Bhagavad Gita · 11.38 · Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God·38 of 55
त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराण स्त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम्।वेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप ॥
tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣhaḥ purāṇas tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam
vettāsi vedyaṁ cha paraṁ cha dhāma tvayā tataṁ viśhvam ananta-rūpa
Sanskrit recitation
After awe — devotion · 11.35–11.55 · Teaching
Translation
You are the primal God, the ancient Purusha, the supreme refuge of this universe, the knower, the knowable, and the supreme Abode. Through You, the universe is pervaded, O Being of infinite forms.
Meaning
Primal God, because the Lord is the creator of the universe.Purusha, because the Lord lies in the body (Puri Sayanat).Nidhaanam That in which the world rests during the great deluge or cosmic dissolution.The pot comes out of the clay and gets merged in clay. Even so the world has come out of the Lord and gets dissolved or involved in the Lord. So the Lord is the material cause of the world. Therefore, He is the primal God and the supreme refuge also.Vetta Knower of the knowable things. As the Lord is omniscient, He knows all about the world, and He is the instrumental or the efficient cause of this world.Param Dhama Supreme Abode of Vishnu. Just as the rope (the substratum for the superimposed snake) pervades the snake, so also Brahman or Vishnu through His Nature as ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute pervades the whole universe.Moreover --
After Swami Sivananda
After awe — devotion· 11.35–11.55→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 11.35Sanjaya said, Having heard that speech of Lord Krishna, Arjuna, with joined palms, trembling, prostrated himself, again addressing Krishna in a choked voice, bowing down, overwhelmed with fear.
- 11.36Arjuna said, "It is fitting, O Krishna, that the world delights and rejoices in Your praise; demons fly in fear in all directions and the hosts of the perfected ones bow to You."
- 11.37And why should they not, O great Soul, bow to Thee Who art greater than all else, the primal cause even of the Creator (Brahma), O Infinite Being, O Lord of the gods, O Abode of the universe; Thou art the imperishable, the Being, the non-being, and That which is supreme—that which is beyond the Being and the non-being.
11.38You are the primal God, the ancient Purusha, the supreme refuge of this universe, the knower, the knowable, and the supreme Abode. Through You, the universe is pervaded, O Being of infinite forms.
- 11.39You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, the Creator, and the great-grandfather. I offer my salutations to You a thousand times, and again I offer my salutations to You.
- 11.40Salutations to You in front and behind! Salutations to You on every side! O All! You, infinite in power and prowess, pervade all; therefore You are all.
- 11.41Whatever I have presumptuously said from carelessness or love, addressing You as O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend! regarding You merely as a friend, unknowing of Your greatness.
- 11.42In whatever way I may have insulted You for the sake of fun, while at play, reposing, sitting, or at meals, when alone (with You), O Krishna, or in company, that I implore You, immeasurable one, to forgive.
- 11.43Thou art the Father of this world, both moving and unmoving. Thou art to be adored by this world; Thou, the greatest Guru; for none exists who is equal to Thee; how then could there be another superior to Thee in the three worlds, O Being of unrivaled power?
- 11.44Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I crave Thy forgiveness, O adorable Lord. As a father forgives his son, a friend his dear friend, a lover his beloved, even so may Thou forgive me, O God.
- 11.45I am delighted, having seen something never seen before; yet my mind is distressed with fear. Show me that form only, O God; have mercy, O God of gods, O Abode of the universe.
- 11.46I desire to see You as before, crowned, bearing a mace, with the discus in hand, in Your former form only, having four arms, O thousand-armed, Cosmic Being.
- 11.47The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, this Cosmic Form has graciously been shown to you by Me through My own Yogic power. It is full of splendour, primeval, and infinite; this Cosmic Form of Mine has never been seen before by anyone other than you."
- 11.48Neither by the study of the Vedas, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifices, nor by severe austerities, can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than yourself, O great hero of the Kurus (Arjuna).
- 11.49Do not be afraid, nor be bewildered on seeing such a terrible form of Mine; with your fear dispelled and with a gladdened heart, now behold again this former form of Mine.
- 11.50Sanjaya said, Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Krishna again showed His own form. The great Soul, assuming His gentle form, then consoled Arjuna, who was terrified.
- 11.51Arjuna said, "Having seen this Thy gentle human form, O Krishna, now I am composed and have been restored to my own nature."
- 11.52The Blessed Lord said, "It is very hard indeed to see this form of Mine which thou hast seen; even the gods are ever longing to behold it."
- 11.53Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as thou hast seen Me so easily.
- 11.54But by single-minded devotion, I can be known, seen, and entered into in reality, O Arjuna.
- 11.55He who does all actions for Me, who regards Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears no enmity towards any creature, he comes to Me, O Arjuna.
Word-by-word→
- tvam
- you
- ādi-devaḥ
- the original Divine God
- puruṣhaḥ
- personality
- purāṇaḥ
- primeval
- asya
- of (this)
- viśhwasya
- universe
- param
- Supreme
- nidhānam
- resting place
- vettā
- the knower
- asi
- you are
- vedyam
- the object of knowledge
- cha
- and
- dhāma
- Abode
- tvayā
- by you
- tatam
- pervaded
- viśhwam
- the universe
- ananta-rūpa
- posessor of infinite forms
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