SWAMY DESIKAN'S SUMMARY OF THE 11th CHAPTER OF GEETHA – PAASURAM 12
The ELEVENTH Chapter of SrImath Bhagavath GeethA has 55 slOkams. This chapter is about the vision of the cosmic form (Viswa Roopam) of the Lord .
INTRODUCTION:
AchArya RaamAnujA says: “Having heard from the Lord of His divine nature unique to Him and of the entire universe as having its proper form, existence and activities (Svaroopa, sTithi and Pravrutthi) dependent on Him, and being convinced of the truth of this doctrine, Arjuna (was) still desirous of perceiving the Lord in this way and conveyed his longing to the Lord. By the grace of the Lord, Arjuna was able to see Him” in His cosmic form.
The Lord gave Arjuna the divine vision (Dhivya Chakshus) to see Him in His Viswa Roopam. Arjuna saw the Lord in His infinite form with countless limbs with no end, middle or beginning. Arjuna became panic stricken at the sight of the Lord devouring all the worlds on every side and saw all the sons of DhrutarAshra entering the fearful mouth of the Lord and being ground up into powder. Arjuna observed that these heroes rush in to the Lord's mouth
like moths rushing quickly into a raging fire to meet their death. The terrified Arjuna asks the Lord about the purpose of taking such a fierce form. The Lord replied: “O ArjunA, the great bowman! I am the world-destroying time. Manifesting fully, I have begun to destroy the worlds here. Even without you, none of these warriors arrayed in the hostile ranks shall survive… Therefore arise, win glory. Conquering your foes, enjoy a prosperous kingdom. By Me, they (Your foes) have been slain already. You be merely an instrument”. The overwhelmed Arjuna fell at the feet of the Lord and begged to be forgiven for all the trespasses from treating the Lord as his friend and equal. He eulogized the Lord and recognized Him as the Lord of all Gods, the ancient (AadhidEvan) and primal One (Pursusha: PurANa:). Beholding the Lord's cosmic form, the overwhelmed Arjuna saluted the Lord a thousands of times:
“NamO NamastE asthu sahsarakruthva: punasccha BhUyOapi namO namastE” Being ignorant of Your majesty and valour, I have called You “Oh KrishNA, Oh Yaadhavaa, Oh Friend” out of friendship and ajn~Anam. Oh ApramEya! Please forgive all disrespect shown to You by me out of my blinding ignorance about Your majesty, valour and Vaibhavam as the Lord of all Gods. Oh Lord of unmatchable greatness! Thou art the Father of the world. You are the Jagath Guru worthy of adoration. There is no one equal or superior to You in all the three worlds.
After seeking the Lord's pardon for earlier trespasses, Arjuna begged the Lord now to resume His non-fierce form (Soumya roopam) with which he was more familiar and comfortable. This is the form with four hands and with a dazzling crown, mace and discus. Lord obliged and took on His human form as the charioteer of Arjuna.
SWAMY ALAVANTHAR'S SUMMARY OF THE 11TH CHAPTER - 15th SlOkam of GeethArtha Sangraham
Ekadashe swayath atmaya sakshat kara avalokanam I
Datta muktam vidi praptyoh bhakti eko upayata tatha II sloka 15
एकादशे स्वयाथ आत्मय साक्षात्कार अवलोकनं I
दत्त मुक्तं विदी प्राप्त्यः भक्ति एको उपयता तथा II स्लोक १५
(MEANING):
In the eleventh chapter, Lord blessed Arjuna with the divine vision to see His cosmic form and stated that Bhakthi is the only upAyam (means) to see, know and attain Him.
SWAMY DESIKAN’S SUMMARY OF THE 11TH CHAPTER--- PAASURAM 12
எல்லாம் தனக்கு உருவை இலங்கும் டான் உரைத்து
சொல்லால் அறிந்தது சோராமல் கண்டிட வேன்டும் என்ற
விள்ளலனுக்கு அன்று மேக் கண் கொடுத்து இது வேறுமுண்டோ
நல்லார்கள் காண்பர் என்று நவின்றான் நங்கள் நாயகனே
yellAm Tanakku uruvAi ilangum vahai Taan- - uraitthu
sollAl aRinthathu sOrAmal kaNDida vENDum yenRa
villALanukku anRu meyk-kaNN kodutthu ithu vERumuNDO
nallArkaL kANpar yenRu navinRAn nangaL NaayakanE
MEANING OF THE FIRST LINE OF THE PAASURAM:
“YellAm Tanakku uruvAi ilangum vahai Taan- - uraitthu”
Arjuna who had received upadEsam until now through the ten chapters made this request to the Lord: I am now free of doubt about Your status as ParamAthmA, Your Lordship over chEthanams and achEthanams, Your indwellership in them all, You are the creator, protector and dissolver of all creation originating from You, You are the abode of infinite auspicious attributes and Your sankalpam is the prime mover of all activities in this world and Your being is the foundation of this universe. I am convinced of these eternal truths through Your upadEsams.
