Out of mere compassion; out of mercy, anxious as to how they may attain bliss. I dwell in their antaMsarana* which is engaged in thinking exclusively of the Self and destroy the darkness of ignorance,-that illusory knowledge which is caused by the absence of discrimination,— by the lamp of wisdom, by the lamp of discriminatory knowledge, fed by the oil of pure Devotion (Bhakti-prasada;, fanned by the wind of earnest meditation on Me, furnished with the wick of right intuition purified by the cultivation of piety, chastity and other virtues, held in the antah-kara^a which is completely detached from all worldly concerns, placed in the wind-sheltered enclosure of the mind which is withdrawn from the sense-objects and untainted by attachment and aversion, and shining with the light of right knowledge generated by incessant practice o£ concentration and meditation.
Arjuna's question about tne Lord's manifestations.
Having heard of the Lord's Glory and His mysterious power, Arjuna says: Arjtma said: * i.e., in the antaft-karawa functioning on the plane of Spirit exclusively. Darkness here includes both the beginningless nescience and the illusory perception resulting from that nescience. It cannot be removed by matter or any material phenomenon, belonging as it does to the same class as darkness; therefore the Lord has said that He Himself destroys darkness. But the Spirit (Chaitanya) cannot directly remove darkness. It is only an intellectual state that is found to illumine aa object unknown before. Hence it is that the Spirit removes ignorance by itself shining through a state of the intellect such as the one induced by the teaching of the Sastra. ' It is either the Spirit manifesting itself through an intellectual state, or an intellectual state pervaded by the Spirit, that can destroy nescience and illusory knowledge.
266 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. X- 12-13. The Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Light, the Supreme Purifier art Thou. All the Rishis declare Thee as Eternal, Divine Purusha,. the Primal God, Unborn, Omnipresent; so said the divine sage Narada, as also Asita, Devala and Vyasa; and Thou Thyself also sayest (so) to me.
The Supreme Brahman; the Highest Self« The Primal God: the God who existed before all other Gods. Bishis t such as VasisMha.
14. I believe to be true all this which Thou sayest to me; for neither the Gods nor the Danavas, O Lord, know Thy manifestation.
Because Thou art the source of the Devas and others therefore, 15. Thou Thyself knowest Thyself as the Self,* O Purusha Supreme, O Source of beings^, O Lord of beings, O God of Gods, O Ruler of the world.
* Thou Thyself, i.e-, without being taught: knowest Thyself i.e. the unconditioned nature of Thyself. As the Self-, not as something external,— (A..)
13—18] DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. 267 Knowest Thyself: as the Lord * as the Is vara possessed of unsurpassed wisdom, sovereignty and other powers.
1 6. Thou shouldstf indeed tell, without reserve, of Thy divine..Glories, by which Glories Thou remainest pervading all these worlds.
17. How J shall 1, ever meditating, know Thee, OYogin; in what several things, O Lord, art Thou to be thought of by Me?
18. Tell me again in detail, O Janardana, of Thy power and Glory, for there is no satiety for me in hearing the immortal.
Tell me in detail of Thy mysterious power (Yoga) and sovereignty (a&varya^ and the various things to be meditated upon. — Janardana is so called because He sends — or causes to go (ardayati)— the Asuras, those people (janas) who are the * Not even Thy conditioned nature as the Lord of the Universe, etc., can be seen by others. — (A.)
f Since Thy nature, which it fis necessary to know, is invisible to others. (A.)
I In what manner should' I, who am of dull understanding, medit- ate constantly on Thee, in order that my reason may thereby be purified so as to be able to know Thy unconditioned being.— (A.)
268 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. X.
enemies of the Gods, to hell and the like; or because He is prayed to by all people for worldly success and salvation.— Tell me again of them, though described before; for, there is no satiety in hearing the immortal (ambrosia) of the speech issuing from Thy mouth.
The Lord's enumeration of His manifestations. The Blessed Lord said: 19. Now will I tell thee of My heavenly Glories, in their prominence, O best of the Kurus; there is no limit to My extent.
