YOGA OF THE VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM – VISHWARUPA DARSHANA YOGA

By

Dr. R. J. Kalpana Ph.D

Visvaayudha August 2025

vasudevasutaḿ devaḿ kaḿsa-cāṇūra-mardanam

devakī-paramānandaḿ kṛṣṇaḿ vande jagadgurum

I bow down to Sri Krishna, who is the Master of the Universe, beloved son of Vasudeva, who vanquished Kamsa and Chanura, who brings immense joy to his mother, Devaki.

Pranams from Dr. R J Kalpana, Welcome to the study of The Bhagavad Gita.

In the previous chapter – Vibhuti yoga, we studied the Divine manifestations and glories of the Divine. And in this chapter we will glance at the magnificence of the Cosmic form of the Divine and try to understand its import.

In the opening sloka Arjuna thanks Sri Krishna for the profound words of wisdom due to which Arjuna’s dilemma and delusion has resolved. From the first chapter to the tenth chapter, Sri Krishna teaches Arjuna the Science of the Soul and gently leads Arjuna from the world of maya or illusion to the world of enlightenment, from Manifested Divinity to the Unmanifested Reality.

So, Arjuna says that Krishna, I have heard in detail the account of the evolution of human beings and their dissolution and also Krishna’s immortal glory, that is, the various manifestations. Therefore, I long to see your Divine form possessed of wisdom, glory, strength, valour and effulgence. In the second sloka of this chapter, Arjuna for the first time addresses Sri Krishna as Purushottama – the Supreme Being! This is a very important clue because so far we have not come across that word and yet, later on, we will study an entire chapter on the meaning of this word.

In the third sloka, Arjuna also puts forth a caveat, ‘if you think that your cosmic form – vishwarupa can be seen by me, then please show yourself, Lord of Yoga.’ Such etiquette the disciple displays. ‘If you think I can view’ and he paired it up with the phrase, ‘Lord of Yoga’ hinting that if He so willed it, He can very easily enable Arjuna to view His Divine form.

Sri Bhagvan moved by his disciple’s request readily agreed and said, “Arjuna, behold my infinite forms transcendent brought forth by the power of Yoga.” So Arjuna gets a glimpse of twelve sons of Aditi, the eight Vasus, the eleven Rudras, the two Aswinikumaras, and the forty-nine Maruts and bears witness to numerous other entities and forms never envisioned before for concentrated within the Cosmic Form is the entire creation consisting of both animate and inanimate beings.

Sri Krishna then realizes that surely no human can view the magnificent Cosmic Form with human eyes and bestows a special transcendental vision for Arjuna. This is the same Divine vision that Veda Vyasa offered to King Dhrithrashtra at the beginning of the Kurukshetra war and was declined politely and then Veda Vyasa conferred it on Sanjaya who then recounted the happenings of the war to King Dhritharashtra.

The Cosmic Form that Arjuna witnessed is gloriously described as possessing many mouths and eyes and hands carrying weapons and wearing jewels and garlands and clothes and covered with sandalwood paste and having faces on all sides. So basically, 360 degree vision of the Cosmic Form was displayed.

Sloka 12 exquisitely describes the magnificence of the Cosmic Form.

divi sūrya-sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitā

yadi bhāḥ sadṛiśhī sā syād bhāsas tasya mahātmanaḥ

 The splendor of a thousand sons blazing forth simultaneously in the sky still cannot compare with the effulgence of the Divine.

Concentrated in the Cosmic Form, Arjuna beheld the entire universe with its manifold divisions and that of the seven worlds above and the seven worlds below and with his hair standing on end bowed to the Divine and with reverence says, I see all the gods and other beings and entities in your Cosmic Form. Brahma seated on his lotus throne, Siva, the Rishis and the celestial serpents like Vasuki and Anantha. By mentioning the principal types of beings, Arjuna clearly demonstrates that he has beheld all the worlds in the Form of the Divine.

