| |
ARJUNA:
THIS, for my soul’s peace, have I heard from Thee, | |
| The unfolding of the Mystery Supreme | |
| Named Adhyâtman; comprehending which, | |
| My darkness is dispelled; for now I know— | |
| O Lotus-eyed! 1—whence is the birth of men, | 5 |
| And whence their death, and what the majesties | |
| Of thine immortal rule. Fain would I see, | |
| As thou Thyself declar’st it, Sovereign Lord! | |
| The likeness of that glory of Thy Form | |
| Wholly revealed. O Thou Divinest One! | 10 |
| If this can be, if I may bear the sight, | |
| Make Thyself visible, Lord of all prayers! | |
| Show me Thy very self, the Eternal God! | |
| |
KRISHNA:
Gaze, then, thou Son of Prithâ! I manifest for thee | |
| Those hundred thousand thousand shapes that clothe my Mystery: | 15 |
| I show thee all my semblances, infinite, rich, divine, | |
| My changeful hues, my countless forms. See! in this face of mine, | |
| Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aswins, and Maruts; see | |
| Wonders unnumbered, Indian Prince! revealed to none save thee. | |
| Behold! this is the Universe!—Look! what is live and dead | 20 |
| I gather all in one—in Me! Gaze, as thy lips have said, | |
| On GOD ETERNAL, VERY GOD! See ME! see what thou prayest! | |
| |
| Thou canst not!—nor, with human eyes, Arjuna! ever mayest | |
| Therefore I give thee sense divine. Have other eyes, new light! | |
| And, look! This is My glory, unveiled to mortal sight! | 25 |
| |
SANJAYA:
Then, O King! the God, so saying, | |
| Stood, to Prithâ’s Son displaying | |
| All the splendor, wonder, dread | |
| Of His vast Almighty-head. | |
| Out of countless eyes beholding, | 30 |
| Out of countless mouths commanding, | |
| Countless mystic forms enfolding | |
| In one Form: supremely standing | |
| Countless radiant glories wearing, | |
| Countless heavenly weapons bearing, | 35 |
| Crowned with garlands of star-clusters, | |
| Robed in garb of woven lustres, | |
| Breathing from His perfect Presence | |
| Breaths of all delicious essence | |
| Of all sweetest odors; shedding | 40 |
| Blinding brilliance, overspreading— | |
| Boundless, beautiful—all spaces | |
| From His all-regarding faces; | |
| So He showed! If there should rise | |
| Suddenly within the skies | 45 |
| Sunburst of a thousand suns | |
| Flooding earth with rays undeemed-of, | |
| Then might be that Holy One’s | |
| Majesty and glory dreamed of! | |
| |
| So did Pandu’s Son behold | 50 |
| All this universe enfold | |
| All its huge diversity | |
| Into one great shape, and be | |
| Visible, and viewed, and blended | |
| In one Body—subtle, splendid, | 55 |
| Nameless—th’ All-comprehending | |
| God of Gods, the Never-Ending | |
| Deity! | |
| |
| But, sore amazed, | |
| Thrilled, o’erfilled, dazzled, and dazed, | 60 |
| Arjuna knelt, and bowed his head, | |
| And clasped his palms, and cried, and said: | |
| |
ARJUNA:
Yea! I have seen! I see! | |
| Lord! all is wrapped in Thee! | |
| The gods are in Thy glorious frame! the creatures | 65 |
| Of earth, and heaven, and hell | |
| In Thy Divine form dwell, | |
| And in Thy countenance show all the features | |
| |
| Of Brahma, sitting lone | |
| Upon His lotus-throne; | 70 |
| Of saints and sages, and the serpent races | |
| Ananta, Vâsuki. | |
| Yea! mightiest Lord! I see | |
| Thy thousand thousand arms, and breasts, and faces, | |
| |
| And eyes,—on every side | 75 |
| Perfect, diversified; | |
| And nowhere end of Thee, nowhere beginning, | |
| Nowhere a centre! Shifts | |
| Wherever soul’s gaze lifts | |
| Thy central Self, all-willing, and all-winning! | 80 |
| |
| Infinite King! I see | |
| The anadem on Thee, | |
| The club, the shell, the discus; see Thee burning | |
| In beams insufferable, | |
| Lighting earth, heaven, and hell | 85 |
