Vyasa · a new plain-English translation from the Sanskrit
11.1 Arjuna said: Out of grace for me you have spoken the supreme secret called the knowledge of the Self; by this word of yours, my confusion has departed.
11.2 For I have heard from you in detail the arising and passing away of beings, lotus-eyed one, and also your imperishable greatness.
11.3 Just as you have described yourself, supreme Lord, so it is; but I wish to see your form as sovereign, highest of persons.
11.4 If you think it possible for me to see it, Lord, then, master of yoga, show me your imperishable Self.
11.5 The Blessed Lord said: Behold, Partha, my forms — by the hundreds, by the thousands — manifold and divine, of many colors and shapes.
11.6 Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Ashvins, and the Maruts; behold many wonders never seen before, Bharata.
11.7 Behold here today, gathered in one place, the whole universe, moving and unmoving, within my body, Gudakesha, and whatever else you wish to see.
11.8 But you cannot see me with this eye of yours alone; I give you a divine eye. Behold my sovereign power.
11.9 Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus, O king, Hari, the great lord of yoga, then showed to Partha his supreme, sovereign form —
11.10 a form of many mouths and eyes, of many wondrous aspects, adorned with many divine ornaments, brandishing many divine weapons raised on high,
11.11 wearing divine garlands and robes, anointed with divine fragrances, made wholly of wonders, the radiant god, boundless, his face turned everywhere.
11.12 If the light of a thousand suns were to blaze forth all at once in the sky, that might resemble the splendor of that great being.
11.13 There, in the body of the god of gods, Pandu's son beheld the whole universe, in all its manifold divisions, standing gathered together in one place.
11.14 Then, overcome with astonishment, his hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to the god, and with joined palms he spoke.
11.15 Arjuna said: I see the gods, O God, in your body, and all the varied hosts of beings — Brahma the lord seated on his lotus throne, and all the sages and the divine serpents.
11.16 I see you everywhere, of infinite form, with many arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes; I see no end, no middle, and no beginning of you, lord of the universe, form of the universe.
11.17 I see you crowned, bearing mace and discus, a mass of light shining on every side, blazing all around like fire and sun, hard to look upon, immeasurable.
11.18 You are the imperishable, the supreme object of knowledge; you are the ultimate resting place of this universe; you are the undying guardian of the eternal law; you are, I hold, the everlasting Person.
11.19 Without beginning, middle, or end, of boundless power, with countless arms, the sun and moon your eyes, I see you, your mouth a blazing fire, scorching this whole universe with your own radiance.
11.20 This space between heaven and earth is pervaded by you alone, and all the directions besides. Having seen this wondrous and terrible form of yours, the three worlds tremble, great being.
11.21 These hosts of gods are entering into you; some, in fear, praise you with joined palms; the hosts of great sages and perfected beings cry 'may it be well' and extol you with abundant hymns of praise.
11.22 The Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the All-gods, the two Ashvins, the Maruts, the ancestors, the Gandharvas, Yakshas, demons, and perfected beings — all of them gaze at you, astonished.
11.23 Seeing your great form, with its many mouths and eyes, mighty-armed one, its many arms, thighs, and feet, its many bellies, its many teeth terrible to see, the worlds tremble, and so do I.
11.24 Seeing you touching the sky, ablaze, of many colors, mouths gaping wide, vast blazing eyes, my inmost self trembles, Vishnu; I find no steadiness and no peace.
11.25 Seeing your mouths, terrible with their teeth, resembling the fires of time's ending, I lose my bearings and I find no refuge. Have mercy, lord of gods, dwelling place of the universe.
11.26 And these sons of Dhritarashtra, all of them, along with the hosts of kings, Bhishma, Drona, and that son of the charioteer too, together with our own chief warriors —
11.27 they are rushing into your mouths, terrible with their teeth, fearsome to see; some are caught between your teeth, their heads already crushed.
11.28 As the many rushing waters of rivers race toward the ocean alone, so do these heroes of the human world rush into your blazing mouths.
11.29 As moths, rushing headlong at ever greater speed, plunge into a blazing flame to their destruction, so too do these worlds rush into your mouths, to their destruction, at ever greater speed.