Now I will tell you of My heavenly Glories, in their prominence, i.e*, where they are severally the most prominent. It is not, indeed, possible even in a whole century to describe all of them, as there is no limit to the extent of My Glories.
Now, listen to this, in the first place: 20, I am the Self, O Guiakesa, seated in the heart of all beings; I am the beginning and the middle, as also the end, of all beings.
You should think of Me as the innermost Self, seated in the heart within of all beings. — ' Gudakesa * means either 4 conqueror of sleep ' or ' thick-haired ' — He who is unable to think of Me as the Self should think of Me in those things which are mentioned below; for I am the source, the stay, and the end of all beings.
21. Of the Adityas I am Vishnu; of the radiances, the resplendent Sun; I am Marichi of the Maruts; of the asterisms, the Moon.
Of the twelve Adityas, I am the Aditya known as Vish»u. Maruts are a kind of Devatas.
22. Of the Vedas I am the Sama-Veda, I am Vasava of the Gods, and of the senses I am the mind, I am the intelligence in living beings.
Gods: such as the Rudras and the Adityas. Vasava: *.e., Indra. Of the eleven senses I am the mind. Chetana, sentiency or intelligence, is that state of * the intellect (buddhi) which manifests itself in the aggregate of the body and the senses.
23 And of the Rudras I am Sawkara, of the Yakshas and Rakshasas the Lord of wealth, and of the Vasus I am Agni, of the mountains I am the Meru.
The Rudras are eleven in number, and the Vasus eight. The Lord of wealth: Kubera, * It exhibits itself in the aggregate body, pervading it throughout till death, and forming the medium for the manifestation of the Spirit or Consciousness (Cbaitanya.),— (A,) 270 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. X.
24. And of the household priests of Kings, O son of Pritha, know Me the chief one, Bfihaspati; of generals I am Skanda, of lakes I am the Ocean.
Bfihaspati is the chief of priests, because he is the house-hold priest oF Indra. Skanda is the general of the Gods. Of the natural — i.e., made by the Gods— 'reservoirs, I am the Ocean.
25. Of the Great iftshis I am Bhngu; of words I am the one syllable ' Om; ' of offerings I am the offering of Japa (silent repetition), of unmoving things the Himalaya.
26. Of all trees (I am) the Asvattha, and Narada of divine jRishis, Chitraratha of Gandhar- vas, the Sage Kapila of the Saints (Siddhas).
Bimm Mshis: Who are Devas and are at the same time Bishis or seers of mantras. The Saints (Siddhas): those who at their very birth attained to a very high degree of Dharma, of knowledge, of detachment (vairagya) from worldly concerns, and of supremacy.
2j, Know Me among horses as Uchchais- tavas? bom of Amnta, of lordly elephants the Airavata, and of men the king.
Zfchchais-sravas is the name of the kingly horse who <was born in the ocean when it was churned for the amnta (ambrosia). Know Me among kingly elephants as the Airavata, the offspring of Ira vat 28. Of weapons I am the thunderbolt, of cows I am the Kamadhuk, I am the progenitor Kandarpa, of serpents I am Vasuki.
The thunderbolt 1 the Vajra made of Dadhichi's bone. Kamadhuk: that cow of VasisWha which yielded all objects desired j or any cow in general which may yield plenty of milk. Kamadhuk: Kama or love. VasuM: the lord of serpents.
29. And Ananta of snakes 1 am, I am Varuna of water-being, and Aryaman of Pitris I am, I am Yama of controllers.
Ananta: the king of snakes. Varum: the king of water- gods. "Water-leings: the Be*vatas or Gods connected with waters. Aryaman is the king of Pitns, 272 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. X* 30. And Prahlada am I of Diti's progeny, of reckoners I am Time, and of beasts I am the lord of beasts, and Vainateya of birds.
The lord of leasts: the lion or the tiger. Vainateya: Vinata's son, Garutmat.
