The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 6.33: trayastriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

6.33.1

arjuna uvāca |
madanugrahāya paramaṃ guhyamadhyātmasaṃjñitam |
yattvayoktaṃ vacastena moho'yaṃ vigato mama || 1 ||

"Arjuna said,--'This discourse about the supreme mystery, called Adhyatman, which thou hast uttered for my welfare, hath dispelled my delusion. For I have heard at large from thee of the creation and dissolution of beings, O thou of eyes like lotus petals, and also of thy greatness that knoweth no deterioration. What thou hast said about thyself, O great Lord, is even so. O best of Male Beings, I desire to behold thy sovereign form. If, O Lord, thou thinkest that I am competent to behold that (form), then, O Lord of mystic power, show me thy eternal Self. '

6.33.2

bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṃ śrutau vistaraśo mayā |
tvattaḥ kamalapatrākṣa māhātmyamapi cāvyayam || 2 ||

6.33.3

evametadyathāttha tvamātmānaṃ parameśvara |
draṣṭumicchāmi te rūpamaiśvaraṃ puruṣottama || 3 ||

6.33.4

manyase yadi tacchakyaṃ mayā draṣṭumiti prabho |
yogeśvara tato me tvaṃ darśayātmānamavyayam || 4 ||

6.33.5

śrībhagavānuvāca |
paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ |
nānāvidhāni divyāni nānāvarṇākṛtīni ca || 5 ||

"The Holy One said, 'Behold, O son of Pritha, my forms by hundreds and thousands, various, divine, diverse in hue and shape. Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Aswins, and the Maruts. Behold, O Bharata, innumerable marvels unseen before (by thee). Behold, O thou of curly hair, the entire universe of mobiles and immobiles, collected together in this body of mine, whatever else thou mayst wish to see. Thou art, however, not competent to behold me with this eye of thine. I give thee celestial sight. Behold my sovereign mystic nature.'"

6.33.6

paśyādityānvasūnrudrānaśvinau marutastathā |
bahūnyadṛṣṭapūrvāṇi paśyāścaryāṇi bhārata || 6 ||

6.33.7

ihaikasthaṃ jagatkṛtsnaṃ paśyādya sacarācaram |
mama dehe guḍākeśa yaccānyaddraṣṭumicchasi || 7 ||

6.33.8

na tu māṃ śakyase draṣṭumanenaiva svacakṣuṣā |
divyaṃ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ paśya me yogamaiśvaram || 8 ||

6.33.9

saṃjaya uvāca |
evamuktvā tato rājanmahāyogeśvaro hariḥ |
darśayāmāsa pārthāya paramaṃ rūpamaiśvaram || 9 ||

Sanjaya continued,--"Having said this, O monarch, Hari, the mighty Lord of mystic power, then revealed to the son of Pritha his Supreme sovereign form, with many mouths and eyes, many wonderous aspects, many celestial ornaments, many celestial weapons uplifted, wearing celestial garlands and robes, (and) with unguents of celestial fragrance, full of every wonder, resplendent, infinite, with faces turned on all sides. If the splendour of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky, [paragraph continues] (then) that would be like the splendour of that Mighty One. The son of Pandu then beheld there in the body of that God of gods the entire universe divided and sub-divided into many parts, all collected together. Then Dhananjaya, filled with amazement, (and) with hair standing on end, bowing with (his) head, with joined hands addressed the God.

6.33.10

anekavaktranayanamanekādbhutadarśanam |
anekadivyābharaṇaṃ divyānekodyatāyudham || 10 ||

6.33.11

divyamālyāmbaradharaṃ divyagandhānulepanam |
sarvāścaryamayaṃ devamanantaṃ viśvatomukham || 11 ||

6.33.12

divi sūryasahasrasya bhavedyugapadutthitā |
yadi bhāḥ sadṛśī sā syādbhāsastasya mahātmanaḥ || 12 ||

6.33.13

tatraikasthaṃ jagatkṛtsnaṃ pravibhaktamanekadhā |
apaśyaddevadevasya śarīre pāṇḍavastadā || 13 ||

6.33.14

tataḥ sa vismayāviṣṭo hṛṣṭaromā dhanaṃjayaḥ |
praṇamya śirasā devaṃ kṛtāñjalirabhāṣata || 14 ||

