Swamiji explains Arjuna’s fear of God’s Universal aspect
SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 465
Swamiji explains Arjuna's words as found in the Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 11, V. 15 to 31; and 43 to 46
When Arjuna had the vision of the Vishvaroopa, he became wonder-struck and very fearful. He said to Sri Krishna, "O Lord, you have showed me that one plus one does not only equal two, it equals four halves, eight quarters. In you there are many diverse ways of thought. In you there are living beings, in you there are dead beings, in you there is fire, in you there is water. O Lord, these contradictory happenings – which cannot happen simultaneously at the human level – are happening. I am fearful, my Lord, because even when I see it I cannot understand it. My mind is so small, O Lord, I am fearful. I know Lord that you are the God of the whole universe."
[Swamiji quotes from Isa Upanishad]
Isa vasyam idagung sarvam
yat kim ca jagatyam jagat.
Tena tyak tena bhunjithah
magridha kasya svid dhanam.
[Swamiji's paraphrase of Arjuna continues] "You permeate permeation. You permeate Yourself. You even permeate all things which are apparently not You. O God, I cannot understand it even though you showed it to me. Now I want to see my Chosen Ideal's form, that Ideal that I worship, that Ideal that my mother and father worshipped before I was born. Lord, now reveal yourself with shanka (conch), chakra (discus), gada (club), padma (lotus), with a smiling, benign look, blessing me. It seems to me that on one side there is beauty in that form of Yours and on the other side there is ugliness. On one side I see there is happiness and on the other, in the same form, I see fearfulness. It seems to me that my mind is so small, in this Vishvaroopa, that fear is overtaking me. I cannot understand it, my Lord. Reveal to me the form that I worshipped all this time."
Then Sri Krishna revealed to him his Chosen Ideal's [Ishta Deva's] form, Lord Vishnu's form with the shanka, chakra, gada and padma. Then smiling, he became his friend, Sri Krishna, again.
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Reference websites: Ramakrishna Math & Mission, Ramakrishna Centre of Southern Africa, Sri Ramakrishna Dham