31- Of purifiers I am the wind, Rama of warriors am I, of fishes I am the shark, of streams I am the Ganges.
Of those who bear weapons I am Rama, Dasaratha's son* 32. Of creations I am the beginning and the middle and also the end; oi all knowledges I am the knowledge of the Self, and Vada of disputants I am the source, the stay and the end of all evolution — At the commencement (x. 20) it was said that He is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all sentient existence j but here the whole creation in general is referred to. The knowledge of the Self is the chief among all knowledges, because it leads to moksha. By ' disputants * we should here understand the several kinds of disputation, — vada, jalpa, vita«tfa,* etc. Vada is the chief of them, as it is a means of determining truth.
* Vada is that way of arguing, of which the object is to arrive at ruth regarding a certain question. ' Jalpa ' is an argument in which a disputant tries to assert his own opinion and to refute that of his adversary by an overbearing reply or a wrangling rejoinder, ' Vitanda' consists in idly carping at the arguments or assertions of another without attempting to establish the opposite side of the question.
30—35] DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. 273 33. Of letters the letter 'A' am I, and dvandva of all compounds; I am, verily, the inexhaustible Time; I am the All-faced Dispenser.
1 Time ' here refers either to what is generally so called, — viz., ' kshana, ' a moment, the ultimate element of time, — or to the Supreme Lord who is the Time (Kala=the Measurer) even of time. I am the Dispenser of results of actions to the whole world.
34. And I am all-seizing Death, and the prosperity of those who are to be prosperous; of the feminine (I am) Fame, Fortune and Speech, Memory, Intelligence, Constancy, Endurance.
Death is of two sorts, he who seizes wealth, etc., and he who seizes life. Of them the seizer of life is the all-seizer, I am He. Or, I am the Supreme Lord who is the All-seizer, because of His carrying all away at the time of pralaya or dissolution. I am the prosperity — and the means of attaining it — of those who are to be prosperous in future* who are fit to attain prosperity. I am Fame, etc., the best of the feminine; and possessed of the mere semblance thereof, people regard themselves successful in life.
35. Of Samans also I am the Bnhat-Saraan 274 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. |DlS. X.
of metres Gayatri am I, of months I am Marga- sirsha, of seasons the flowery season.
' Brihat-Saman' is the chief of the- Samans. Of the Biks, composed in Gayatri and other metres, I am the Gayatri.Bik. The flowery season is what is called Vasanta, the spring.
36. I am the gambling of the fraudulent, I am the splendour of the splendid, I am victory, I am effort, I am the goodness of the good.
Gambling: such as dice-play. I am the victory of the victorious; I am the effort of those who make an effort.
37. Of the Vristwis I am Vasudeva, of the Pawdavas I am Dhananjaya, and of the saints I am Vyasa, of the sages I am Usanas the sage.
Vasudeva: Myself, who am your friend. Yrishnis: the descendants of Yadu. The saints: those who are engrossed in meditation and know all things. Sages: those of extensive knowledge, the omniscient beings.
wit mnwwfai *n%#* firiNain 1 38. Of punishers I am the sceptre, of those who seek to conquer I am the polity, and of things secret I am also silence, the knowledge of knowers am I, 35—41] DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS. 275 39. And what is the seed of all being, that also am I, O Arjuna. There is no being, whether moving or uamoving, that can exist without me.
To conclude the present section, the Lord summarises His Glory (vibhuti) as follows:— There is no being without Me-; for, anything into which I have not entered would be without Self (could not exist) and would be void (sunya). "Wherefore, everything is of My nature, *.e., I am the essence of everything.
40. There is no end of My heavenly Glories, O harasser of thy foes; but the details of My Glory have been declared only by way of instance- It is indeed not possible for anybody to describe or know the exact extent of the Divine Glories of the Lord, the Self of all.
Divine Glory described ia brief.
41, Whatever being is glorious, prosperous, or strong, that know thoa to be a manifestation of a part of My Splendour. My: the Isvara's.
276 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. X.