6.33.15

arjuna uvāca |
paśyāmi devāṃstava deva dehe sarvāṃstathā bhūtaviśeṣasaṃghān |
brahmāṇamīśaṃ kamalāsanasthamṛṣīṃśca sarvānuragāṃśca divyān || 15 ||

"Arjuna said, 'I behold all the gods, O God, as also all the varied hosts of creatures, (and) Brahman seated on (his) lotus seat, and all the Rishis and the celestial snakes. I behold Thee with innumerable arms, stomachs, mouths, (and) eyes, on every side, O thou of infinite forms. Neither end nor middle, nor also beginning of thine do I behold, O Lord of the universe, O thou of universal form. Bearing (thy) diadem, mace, and discus, a mass of energy, glowing on all sides, do I behold thee that art hard to look at, endued on all sides with the effulgence of the blazing fire or the Sun, (and) immeasurable. Thou art indestructible, (and) the Supreme object of this universe. Thou art without decay, the guardian of eternal virtue. I regard thee to be the eternal (male) Being. I behold thee to be without beginning, mean, end, to be of infinite prowess, of innumerable arms, having the Sun and the Moon for thy eyes, the blazing fire for thy mouth, and heating this universe with energy of thy own. For the space betwixt heaven and earth is pervaded by Thee alone, as also all the points of the horizon. At sight of this marvellous and fierce form of thine, O Supreme Soul, the triple world trembleth. For these hosts of gods are entering thee. Some, afraid, are praying with joined hands. Saying Hail to Thee--the hosts of great Rishis and Siddhas praise Thee with copious hymns of praise. The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, they that (called) the Siddhas, the Viswas, the Aswins, the Maruts, also the Ushmapas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras, the hosts of Siddhyas, behold Thee and are all amazed. Beholding Thy mighty form with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed one, with innumerable arms, thighs and feet, many stomachs, (and) terrible in consequence of many tusks, all creatures are frightened and I also. Indeed, touching the very skies, of blazing radiance, many-hued, mouth wide-open, with eyes that are blazing and large, beholding thee, O Vishnu, with (my) inner soul trembling (in fright), I can no longer command courage and peace of mind. Beholding thy mouths that are terrible in consequence of (their) tusks, and that are fierce (as the all-destroying fire at the end of the Yuga), I cannot recognise the points of the horizon nor can I command peace of mind. Be gracious, O God of gods, O thou that art the refuge of the Universe. And all these sons of Dhritarashtra, together with the hosts of kings, and Bhishma, and Drona, and also this Suta's son (Karna), accompanied by even the principal warriors of our side, are quickly entering thy terrible mouths rendered fierce by thy tusks. Some, with their heads crushed, are seen striking at the interstices of (thy) teeth. As many currents of water flowing through different channels roll rapidly towards the ocean, so these heroes of the world of men enter thy mouths that flame all around. As moths with increasing speed rush for (their own) destruction to the blazing fire, so also do (these) people, with unceasing speed, enter thy mouths for (their) destruction. Swallowing all these men from every side, thou lickest them with thy flaming mouths. Filling the whole universe with (thy) energy, thy fierce splendours, O Vishnu, are heating (everything). Tell me who thou art of (such) fierce form. I bow to thee, O chief of the gods, be gracious to me. I desire to know thee that art the Primeval One, I do not understand thy action.'

6.33.16

anekabāhūdaravaktranetraṃ paśyāmi tvā sarvato'nantarūpam |
nāntaṃ na madhyaṃ na punastavādiṃ paśyāmi viśveśvara viśvarūpa || 16 ||

6.33.17

kirīṭinaṃ gadinaṃ cakriṇaṃ ca tejorāśiṃ sarvato dīptimantam |
paśyāmi tvāṃ durnirīkṣyaṃ samantāddīptānalārkadyutimaprameyam || 17 ||

6.33.18

tvamakṣaraṃ paramaṃ veditavyaṃ tvamasya viśvasya paraṃ nidhānam |
tvamavyayaḥ śāśvatadharmagoptā sanātanastvaṃ puruṣo mato me || 18 ||