| With brilliance blinding, glorious, flashing, turning | |
| |
| Darkness to dazzling day, | |
| Look I whichever way. | |
| Ah, Lord! I worship Thee, the Undivided, | |
| The Uttermost of thought, | 90 |
| The Treasure-Palace wrought | |
| To hold the wealth of the worlds; the shield provided | |
| |
| To shelter Virtue’s laws; | |
| The Fount whence Life’s stream draws | |
| All waters of all rivers of all being: | 95 |
| The One Unborn, Unending: | |
| Unchanging and unblending! | |
| With might and majesty, past thought, past seeing! | |
| |
| Silver of moon and gold | |
| Of sun are glances rolled | 100 |
| From Thy great eyes; Thy visage beaming tender | |
| Over the stars and skies, | |
| Doth to warm life surprise | |
| Thy Universe. The worlds are filled with wonder | |
| |
| Of Thy perfections! Space | 105 |
| Star-sprinkled, and the place | |
| From pole to pole of the heavens, from bound to bound, | |
| Hath Thee in every spot, | |
| Thee, Thee!—Where Thou art not | |
| O Holy, Marvellous Form! is nowhere found! | 110 |
| |
| O Mystic, Awful One! | |
| At sight of Thee, made known, | |
| The Three Worlds quake; the lower gods draw nigh Thee; | |
| They fold their palms, and bow | |
| Body, and breast, and brow, | 115 |
| And, whispering worship, laud and magnify Thee! | |
| |
| Rishis and Siddhas cry | |
| “Hail! Highest Majesty!” | |
| From sage and singer breaks the hymn of glory | |
| In holy melody, | 120 |
| Sounding the praise of Thee, | |
| While countless companies take up the story, | |
| |
| Rudras, who rides the storms, | |
| Th’ Adityas’ shining forms, | |
| Vasus and Sâdhyas, Viswas, Ushmapas, | 125 |
| Maruts, and those great Twins, | |
| The heavenly, fair, Aswins, | |
| Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Siddhas, Asuras,— | |
| |
| These see Thee, and revere | |
| In silence-stricken fear; | 130 |
| Yea! the Worlds,—seeing Thee with form stupendous, | |
| With faces manifold, | |
| With eyes which all behold, | |
| Unnumbered eyes, vast arms, members tremendous, | |
| |
| Flanks, lit with sun and star, | 135 |
| Feet planted near and far, | |
| Tushes of terror, mouths wrathful and tender;— | |
| The Three wide Worlds before Thee | |
| Adore, as I adore Thee, | |
| Quake, as I quake, to witness so much splendor! | 140 |
| |
| I mark Thee strike the skies | |
| With front in wondrous wise | |
| Huge, rainbow-painted, glittering; and thy mouth | |
| Opened, and orbs which see | |
| All things, whatever be, | 145 |
| In all Thy worlds, east, west, and north and south. | |
| |
| O Eyes of God! O Head! | |
| My strength of soul is fled, | |
| Gone is heart’s force, rebuked is mind’s desire! | |
| When I behold Thee so, | 150 |
| With awful brows a-glow, | |
| With burning glance, and lips lighted with fire, | |
| |
| Fierce as those flames which shall | |
| Consume, at close of all, | |
| Earth, Heaven! Ah me! I see no Earth and Heaven! | 155 |
| Thee, Lord of Lords! I see, | |
| Thee only—only Thee! | |
| Ah! let Thy mercy unto me be given! | |
| |
| Thou Refuge of the World! | |
| Lo! to the cavern hurled | 160 |
| Of Thy wide-opened throat, and lips white-tushed, | |
| I see our noblest ones, | |
| Great Dhritarashtra’s sons, | |
| Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, caught and crushed! | |
| |
| The Kings and Chiefs drawn in, | 165 |
| That gaping gorge within; | |
| The best of all both armies torn and riven! | |
| Between Thy jaws they lie | |
| Mangled fell bloodily, | |
| Ground into dust and death! Like streams down driven | 170 |
| |
| With helpless haste, which go | |
| In headlong furious flow | |
| Straight to the gulfing maw of th’ unfilled ocean, | |
| So to that flaming cave | |
| These heroes great and brave | 175 |
| Pour, in unending streams, with helpless motion! | |