11.30 You lick and devour all the worlds on every side with your flaming mouths. Filling the whole universe with your radiance, your fierce splendors scorch it, Vishnu.
11.31 Tell me who you are, so terrible in form. Homage to you, best of gods, have mercy. I wish to understand you, the primal one; I do not comprehend what you intend.
11.32 The Blessed Lord said: I am Time, grown old, set out to destroy the worlds, come here to annihilate all people. Even without you, all these warriors arrayed in the opposing ranks shall cease to exist.
11.33 Therefore arise, win glory, conquer your enemies, and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. By me alone have they already been slain; be merely the instrument, left-handed archer.
11.34 Drona and Bhishma and Jayadratha and Karna, and the other warrior heroes as well — slain already by me — you need only kill. Do not waver; fight. You shall conquer your rivals in battle.
11.35 Sanjaya said: Having heard this word of Keshava, the diademed one, joined palms trembling, bowed once more, and, faltering, terrified, prostrated himself and spoke again to Krishna.
11.36 Arjuna said: It is fitting, Hrishikesha, that at your renown the universe rejoices and is filled with love; the demons flee in terror in every direction, and all the hosts of the perfected bow down to you.
11.37 And why should they not bow to you, great being — you who are greater even than Brahma, the first creator? Boundless one, lord of gods, dwelling place of the universe, you are the imperishable, the being and the non-being, and what is beyond both.
11.38 You are the primal god, the ancient Person; you are the ultimate resting place of this universe; you are the knower and the object of knowledge, and the supreme abode; by you this universe is pervaded, form of infinite forms.
11.39 You are the wind, Yama, fire, Varuna, the moon, the Lord of Creatures, and the great forefather. Homage, homage to you, a thousand times over, and again, yet again, homage, homage to you.
11.40 Homage before you and homage behind you; homage be to you on every side, O all. Of boundless might and immeasurable valor, you reach all things — therefore you are all.
11.41 For whatever I have rashly spoken out of familiarity, thinking you my companion — 'O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend' — not knowing this greatness of yours, whether through carelessness or through affection,
11.42 and for whatever disrespect I have shown you in jest, at play, on a bed, seated, or at meals, whether alone or in front of others, unfailing one — I ask forgiveness of you, immeasurable one.
11.43 You are the father of this world, of the moving and the unmoving; you are its object of worship, its most venerable teacher. There is no one equal to you — how could there be anyone greater — in the three worlds, being of unequaled power.
11.44 Therefore, bowing down, prostrating my body, I seek your grace, adorable Lord. As a father bears with a son, a friend with a friend, a lover with the beloved, so should you bear with me, God.
11.45 I am overjoyed to have seen what has never been seen before, yet my mind trembles with fear. Show me, God, that other form of yours; have mercy, lord of gods, dwelling place of the universe.
11.46 I wish to see you exactly as before, crowned, bearing mace, discus in hand. Take on again that four-armed form, thousand-armed one, whose body is the universe.
11.47 The Blessed Lord said: Being gracious to you, Arjuna, I have shown you, by my own power, this supreme form, radiant, universal, boundless, primal, which no one before you has ever seen.
11.48 Not by study of the Vedas, not by sacrifice, not by gifts, not by rites, not by fierce austerities, can I be seen in this form in the human world by anyone other than you, hero of the Kurus.
11.49 Let there be no fear in you, no bewilderment, at having seen this terrible form of mine. Free of fear, with a glad mind, behold again this other form of mine.
11.50 Sanjaya said: Having said this to Arjuna, Vasudeva showed once more his own former form; and, becoming again the gentle being, he comforted this frightened man.
11.51 Arjuna said: Seeing this gentle human form of yours again, Janardana, I have now come back to myself, my mind composed, restored to my own nature.
11.52 The Blessed Lord said: This form of mine that you have seen is very hard to see; even the gods are ever longing for a sight of this form.
11.53 Not by the Vedas, not by austerity, not by giving, not by sacrifice, can I be seen in the manner in which you have seen me.
11.54 But by devotion that turns to nothing else, I can, in this manner, be known and truly seen, and entered into, Arjuna, scorcher of enemies.
11.55 He who does my work, who holds me as the highest goal, who is devoted to me, free of attachment, without hatred toward any being — he comes to me, Pandava.