42. But, of what avail to thee is this vast things being known, O Arjuna? I stand sustaining this whole world by one part (of Myself).
Of what avail to you can be this knowledge of vast but imperfect details P Listen, I will tell you completely of it. I stand sustaining firmly this whole world by one part, by one limb, by one foot; i&.% one part of Myself constitutes all beings. So says the chant: * All beings form His foot.' — {Taittiriya Aranyak® 3-12;.
ELEVENTH DISCOURSE. THE UNIVERSAL FORM.
Arjuna's prayer for a vision of tlie Universal Form.
The Glories of the Lord have been described. Now, on hearing the Lord's statement that ' I stand supporting the whole world by one part of Myself,' Arjuna was desirous to see with his own eyes that Primal Form of the Lord which is manifested as the universe, and accordingly said: Arjuna said: i. By that speech which has been delivered by Thee for my benefit, — that highest secret which is called Adhyatma, — this, my delusion, is gone.
Adhyatma: that which treats of the dintinction between the Self and the non-Self. Dektnon: non-discrimination.
Moreover, 2. The origin and the dissolution of beings, verily, have been heard by me in detail from Thee} O Lotus-eyed, as also Thy inexhaustible greatness.
In detail: not in brevity. Lotus-eyed: having eyes like iotus-leaves.
278 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. XI.
3. So it is, as Thou, Supreme Lord, hast declared Thyself to be. (Still) I desire to see Thy form as Xsvara, O Purusha Supreme'.
Form 6tc; that of Vishwu, as possessed of (infinite) wisdom, sovereignty, strength, power, prowess and splendour.
4. If Thou, O Lord, thinkest it possible for me to see it, do Thou, then, O Lord of Ybginsv show me Thy Eternal Self, Then: because I am very anxious to see.
Arjuna endowed with heavenly sight wherewith to see the Universal Form.
Thus implored by Arjuna, the Lord said: The Blessed Lord said: 5. See, O son of Pntha, My heavenly forms, by hundreds and thousands, of different sorts, and of various colours and shapes.
Heavenly: Supernatural. By hundreds and thousands: innumerable. Colours: such as blue, green and the like. Shapes: arrangements of parts.
3—8] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 279 6. Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Asvins, and also the Maruts; behold many marvels never seen before, 0 Bharata.
Behold the twelve Adityas, the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the two Asvins, the seven heptads of Maruts. Behold also many other marvels never seen before by you or anybody else in this world of man.
Not this alone: 7. Now behold here in My body, Guiakesa, the whole world established in one, — including the moving and the unmoving — and whatever else thou desirest to see.
Whatever else: Your success or defeat, about which yoa have entertained a doubt (ii. 6). But, 8. Thou art not indeed able to see Me with, this thy eye alone; I give thee a divine eye; behold My lordly Yoga.
Me: putting on the Universal Form. This: Pralsrita, of prakdti, natural, (fleshy, of the earth). I give thee a divine eye, by which you will be able to see Me. By that eye, behold My great miraculous power of Yoga, that which belongs to me as lsvara.'
280 THE BHAGAVAD GIT A. [DlS. XI The Lord's manifestation of the Universal Form. TOR sMW— • Sawjaya said: 9. Having thus spoken, O King, then, Had, the great Lord of Yogins, showed to the son of Pntha the Supreme Form as Lrvara.
King: Dhntarashfra. Hari: Narayawa. Form: the Universal Form.
10. Containing many mouths and eyes* possessed of many wondrous sights, of many heavenly ornaments, of many heavenly weapons held up. Such a form He showed.
Moreover, 11. Wearing heavenly garlands and vestures, anointed with heavenly unguents, all-wonderful, resplendent, boundless, with faces on all sides.
With faces on all sides:. as He is the Self of all beings. Such a form He showed; or, such a form did Arjuna see.
