Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Verse 18.77
तच्च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं हरेः। विस्मयो मे महान् राजन् हृष्यामि च पुनः पुनः।।18.77।।
tach cha sansmṛitya saṁsmṛitya rūpam aty-adbhutaṁ hareḥ vismayo ye mahān rājan hṛiṣhyāmi cha punaḥ punaḥ
Word Meanings
tat—that; cha—and; sansmṛitya saṁsmṛitya—remembering repeatedly; rūpam—cosmic form; ati—most; adbhutam—wonderful; hareḥ—of Lord Krishna; vismayaḥ—astonishment; me—my; mahān—great; rājan—King; hṛiṣhyāmi—I am thrilled with joy; cha—and; punaḥ punaḥ—over and over again
Translation · English
And, remembering again and again that most wonderful form of Hari, I am filled with great wonder, O King; and I rejoice again and again.
Deep Meaning · English
This verse marks the final, blissful crescendo of Arjuna’s internal transformation. Having witnessed the Vishwarupa, or the Cosmic Form, Arjuna is no longer merely an observer of a theological discourse; he is a participant in a mystical revelation. The repetition of 'sansmṛitya' (remembering) reveals that the divine experience is not a static memory but a living, breathing reality that continues to unfold in his consciousness. This indicates the nature of true Bhakti, where the soul is permanently transformed by the contact with the Divine, shifting the seeker from a state of intellectual study to one of perpetual wonder and experiential ecstasy. By addressing Dhritarashtra as 'Rajan' (King), Sanjaya highlights the contrast between the blind, materialistic king who clings to his ego and the awakened Arjuna who has surrendered his ego into the cosmic ocean of Krishna’s being. The astonishment Arjuna feels is not a sign of confusion, but of the soul finally recognizing its origin, leading to a profound joy that transcends the battlefield's chaos. It serves as a reminder that the Gita’s ultimate goal is not just the performance of duty, but the attainment of a state of mind where every moment is perceived as a manifestation of the Divine’s wonder.
True spiritual maturity is found when the memory of Divine presence transforms our internal state from one of anxious duty to one of perpetual, ecstatic wonder.
Connected Verses
Arjuna declares his delusion is gone and his memory is restored, reflecting the shift from worldly attachment to divine awareness.
Captures the initial overwhelming astonishment of Arjuna as he realizes the sheer scale of the cosmic reality.
Arjuna acknowledges Krishna as the eternal, divine person, setting the stage for the intimate devotion expressed in the final chapters.
Krishna promises that those who constantly meditate on Him are granted the power to hold onto their union with the Divine amidst all circumstances.
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