MEANING OF THE SECOND LINE OF THE PAASURAM
“SollAl aRinthathu sOrAmaRk-kaNDida vENDum yenRa VillAlanukku”
Oh Lord! Having heard about Your glories through Your own mouth, I long to see the divine body of Yours, which is the object of such divine attributes. That cosmic form of Yours with all its guNams, vibhUthis and forms is an object of my deep desire for being seen.
MEANING OF THE THIRD LINE OF THE PAASURAM
“AnRu meyk-kaNN kodutthu vERumuNDO”
Our Lord said that Arjuna could not see His cosmic form with his physical eyes and blessed him with the divine vision to see that unique form with thousands and thousands of limbs hosting many worlds and engaged in destroying Arjuna's enemies in the battle field. That cosmic form was fierce and blindingly lustrous. It was adorned with many aabharaNams and looked like the thousands of Suns that have arisen at the same time. Arjuna was frightened by that fierce form of the Lord and asked for pardon for the trespasses made earlier in his relationship with the Lord as His friend. Arjuna begged the Lord to take His benevolent form as KrishNa of enchanting form. The Lord pointed out that the darsanam of his cosmic form is much desired by dEvAs and yet is not attainable by them. He praised Arjuna for having had the good fortune to witness His cosmic form. The Lord pointed out further that one without Bhakthi will not be able to see Him even if he recites VedAs, performs tapas, dhAnam, homam and Yaj~nam. Only through single minded bhakthi in Him and without seeking any other phalan, a true Bhakthan alone can see and enjoy Him said the Lord to Arjuna.
THE MEANING OF THE FOURTH LINE OF THE PAASURAM
“NallOrkaL kaaNbar yenRu navinRAn nagaL NaayakanE”
The Lord of ours instructed Arjuna about those BhAgavathAs who could succeed in seeing Him and enjoying Him:
They perform sakala karmAs prescribed to them such as VedAdhyayanam as aarAdhanam for the Lord
They recognize the Lord as the Phalan for all karmAs. They cannot sustain themselves except through performing kaimkaryam to Him. They have no attachment to any thing because of their overabundant love (Bhakthi) for the Lord They igore the nonlasting and trivial pleasures of SamsAram and turn their attention to the parama sukham of the Lord They attribute their sufferings to the sins accumulated by them They recognize that all the janthus are under BhagavAn's adheenam (control) and they have no enmity towards any one of Lord's creation and They totally cut asunder ajn~Anam as well as ViparItha Jn~Anam to enjoy the Lord fully.
These tathtvams were explained by the Lord to Arjuna in the 11th chapter.
SOME KEY SLOKAMS OF THE 11TH CHAPTER OF BHAGAVATH GEETHA
Tvam aksharam paramam veditavyam tvam asya vishvasya param nidhanam I
Tvam avyayah shashvata dharma gopta sanatanah tvam prurushah mantah me II sloka 18
त्वं अक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं त्वं अस्य विश्वस्य परम् निधानम् I
त्वं अव्ययः शाश्वत धर्म गोप्त सनातनः त्वं पुरुषः मन्तः मे II श्लोक 18
“Oh Lord! Thou art the imperishable, Supreme One to be realized. Thou art the supreme foundation of this universe. Thou art the unchangeable, protector of the eternal law (Saasvatha dharma gOpthA). Thou art understood by me as the everlasting Supreme Being!”
Shri Bhagavan Uvacha
Sudurdarsham idam rupam drushtavan assi yat mama I
Devah api asya rupasya nityam darshan kankshinah II sloka 52
श्री भगवान उवाच
सुदुर्दर्शनम् इदम् रूपं दृष्टवान अस्सी यत् मम I
देवाः अपि अस्य रूपस्य नित्यं दर्शन काङ्क्षिणः II श्लोक 52
Na aham vedaih na tapasa na danena na cha injyaya I
Shakyah evam vidhah drudhtum drushtvan assi mam yatha II sloka 53
न अहम् वेदैः न तपसा न दानेन न च इन्ज्यया I
शक्यः एवं विधः दृष्टुं दृष्टवान अस्सी मां यथ I I श्लोक 53
Bhaktya tu ananyaya shakyah aham evam vidhah arjuna I
Gyantum drashtum cha tad tvena praveshtum cha param tapa II sloka 54
भक्त्या तु अनन्यया शक्यः अहम् एवं विधः अर्जुन I
ज्ञातुम द्रष्टुम च तद त्वेन प्रवेष्टुम च परम तप II स्लोक ५४
MEANING:
It is very difficult to witness this form of Mine, which you have just seen. Even the dEvAs long forever to behold this cosmic form of Mine. This form beheld by you cannot be seen by mastery over VedAs, victory over austerities or by giving gifts galore or by the performance of Yaagams. It can only be seen, known and entered into by single-minded devotion towards Me.