6.33.19

anādimadhyāntamanantavīryamanantabāhuṃ śaśisūryanetram |
paśyāmi tvāṃ dīptahutāśavaktraṃ svatejasā viśvamidaṃ tapantam || 19 ||

6.33.20

dyāvāpṛthivyoridamantaraṃ hi vyāptaṃ tvayaikena diśaśca sarvāḥ |
dṛṣṭvādbhutaṃ rūpamidaṃ tavograṃ lokatrayaṃ pravyathitaṃ mahātman || 20 ||

6.33.21

amī hi tvā surasaṃghā viśanti kecidbhītāḥ prāñjalayo gṛṇanti |
svastītyuktvā maharṣisiddhasaṃghāḥ stuvanti tvāṃ stutibhiḥ puṣkalābhiḥ || 21 ||

6.33.22

rudrādityā vasavo ye ca sādhyā viśve'śvinau marutaścoṣmapāśca |
gandharvayakṣāsurasiddhasaṃghā vīkṣante tvā vismitāścaiva sarve || 22 ||

6.33.23

rūpaṃ mahatte bahuvaktranetraṃ mahābāho bahubāhūrupādam |
bahūdaraṃ bahudaṃṣṭrākarālaṃ dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitāstathāham || 23 ||

6.33.24

nabhaḥspṛśaṃ dīptamanekavarṇaṃ vyāttānanaṃ dīptaviśālanetram |
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṃ pravyathitāntarātmā dhṛtiṃ na vindāmi śamaṃ ca viṣṇo || 24 ||

6.33.25

daṃṣṭrākarālāni ca te mukhāni dṛṣṭvaiva kālānalasaṃnibhāni |
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa || 25 ||

6.33.26

amī ca tvāṃ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ sarve sahaivāvanipālasaṃghaiḥ |
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūtaputrastathāsau sahāsmadīyairapi yodhamukhyaiḥ || 26 ||

6.33.27

vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti daṃṣṭrākarālāni bhayānakāni |
kecidvilagnā daśanāntareṣu saṃdṛśyante cūrṇitairuttamāṅgaiḥ || 27 ||

6.33.28

yathā nadīnāṃ bahavo'mbuvegāḥ samudramevābhimukhā dravanti |
tathā tavāmī naralokavīrā viśanti vaktrāṇyabhivijvalanti || 28 ||

6.33.29

yathā pradīptaṃ jvalanaṃ pataṃgā viśanti nāśāya samṛddhavegāḥ |
tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokāstavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddhavegāḥ || 29 ||

6.33.30

lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāllokānsamagrānvadanairjvaladbhiḥ |
tejobhirāpūrya jagatsamagraṃ bhāsastavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo || 30 ||

6.33.31

ākhyāhi me ko bhavānugrarūpo namo'stu te devavara prasīda |
vijñātumicchāmi bhavantamādyaṃ na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim || 31 ||

6.33.32

śrībhagavānuvāca |
kālo'smi lokakṣayakṛtpravṛddho lokānsamāhartumiha pravṛttaḥ |
ṛte'pi tvā na bhaviṣyanti sarve ye'vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣu yodhāḥ || 32 ||

The Holy One said, "I am Death, the destroyer of the worlds, fully developed. I am now engaged in slaying the race of men. Without thee all these warriors standing in the different divisions shall cease to be. Wherefore, arise, gain glory, (and) vanquishing the foe, enjoy (this) swelling kingdom. By me have all these been already slain. Be only (my) instrument. O thou that can'st draw the bow with (even) the left hand. Drona and Bhishma, and Jayadratha, and Karna, and also other heroic warriors, (already) slain by me, do thou slay. Be not dismayed, fight; thou shalt conquer in battle (thy) foes."

