Yoga through Beholding the Cosmic Form of God
Verse 11.6
पश्यादित्यान्वसून्रुद्रानश्िवनौ मरुतस्तथा। बहून्यदृष्टपूर्वाणि पश्याऽश्चर्याणि भारत।।11.6।।
paśhyādityān vasūn rudrān aśhvinau marutas tathā bahūny adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvāṇi paśhyāśhcharyāṇi bhārata
Word Meanings
paśhya—behold; ādityān—the (twelve) sons of Aditi; vasūn—the (eight) Vasus; rudrān—the (eleven) Rudras; aśhvinau—the (twin) Ashvini Kumars; marutaḥ—the (forty-nine) Maruts; tathā—and; bahūni—many; adṛiṣhṭa—never revealed; pūrvāṇi—before; paśhya—behold; āśhcharyāṇi—marvels; bhārata—Arjun, scion of the Bharatas
Translation · English
Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins, and the Maruts; behold many wonders never before seen, O Arjuna.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Krishna is not merely showcasing a supernatural display; He is dismantling the dualistic framework of Arjuna's finite mind. By urging Arjuna to witness the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, and others, Krishna is demonstrating that the entire structure of the cosmos—the hierarchy of deities, the elemental forces, and the cosmic order—is not separate from His Being. He is revealing that the Supreme Lord is the underlying substrate upon which all manifested diversity rests. It is a transition from seeing God as a distant ruler to seeing God as the very fabric of existence. This invitation is a call to awaken from the slumber of empirical perception. The 'marvels' (ashcaryani) mentioned here signify realities that have never been seen before because the human ego is habitually blinded by its attachment to individual names and forms. By exposing Arjuna to the interconnectedness of the entire Vedic pantheon within His form, Krishna forces a collapse of the limited 'I' (Ahamkara) that Arjuna clings to. It is an act of supreme grace, intended to shatter the hesitation in Arjuna's heart by showing that every force of nature, whether creative or destructive, is an expression of the Divine Will.
The Cosmic Form reveals that all forces of nature and celestial beings are not independent entities but integrated expressions of the one singular Divine reality, demanding a surrender of the ego to that all-encompassing presence.
Connected Verses
Arjuna confirms the realization that all celestial hosts and beings are united in the body of the Lord, validating the experience promised in 11.6.
Confirms Krishna is the Self (Atman) seated in the hearts of all beings, acting as the origin, middle, and end of everything.
Affirms that while all beings reside in the Divine, the Divine remains transcendent and untouched, echoing the mystery of the Cosmic Form.
Establishes the philosophical foundation that everything is strung upon the Divine like pearls on a thread.
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