Here follows an illustration, by an example, of the splendour of the 'Lord's Universal Form: 9—14] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 281 12. If the splendour of a thousand suns were ever to present itself at once in the sky, that would be like the splendour of that Mighty Being, Jh the shy: in antariksha or the middle loka; or in the heavenly region, which forms the third (from here). The Mighty Being: the Universal Form.— If no such thing can ever exist, then the splendour of the Universal Form excels all else.
Moreover, 13. There, in the body of the God of Gods* the son of Pa^da then beheld the whole world established in one, and separated into many groups.
There: in the Form. Mcmy groups: Devas, Pitns, men and other sorts of beings. The son of fandu.* Arjuna. God of Gods: Hari.
14. Then he, Dhanawjaya, filled with amaze- ment, with his hair standing on end; bowed down with his head, and, with joined palms, thus addressed the God.
Then: having seen Him. The God: putting on the Universal Form. With joined palms: in order to bow down.
282 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. XL How P — Arjuna declares his own experience, viz., that he sees the Universal Form shewn by the Lord: Arjtma said: 15. I see all the Gods, O God, in thy body, as also hosts of various classes of beings: Brahma, the Lord, seated on the lotus-seat, and all iftshis and heavenly serpents.
Various classes of beings: both animate and inanimate, and of various forms. Brahma: the Four-faced, the Lord of creatures. He is seated in the centre of the Earth-Lotus, on the Meru which forms the cup or seed-vessel as it were of the Earth-Lotus. Bishis; such as Vasishflaa. Serpents: such as Vasuki.
«?wm fMHrc fewr II \§ 11 16. I see Thee of boundless form on every side with multitudinous arms, stomachs, mouths and eyes; neither Thy end nor the middle nor the beginning do I see, O Lord of the Universe, O Universal Form.
Middle: what lies between two extremities.
14—19] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 283 Moreover, 17. I see Thee with diadem, club, and discus; a mass of splendour shining everywhere, very hard to look at, all around blazing like burning fire and sun, and immeasurable.
Immeasurable: whose limits cannot be fixed.
Vishnu is one* with the Unconditioned.
From this vision of Thy power of Yoga (wonder-working) I infer, 18.. Thou art the Imperishable, the Supreme Being worthy to be known. Thou art the great Abode of this Universe; Thou art the undying Guardian of the Eternal Dharma, Thou art the ancient Purusha, I deem.
To be known: by seekers of liberation.
The Univeral Form (continued.) Moreover, ^iNrcrT fsRmt wan IMS II 284 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. XI.
19. I see Thee without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power, of manifold arms; the sun and the moon being Thy eyes, the burning fire Thy face; heating the whole Universe with Thy radiance.
€f rs^i??qgR <&<h.
20. This space betwixt heaven and earth and all the quarters are filled by Thee alone. Having seen This, Thy marvellous and awful form, the three worlds are trembling, O High-souled Being.
Thee: in Thy Universal Form.
Now, in order to remove the doubt entertained by Arjuna (ii. 6) as to his success, the Lord proceeds to show that victory for Paw^avas is certain. Seeing Him, Arjuna goes on; 21. Into Thee, indeed, enter these hosts of Suras; some extol Thee in fear with joined palms; " May it be well! " thus saying, bands of great ifrshis and Siddhas praise Thee with hymns complete.
19— -23] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 285 These hosts of Suras.* these warriors now fighting all, of them Devas,— the Vasus and others, — who have incarnated themselves as human beings for lightening the earth's burden. They are seen entering into Thee. Some of them only call out to Thee, unable even to flee. Having discovered portents and other forebodings of evil as the war approached, the great Uishis and Siddhas say * May it be well for the world! * and offer their prayers to Thee in full hymns.
The wonder fulness of the Universal Form Moreover, 22. The Budras, Adityas, Vasus, and Sadhyas, Visvas and Asvins, Maruts and Ushma- pas, hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas, — they are all looking at Thee, all quite astonished.
TJshmapas: a class of Pitfis. Gandharvas: such as Haha and Huhu- Yakshas: such as Kubera. Asuras: such as Virochana, Siddhas; such as Kapila, The terribleness of the Universal Form.