6.33.33

tasmāttvamuttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva jitvā śatrūnbhuṅkṣva rājyaṃ samṛddham |
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvameva nimittamātraṃ bhava savyasācin || 33 ||

6.33.34

droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca jayadrathaṃ ca karṇaṃ tathānyānapi yodhavīrān |
mayā hatāṃstvaṃ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān || 34 ||

6.33.35

saṃjaya uvāca |
etacchrutvā vacanaṃ keśavasya kṛtāñjalirvepamānaḥ kirīṭī |
namaskṛtvā bhūya evāha kṛṣṇaṃ sagadgadaṃ bhītabhītaḥ praṇamya || 35 ||

Sanjaya continued,--"Hearing these words of Kesava, the diadem-decked (Arjuna), trembling, (and) with joined-hands, bowed (unto him); and once more said unto Krishna, with voice choked up and overwhelmed with fear, and making his salutations (to him).--

6.33.36

arjuna uvāca |
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā jagatprahṛṣyatyanurajyate ca |
rakṣāṃsi bhītāni diśo dravanti sarve namasyanti ca siddhasaṃghāḥ || 36 ||

Arjuna said, "It is meet, Hrishikesa, that the universe is delighted and charmed in uttering thy praise, and the Rakshasas flee in fear in all directions, and the hosts of the Siddhas bow down (to thee). And why should they not bow down to thee, O Supreme Soul, that are greater than even Brahman (himself), and the primal cause? O thou that art Infinite. O God of the gods, O thou that art the refuge of the universe, thou art indestructible, thou art that which is, and that which is not and that which is beyond (both). Thou art the First God, the ancient (male) Being, thou art the Supreme refuge of this universe. Thou art the Knower, thou art the Object to be known, thou art the highest abode.

6.33.37

kasmācca te na nameranmahātmangarīyase brahmaṇo'pyādikartre |
ananta deveśa jagannivāsa tvamakṣaraṃ sadasattatparaṃ yat || 37 ||

6.33.38

tvamādidevaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇastvamasya viśvasya paraṃ nidhānam |
vettāsi vedyaṃ ca paraṃ ca dhāma tvayā tataṃ viśvamanantarūpa || 38 ||

[paragraph continues] By thee is pervaded this universe, O thou of infinite form. Thou art Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, Moon, Prajapati, and Grandsire. Obeisance be to thee a thousand times, and again and yet again obeisance to thee. Obeisance to thee in front, and also from behind. Let obeisance be to thee from every side, O thou that art all. Thou art all, of energy that is infinite, and prowess that is immeasurable. Thou embracest the All. Regarding (thee) a friend whatever hath been said by me carelessly, such as--O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend,--not knowing this thy greatness from want of judgement or from love either, whatever disrespect hath been shown thee for purpose of mirth, on occasions of play, lying, sitting, (or) at meals, while alone or in the presence of others, O undeteriorating one, I beg thy pardon for it, that art immeasurable. Thou art the father of this universe of mobiles and immobiles. Thou art the great master deserving of worship. There is none equal to thee, how can there be one greater? O thou whose power is unparalleled in even three worlds? Therefore bowing (to thee) prostrating (my) body, I ask thy grace, O Lord, O adorable one. It behoveth thee. O God, to bear (my faults) as a father (his) son's, a friend (his) friend's, a lover (his) loved one's. Beholding (thy) form (unseen) before, I have been joyful, (yet) my mind hath been troubled, with fear. Show me that (other ordinary) form, O God. Be gracious, O Lord of the gods, O thou that art the refuge of the universe. (Decked) in diadem, and (armed) with mace, discus in hand, as before, I desire to behold thee. Be of that same four-armed form, O thou of a thousand arms, thou of universal form."

6.33.39

vāyuryamo'gnirvaruṇaḥ śaśāṅkaḥ prajāpatistvaṃ prapitāmahaśca |
namo namaste'stu sahasrakṛtvaḥ punaśca bhūyo'pi namo namaste || 39 ||

6.33.40

namaḥ purastādatha pṛṣṭhataste namo'stu te sarvata eva sarva |
anantavīryāmitavikramastvaṃ sarvaṃ samāpnoṣi tato'si sarvaḥ || 40 ||

6.33.41

sakheti matvā prasabhaṃ yaduktaṃ he kṛṣṇa he yādava he sakheti |
ajānatā mahimānaṃ tavedaṃ mayā pramādātpraṇayena vāpi || 41 ||

6.33.42

yaccāvahāsārthamasatkṛto'si vihāraśayyāsanabhojaneṣu |
eko'tha vāpyacyuta tatsamakṣaṃ tatkṣāmaye tvāmahamaprameyam || 42 ||

6.33.43

pitāsi lokasya carācarasya tvamasya pūjyaśca gururgarīyān |
na tvatsamo'styabhyadhikaḥ kuto'nyo lokatraye'pyapratimaprabhāva || 43 ||

