

Bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa.

Vedānāṁ sāmavedo’smi: “I am the Sama Veda among the Vedas.” Because of its intonation, the beauty of its melody and the belief that it is the quintessence of even the Rigveda—and, in addition, it is set to music—the Sama Veda is considered to be especially sacred.

Devānām asmi vāsavaḥ: “I am Indra among the Gods” because he is the king of the Gods. 

Indriyāṇāṁ manaś cāsmi: “Of all the perceptive capacities, I am the mind.” This is because even though the sense organs are organs of perception, no doubt, without the mind they cannot perceive anything; the eyes cannot see, the ears cannot hear, etc. 

The central cognitive or perceptive faculty is the mind. The mind is the king in this body, operating its satellites which are the sense organs. So “I am the mind among the sense organs—that is, the cognitive functions.”

Bhūtānām asmi cetanā: “I am consciousness among all people. Wherever there is awareness, consider Me as manifest there.”

Verse 23

Rudraanaam shankarashchaasmi

Vittesho yaksharakshasaam;

Vasoonaam paavakashchaasmi

Meruh shikharinaamaham.

Rudrāṇāṁ śaṁkaraś cāsmi: Just as there are twelve Adityas, there are eleven Rudras, of which the most peaceful and compassionate one—the salubrious and most easily approachable, calm and quiet one—is Siva. Rudra is supposed to be very angry, ferocious and active; but all forms of Rudra are not like that. 

 

Rudra is also Siva. There is the Siva aspect which is calm and blessed and subdued, and there is also Rudra which is fierce. “There are eleven Rudras, of which the glorious, peaceful Sankara am I, radiating love and compassion.”

It is said that Ravana worshipped Rudra in all the forms. Ravana had ten heads. The story goes that Ravana cut off one of his heads and offered it to one form of Rudra. He then cut off another head and offered it to the second Rudra. In this manner he offered his ten heads to ten Rudras; but the eleventh Rudra could not be appeased because Ravana did not have eleven heads.

The eleventh Rudra became angry because nothing had been offered to him, so he appeared in the form of fierce Hanuman.

It is said that Hanuman in Lanka was a manifestation of the eleventh Rudra — Rudravatara — who destroyed Lanka because Ravana could not satisfy him. It seems that Ravana wept and said, “If I had eleven heads, I would not have suffered like this. I had only ten.” 

Vitteśo yakṣarakṣasām: “Among the Yakshas and Rakshasas—the demi-gods, who are neither brutal Rakshasas nor Gods, but are something midway between them—I am Kubera, the Lord of riches, the treasurer of Rudra, or Siva.”

Vasūnāṁ pāvakaś cāsmi: “There are eight Vasus, called Ashtavasu, who are also demigods. Of them I am Agni, the fire God.”

Meruḥ śikhariṇām aham: “Of all the highest mountains with towering peaks, I am Meru Parvata.”

Verse 24

Purodhasaam cha mukhyam

Maam viddhipaartha brihaspatim;

Senaaneenaamaham skandah

Sarasaamasmi saagarah.

Purodhasāṁ ca mukhyaṁ māṁ viddhi pārtha bṛhaspatim  “Among all preceptors, guides, and all Gurus, I am Brihaspati.” This is because Brihaspati is supposed to be the most intelligent and wisest of all teachers. He is the Guru of the Gods, and is a God himself.

Senānīnām ahaṁ skandaḥ: “Among military generals, I am Skanda.” Skanda, or Kartikeya, was the most powerful leader of armies.

Sarasām asmi sāgaraḥ: “Among reservoirs of water, I am the ocean” because it is the vastest reservoir of water. 

Thus, as given in the introduction to these verses in the previous post, in all these declaration, Sri Krishna is either pointing out at highest physical power or vastness (of all other than human beings) or  highest intellect (when it is about Living beings). When Sri Krishna is referring to any incarnation (like Skanda), all powers, physical and intelligence and even beyond, are all considered together.

Love.