286 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. XI.
23. Having seen Thy immeasurable Form, possessed, O Mighty- armed, of many mouths and eyes, of many arms and thighs and feet, and of many stomachs, and fearful with many tusks, the worlds are terrified, and I also.
The worlds: all living creatures in the world. Here follows the cause (of my terror): 24. On seeing Thee (Thy Form) touching the sky, blazing in many colours, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart and find no courage nor peace, O Visrwu.
Many colours: fearful, putting on different shapes.
Wherefore?— 25. Having seen Thy mouths which are fearful with tusks and resemble Time's Fires, I know not the four quarters, nor do I find peace; be Thou gracious, O Lord of Gods and Abode of the Universe I Time's Mres: the fires which consume the worlds at the time of dissolution (pralaya). I kuow not the four quarters: I cannot distinguish the East and the West, I cannot discrimi- nate the different quarters.
23—28] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 287 Ar juna's vision of the defeat of the enemy.
My fear, too, of defeat at the hands of others is gone; for 26 — 27. And all the sons of Dhritarash/ra, with hosts of princes, Bhishma, Dronz and that son (Kama) of a charioteer, with the warrior chiefs of ours, enter hurrying into Thy mouth, terrible with tusks and fearful to behold. Some are found sticking in the gaps betwixt the teeth with their heads crushed to powder.
Sons: such as Duryodhana. Ours; such as DhrisWa- dyumna. Sticking; like a piece of flesh.
How do they enter into Thy mouth?— Arjuna'says: 288 THE BHAGAVAD GITA. [DlS. XL 28, As many torrents of rivers flow direct towards the sea, so do these heroes in the world of men enter Thy flaming mouths.
These: such as Bhishma.
Why and how do they enter? — Arjuna says: 29. As moths hurriedly rush into a blazing fire for destruction, just so do these creatures also hurriedly rush into Thy mouths for destruction.
The splendour of the Universal Form.
But, ^ t?
3o. Thou lickest up devouring all worlds on every side with Thy flaming mouths, filling the whole world with flames. Thy fierce rays are blazing forth, O Vishwu.
Because Thou art so fierce, wherefore, 31. Tell me who thou art, so fierce in form. I bow to Thee, O God Supreme; have mercy. I desire to know Thee, the Original Being. I know not indeed Thy doing.
The Lord's advent for destruction of worlds, The Blessed Lord said: 32. I am the mighty world-destroying Time* now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without thee, none of the warriors arrayed in hostile armies shalt live.
Warriors: Bhishma, Drcma, Kama and others. Such being the case.
m^ facero $m 33. Therefore do thou arise and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the unrivalled dominion. By Myself have they been already slain; be thou a mere instrument, O Savyasachin.
290 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA* [DlS. XL Fame: that Bhishma and other atirathas (great warriors) arrayed in the hostile army, unconquerable even to Devas, bave been defeated by Arjuna. Such a fame is the result only of good karma. Enemies: such as Duryodhana Savyasachin: Arjuna who could shoot arrows even with the left hand.
34. Dro^a and Bhishma, Jayadratha, Kama and other brave warriors, — these, killed by Me, do thou kill; fear not, fight, thou shalt conquer the enemies.
The lord speaks of these warriors — whom Arjuna had any reason to fear — as killed by Himself. Now it is evident why there should be any hesitation (on the part of Arjuna) concerning Droraa and Bhishma Drowa was his teacher in the science of archery, was possessed of celestial weapons and was especially his (Arjuna's) own dear greatest Guru. Bhishma had his death at his own command and was possessed of celestial weapons. He once entered into a single combat with Parasu-Rama and was not defeated. As to Jayadratha, bis father was engaged in austerity, firmly resolved that *' whoever causes my son's head to drop down on earth, his head too shall fall." Kama, too, was furnished with an unerring Sakti (missile) given him by Indra. He was a son of the sun, born of a maiden- Wherefore he 'is also mentioned by name* Mmm%e$ • such as Duryodhana.