| |
| Like months which in the night | |
| Flutter towards a light, | |
| Drawn to their fiery doom, flying and dying, | |
| So to their death still throng, | 180 |
| Blind, dazzled, borne along | |
| Ceaselessly, all these multitudes, wild flying! | |
| |
| Thou, that hast fashioned men, | |
| Devourest them agen, | |
| One with another, great and small, alike! | 185 |
| The creatures whom Thou mak’st, | |
| With flaming jaws Thou tak’st, | |
| Lapping them up! Lord God! Thy terrors strike | |
| |
| From end to end of earth, | |
| Filling life full, from birth | 190 |
| To death, with deadly, burning, lurid dread! | |
| Ah, Vishnu! make me know | |
| Why is Thy visage so? | |
| Who art Thou, feasting thus upon Thy dead? | |
| |
| Who? awful Deity! | 195 |
| I bow myself to Thee, | |
| Nâmostu Tê Devavara! Prasîd! 2 | |
| O Mightiest Lord! rehearse | |
| Why hast Thou face so fierce? | |
| Whence did this aspect horrible proceed? | 200 |
| |
KRISHNA:
Thou seest Me as Time who kills, Time who brings all to doom, | |
| The Slayer Time, Ancient of Days, come hither to consume; | |
| Excepting thee, of all these hosts of hostile chiefs arrayed, | |
| There shines not one shall leave alive the battlefield! Dismayed | |
| No longer be! Arise! obtain renown! destroy thy foes! | 205 |
| Fight for the kingdom waiting thee when thou hast vanquished those. | |
| By Me they fall—not thee! the stroke of death is dealt them now, | |
| Even as they stand thus gallantly; My instrument art thou! | |
| Strike, strong-armed Prince! at Drona! at Bhishma strike! deal death | |
| To Karna, Jyadratha; stay all this warlike breath! | 210 |
| ’Tis I who bid them perish! Thou wilt but slay the slain. | |
| Fight! they must fall, and thou must live, victor upon this plain! | |
| |
SANJAYA:
Hearing mighty Keshav’s word, | |
| Tremblingly that helmèd Lord | |
| Clasped his lifted palms, and—praying | 215 |
| Grace of Krishna—stood there, saying, | |
| With bowed brow and accents broken, | |
| These words, timorously spoken: | |
| |
ARJUNA:
Worthily, Lord of Might! | |
| The whole world hath delight | 220 |
| In Thy surpassing power, obeying Thee; | |
| The Rakshasas, in dread | |
| At sight of Thee, are sped | |
| To all four quarters; and the company | |
| |
| Of Siddhas sound Thy name. | 225 |
| How should they not proclaim | |
| Thy Majesties, Divinest, Mightiest? | |
| Thou Brahm, than Brahma greater! | |
| Thou Infinite Creator! | |
| Thou God of gods, Life’s Dwelling-place and Rest! | 230 |
| |
| Thou, of all souls the Soul! | |
| The Comprehending Whole! | |
| Of Being formed, and formless Being the Framer; | |
| O Utmost One! O Lord! | |
| Older than eld, Who stored | 235 |
| The worlds with wealth of life. O Treasure-claimed. | |
| |
| Who wottest all, and art | |
| Wisdom Thyself! O Part | |
| In all, and all, for all from Thee have risen! | |
| Numberless now I see | 240 |
| The aspects are of Thee! | |
| Vayu 3 Thou art, and He who keeps the prison | |
| |
| Of Narak, Yama dark, | |
| And Agni’s shining spark. | |
| Varuna’s waves are Thy waves. Moon and star-light | 245 |
| Are Thine! Prajâpati | |
| Art Thou, and ’tis to Thee | |
| Men kneel in worshipping the old world’s far light, | |
| |
| The first of mortal men. | |
| Again, Thou God! again | 250 |
| A thousand thousand times be magnified! | |
| Honor and worship be— | |
| Glory and praise,—to Thee | |
| Namô, Namastê, cried on every side. | |
| |
| Cried here, above, below, | 255 |
| Uttered when Thou dost go, | |
| Uttered when Thou dost come! Namô! we call. | |
| Namôstu! God adored! | |
| Namôstu! Nameless Lord! | |
| Hail to Thee! Praise to Thee! Thou One in all. | 260 |
| |
| For Thou art All! Yea, Thou! | |
| Ah! if in anger now | |
| Thou shouldst remember I did think Thee Friend, | |
