Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God
Verse 11.5
श्री भगवानुवाच पश्य मे पार्थ रूपाणि शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। नानाविधानि दिव्यानि नानावर्णाकृतीनि च।।11.5।।
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha paśhya me pārtha rūpāṇi śhataśho ’tha sahasraśhaḥ nānā-vidhāni divyāni nānā-varṇākṛitīni cha
Word Meanings
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Lord said; paśhya—behold; me—my; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; rūpāṇi—forms; śhataśhaḥ—by the hundreds; atha—and; sahasraśhaḥ—thousands; nānā-vidhāni—various; divyāni—divine; nānā—various; varṇa—colors; ākṛitīni—shapes; cha—and
Translation · English
The Blessed Lord said, "Behold, O Arjuna, forms of Mine, by the hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, divine, and of various colors and shapes."
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Krishna invites Arjuna to transcend the limited, human perception of divinity and gaze upon the vast, multidimensional reality of the Absolute. By commanding Arjuna to 'behold,' Krishna is not merely showing a visual spectacle, but is stripping away the veils of māyā—the cosmic illusion that suggests the world is composed of separate, static entities. The mention of 'hundreds and thousands' of forms signifies that the Divine is not confined to a single manifestation; rather, it is the infinite source from which all existence flows, possessing a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes that defy categorization by the finite human mind. This is the moment where Krishna unveils the Vishwarupa, proving that He is the substratum of all that is perceived, the subject and the object, the seer and the seen. It is a profound realization that the entirety of creation, with all its chaotic beauty and rhythmic order, is essentially the self-expression of the One. Krishna is guiding Arjuna to recognize that every atom of the universe is an extension of His divine essence, demanding a shift from narrow intellectual observation to total, surrendered immersion.
The Divine is not a singular entity limited by form, but the infinite, multicolored substrate of all existence, requiring us to transcend our finite senses to perceive the underlying unity of the whole.
Connected Verses
Discusses the Divine as existing both inside and outside all beings, reflecting the 'various shapes and colors' mentioned in the cosmic revelation.
Krishna declares He sustains the entire universe with a mere fraction of His energy, reinforcing the infinite nature revealed in the Cosmic Form.
Highlights the paradox of the Divine pervading all forms while remaining unmanifest, echoing the theme of transcendence within the Cosmic Form.
Establishes Krishna as the string upon which all existence is woven, serving as the foundation for the visual multiplicity revealed in 11.5.
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