33—36] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 291 Arjuna's adoration of the Universal Eorm.
* «•.
*\ Sa« jaya said: 35. Having heard that speech of Kesava, the crowned one (Arjuna), with joined palms, trembling, prostrating himself, again addressed Krishna, stammering, bowing down5 overwhelmed with fear. When a man is overpowered with fear or with love, his eyes become full of tears, owing to the attack of pain or owing to the rise of joy? then his throat, is choked up with phlegm, and this again causes indistinctness and dulness in. speech. Thus did Arjuna speak in a stammering tone.
Sa»jaya*s speech on this occasion is very significant — .How? — Sanjaya hoped-that on seeing that his (Dhritarashira's) son would certainly be killed for want of support if the uncon- querable four, including Drowa, should be killed by Arjuna, Dhntarashira might despair of success and bring about peace- Thus he hoped there would be happiness to both. Even to> this, Dhntarashtfra did not listen, owing to mighty Destiny.
292 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. XL Arjuna said: 36. It is meet, O Hrishikesa, that the world is delighted and rejoices by Thy praise; Rakshasas fly in fear to all quarters, and all hosts of Siddhas- bow to Thee.
Praise: description of Thy glory. This verse may be- also rendered so as to mean: The Lord is the proper object of delight and love, for the Lord is the Self of all and the Friend of all beings. Siddhas: such as Kapila. It is meet that sucn should be the case so far as Thou art concerned.
For the following reason also the Lord is the object of delight, etc.
X 'N _____ 37. And how should they not, O Mighty Beings bow to Thee, Greater (than all else), the Primal Cause even of Brahma, O Infinite Being, O Lord of Gods, O Abode of the Universe; Thou art the Imperishable, the Being and the non- Being, That which is the Supreme.
Brahma: the Hirawyagarbba. (Because Thou art the- Mighty Being), therefore Thou art the proper object of delight and worship. Thou art the Supreme Being, as revealed in the Vedantas (Upanishads): Thou art the Sat and the A- sat. The existent, as well as the non-existent*—*, e., that with reference to which arises our consciousness of non- existence,—-form the upadhis (conditions) of the Aksbara, on 36—393 THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 293 account of which He is spoken -of as the So* or the A-sat, the existent or the non-existent- In reality, the Imperishable (Akshara) whom the Veda-knowers speak of transcends the Sat and the -4-safc, and He is Thyself and none else. He again extols the Lord thus: 38. Thou art the Primal God, the Ancient Purusha; Thou art the Supreme Abode of all this, Thou art the Knower and the Knowable and the Supreme Abode. By Thee is all pervaded, O Being of infinite forms.
Primal God,-, because Thou art the creator of the Universe. Purusha: so called because He lies in the body. Abode: that in which the Universe rests during the Great Pralaya and such other periods. Ehower: of all the knowable things. SujpreTne Abode: of Vish«u.
Moreover, 39. Thou art Vayu, Yamaf Agni, Varo»a, the Moon, Prajapati, and the Great Grand-Father. Hail! Hail to Thee 1 a thousand times, and again and again hail 1 hail to Thee!
294 THE BHAGAVAD-GITA. [DlS. XL Trajapati: such as Kasyapa. Great Grand-Father: the father even of Brahma. Again: This shows Arjuna's dissatisfaction due to his extreme faith and devotion.
<\ 40. Hail to Thee before and behind! Hail to Thee on every side! O All! Thou, infinite in power and infinite in daring, pervadest all, where- fore Thou art AH.
Before: in the East. On every side: as Thou art present in all quarters. A man may be powerful, but he may not dare to slay the enemies, or he may be slow in daring; but Thou art Infinite both in power and in daring. Pervadest: by Thy One Self. 0 All: without Thee nothing exists, Arjuna's prayer for the Lord's forgiveness.
Because I have been a sinner for want of knowledge of Thy greatness, therefore, 39—43] THE UNIVERSAL FORM. 295