| Speaking with easy speech, | |
| As men use each to each; | 265 |
| Did call Thee “Krishna,” “Prince,” nor comprehend | |
| |
| Thy hidden majesty, | |
| The might, the awe of Thee; | |
| Did, in my heedlessness, or in my love, | |
| On journey, or in jest, | 270 |
| Or when we lay at rest, | |
| Sitting at council, straying in the grove, | |
| |
| Alone, or in the throng, | |
| Do Thee, most Holy wrong, | |
| Be Thy grace granted for that witless sin! | 275 |
| For Thou art now I know, | |
| Father of all below, | |
| Of all above, of all the worlds within, | |
| |
| Guru of Gurus, more | |
| To reverence and adore | 280 |
| Than all which is adorable and high! | |
| How, in the wide worlds three | |
| Should any equal be? | |
| Shall any other share Thy majesty? | |
| |
| Therefore, with body bent | 285 |
| And reverent intent, | |
| I praise, and serve, and seek Thee, asking grace. | |
| As father to a son, | |
| As friend to friend, as one | |
| Who loveth to his lover, turn Thy face | 290 |
| |
| In gentleness on me! | |
| Good is it I did see | |
| This unknown marvel of Thy Form! But fear | |
| Mingles with joy! Retake, | |
| Dear Lord! for pity’s sake | 295 |
| Thine earthly shape, which earthly eyes may bear! | |
| |
| Be merciful, and show | |
| The visage that I know; | |
| Let me regard Thee, as of yore, arrayed | |
| With disc and forehead-gem, | 300 |
| With mace and anedem, | |
| Thou who sustainest all things! Undismayed | |
| |
| Let me once more behold | |
| The form I loved of old, | |
| Thou of the thousand arms and countless eyes! | 305 |
| My frightened heart is fain | |
| To see restored again | |
| The Charioteer, my Krishna’s kind disguise. | |
| |
KRISHNA:
Yea! thou hast seen, Arjuna! because I loved thee well, | |
| The secret countenance of Me, revealed by mystic spell, | 310 |
| Shining, and wonderful, and vast, majestic, manifold, | |
| Which none save thou in all the years had favor to behold: | |
| For not by Vedas cometh this, nor sacrifice, nor alms, | |
| Nor works well-done, nor penance long, nor prayers nor chaunted psalms, | |
| That mortal eyes should bear to view the Immortal Soul unclad, | 315 |
| Prince of the Kurus! This was kept for thee alone! Be glad! | |
| Let no more trouble shake thy heart because thine eyes have seen | |
| My terror with My glory. As I before have been | |
| So will I be again for thee; with lightened heart behold! | |
| Once more I am thy Krishna, the form thou knew’st of old! | 320 |
| |
SANJAYA:
These words to Arjuna spake | |
| Vâsudev, and straight did take | |
| Back again the semblance dear | |
| Of the well-loved charioteer; | |
| Peace and joy it did restore | 325 |
| When the Prince beheld once more | |
| Mighty BRAHMA’s form and face | |
| Clothed in Krishna’s gentle grace. | |
| |
ARKUNA:
Now that I see come back, Janardana! | |
| This friendly human frame, my mind can think | 330 |
| Calm thoughts once more; my heart beats still again! | |
| |
KRISHNA:
Yea! it was wonderful and terrible | |
| To view me as thou didst, dear Prince! The gods | |
| Dread and desire continually to view! | |
| Yet not by Vedas, nor from sacrifice, | 335 |
| Nor penance, nor gift-giving, nor with prayer | |
| Shall any so behold, as thou hast seen! | |
| Only by fullest service, perfect faith, | |
| And uttermost surrender am I known | |
| And seen, and entered into, Indian Prince! | 340 |
| Who doeth all for Me; who findeth Me | |
| In all; adoreth always; loveth all | |
| Which I have made, and Me, for Love’s sole end, | |
| That man, Arjuna! unto Me doth wend. | |
| |
Here endeth Chapter XI. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, | 345 |
entitled “Viswarupdarsanam,” or “The Book | |
of the Manifesting of the One | |
and Manifold” | |