6.33.44

tasmātpraṇamya praṇidhāya kāyaṃ prasādaye tvāmahamīśamīḍyam |
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuḥ priyaḥ priyāyārhasi deva soḍhum || 44 ||

6.33.45

adṛṣṭapūrvaṃ hṛṣito'smi dṛṣṭvā bhayena ca pravyathitaṃ mano me |
tadeva me darśaya deva rūpaṃ prasīda deveśa jagannivāsa || 45 ||

6.33.46

kirīṭinaṃ gadinaṃ cakrahastamicchāmi tvāṃ draṣṭumahaṃ tathaiva |
tenaiva rūpeṇa caturbhujena sahasrabāho bhava viśvamūrte || 46 ||

6.33.47

śrībhagavānuvāca |
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṃ rūpaṃ paraṃ darśitamātmayogāt |
tejomayaṃ viśvamanantamādyaṃ yanme tvadanyena na dṛṣṭapūrvam || 47 ||

"The Holy One said, 'Pleased with thee, O Arjuna, I have, by my (own) mystic power, shown thee this supreme form, full of glory, Universal, Infinite, Primeval, which hath been seen before by none save thee. Except by thee alone, hero of Kuru's race, I cannot be seen in this form in the world of men by any one else, (aided) even by the study of the Vedas and of sacrifices, by gifts, by actions, (or) by the severest austerities. Let no fear be thine, nor perplexity of mind at seeing this awful form of mine. Freed from fear with a joyful heart, thou again see Me assuming that other form.'"

6.33.48

na vedayajñādhyayanairna dānairna ca kriyābhirna tapobhirugraiḥ |
evaṃrūpaḥ śakya ahaṃ nṛloke draṣṭuṃ tvadanyena kurupravīra || 48 ||

6.33.49

mā te vyathā mā ca vimūḍhabhāvo dṛṣṭvā rūpaṃ ghoramīdṛṅmamedam |
vyapetabhīḥ prītamanāḥ punastvaṃ tadeva me rūpamidaṃ prapaśya || 49 ||

6.33.50

saṃjaya uvāca |
ityarjunaṃ vāsudevastathoktvā svakaṃ rūpaṃ darśayāmāsa bhūyaḥ |
āśvāsayāmāsa ca bhītamenaṃ bhūtvā punaḥ saumyavapurmahātmā || 50 ||

Sanjaya continued,--"Vasudeva, having said all this to Arjuna, once more showed (him) his own (ordinary) form, and that High-Souled one, assuming once more (his) gentle form, comforted him who had been afflicted."

6.33.51

arjuna uvāca |
dṛṣṭvedaṃ mānuṣaṃ rūpaṃ tava saumyaṃ janārdana |
idānīmasmi saṃvṛttaḥ sacetāḥ prakṛtiṃ gataḥ || 51 ||

"Arjuna said, 'Beholding this gentle human form of thine, O Janardana, I have now become of right mind and have come to my normal state.'

6.33.52

śrībhagavānuvāca |
sudurdarśamidaṃ rūpaṃ dṛṣṭavānasi yanmama |
devā apyasya rūpasya nityaṃ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ || 52 ||

"The Holy One said, 'This form of mine which thou hast seen is difficult of being seen. Even the gods are always desirous of becoming spectators of this (my) form. Not by the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifices, can I be seen in this form of mine which thou hast seen. By reverence, however, that is exclusive (in its objects), O Arjuna, I can in this form be known, seen truly, and attained to, O chastiser of foes. He who doth everything for me, who hath me for his supreme object, who is freed from attachment, who is without enmity towards all beings, even he, O Arjuna, cometh to me.'

6.33.53

nāhaṃ vedairna tapasā na dānena na cejyayā |
śakya evaṃvidho draṣṭuṃ dṛṣṭavānasi māṃ yathā || 53 ||

6.33.54

bhaktyā tvananyayā śakya ahamevaṃvidho'rjuna |
jñātuṃ draṣṭuṃ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṃ ca paraṃtapa || 54 ||

6.33.55

matkarmakṛnmatparamo madbhaktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ |
nirvairaḥ sarvabhūteṣu yaḥ sa māmeti pāṇḍava || 55 ||