Meaning from Alavandar's Gitarthasangraham, translated by Diwan Bahadur VK Ramanujachari, published by Andavan Ashram
Ekadashe swayath atmaya sakshat kara avalokanam I
Datta muktam vidi praptyoh bhakti eko upayata tatha II sloka 15
एकादशे स्वयाथ आत्मय साक्षात्कार अवलोकनं I
दत्त मुक्तं विदी प्राप्त्यः भक्ति एको उपयता तथा II स्लोक १५
In the eleventh chapter it is stated that a divine eye was given to Arjuna as the means of seeing himself (the highest atma) as He is; so also the fact that love (bhakti) is the only means for knowing him and reaching him
Explanation: Having heard the detailed description of the vibhutis of the highest atma, Arjuna wished to see Him as thus described. Sri Krishna out of his great love complied with his request. he observed that he (Arjuna) could not see him with his eyes. He gave him a divine eye (An eye made of a superior substance other than matter made with three gunas) capable of perceiving him (verse 8). What Arjuna saw is described by the narrator Sanjaya in verses 10-13; It is described by Arjuna himself in verses 15-23. He was frightened by the figure that he saw; for he saw his enemies and many on his own side enter His mouth, and the heads of some crushed by His teeth and reduced to powder. This he states in verses 26-30; and he requested Him to state what he was intent upon (Verse 31). Sri Krishna replied : I am time; the destroyer of the world; I have grown into this terrible form in order to destroy it. Without your effort, the fighting men that stand on your enemies side, will all cease to be. Therefore stand up; bring fame; vanquishing your enemies, enjoy the well-filled kingdom. By Me, alone they have been slain already; Be merely the instrument (verses 32-33).
By the term "Time" it is meant that Sri Krishna was seeing when their lives would come to an end. Slain already - Sri Krishna willed that they should be slain; and this would rarely happen; hence the use of the perfect tense. Arjuna was frightened and prostrating many times before Him, he said that he had not known his greatness; that he had thought that he was a companion; that without humility he had called him "O Krishna, O Yadava, O Comrade"; that from the delusion about his nature or long acquaintance he had treated him without due respect in jest; When they played, reposed, sat or took their meals together; and that this unbecoming behaviour of his was not merely when they were alone but also when others were present (verses 41 -42). He requested him to excuse all this, and said :
"Like a father excusing his sons misdeeds, like a companion overlooking his companions faults, you should bear with me, who are dear to you" (verse 44).
Arjuna then requested Sri krishna to resume his former figure. Sri Krishna complied with the request and after comforting him he said:
"I cannot be seen in this form as you have seen me, by reciting the veda, by tapas (diminution of sense enjoyment), or by making gifts to men or offerings to devatas. But by love, not looking forward to any other goal, it is possible for one to know me, to see me as i am, and to enter into me (verses 53-54).
The meaning is that the things mentioned will not help if there be no love for the highest atma. To know is to know from the vedas; to enter into him is to reach him in the highest heaven and to enjoy him fully as he is and in all forms. It does not mean to become one in substance. The clause "as i am" should be connected with knowing and becoming one. This verse indicates teh various stages of love. In the first stage it creates a desire to know the highest atma as he is, and leads one to a proper teacher; this is known as bhakti. in the next stage, it makes him long to see him as he is; and this leads to his being seen; it is known as para bhakti. In the last stage it leads to a very strong desire to be ever with him and enjoy him fully; it is known as parama bhakti.
The last stage of bhakti is thus described: one reaches me, when he does my work; when in every undertaking he regards me as the highest goal; when he loves me; when he is without attachment; and when he is without ill will to any being (verse 55).
My work - work done as the worship of the highest atma. When he loves me - when he loves the highest atma beyond measure, and recites his names, praises him, meditates on him, places flowers at his feet, prostrates before him and does such things , being unable to support himself without doing them. Without attachment - to anything else. As he alone is dear to him, attachment to anything else is painful. Without ill-will- when suffering is caused by any person, he thinks of his own past karma as its cause and regards the offender as used merely as an instrument for punishing him. One that is all this reaches him and enjoys him fully.
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