He beholds the Lord of the Universe endowed with numerous arms, bellies, mouths and eyes and innumerable forms extend on all sides. And Manifested Divinity that Arjuna has witnessed there is no beginning or middle or end to the vision. The Cosmic Form had the brilliance of the fire and the sun, hard to look at and immeasurable on all sides.

Arjuna then proceeds to praise the Divine by saying, ‘you are the supreme indestructible, the ultimate refuge, the protector of eternal Dharma.’

Again, Arjuna gazes with wonder upon the Cosmic Form that is without beginning, middle or end, possessing of unlimited powers, the luminous orbs – the sun and the moon as eyes a blazing fire as a mouth and scorching the universe with the radiance emanating from the Cosmic Form that all the three worlds – the seven above and the seven below and the earth in the middle is greatly alarmed for the space and the quarters are filled with the transcendental form of the Divine.

Arjuna continues describing awestruck with wonder that the hosts of gods enter with the maharishis and the siddhas praying for peace and extolling the Divine. To behold this Cosmic Form the eleven Rudras, the twelve Adityas, the eight Vasus, the Sadhyas, Visvedevas, the two Ashwinikumaras and the forty-nine Maruts as well as the manes (who are ancestors) and the Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, Siddhas.

Finally, Arjuna states that watching this stupendous Cosmic Form of the Divine with its eyes, mouths, arms, teeth, he is terror-stricken. Seeing the Cosmic Form reaching the heavens, effulgent and flaming with splendour, Arjuna has lost self control and his peace of mind. This is the form that can be viewed at the time of destruction, Arjuna is bewildered and begs the Shri Krishna to have mercy.

Yet, fascinated Arjuna continues to gaze upon the Cosmic Form to watch the sons of Dhrithrashtra with hosts of kings entering into the Form, Bhishma, Drona, Karna and he sees multitudinous teeth fearful in aspect where some seem to be stuck and some’s heads are crushed. As the rivers rush to the ocean so do the warriors of the mortal world enter into the Divine. As moths rush into the flaming fires for destruction so too are all the people rushing to enter you and meet their doom.

So in this slokas (28-29) there are two kinds of examples that Arjuna gives that of the warriors who enter the Divine to get liberated and the foolish people like the moths who rush towards destruction.

Arjuna continues that he can see the Divine form lick its lips as it consumes people from all sides and the entire universe is scorched by the dreadfully powerful rays emanating from the Cosmic Form.

Finally Arjuna bows down in reverence and requests his friend, philosopher, guide, guru, who are you, Primeval Being?

Shri Bhagvan says, “I am Time, destroyer of worlds!” [BG:11.32] This famous sloka, made more famous when Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the Atomic Bomb quoted it when the atomic bomb was exploded in a trial run to Hiroshima.

Here, let us recall the beginning chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, in particular Arjuna Vishada Yoga  – the dilemma of Arjuna when feeling faint-hearted, Arjuna refused to fight the war and Shri Krishna warned that even were he not to lift the bow and fight, the enemy arrayed in battle form in front of them were doomed to destruction and Arjuna was merely an instrument. How can an instrument kill Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Jayadratha when they stand destroyed by the Shri Bhagvan Himself?

Sanjaya now reveals to Dhrithrashtra how on hearing the words of Shri Bhagvan Himself, Arjuna tremblingly bowed to Him with folded hands and with faltering words describes how the universe rejoices in seeing the Divine, how the Raksasas are fleeing in all directions and how the Siddhas are bowing in reverence.

‘And why not?’ asks Arjuna. ‘Should they not bow to You who are the progenitor of Brahma himself? Lord of the celestials! Abode of the universe! You are that which is existent (sat) you are that which is nonexistent (asat) and you are that which is beyond both. You are the Primal Deity, the knower and the knowable, the highest abode. You are the god of wind, of fire, of water, of death, of creation. A hundred thousand salutations to you from the front, the back, the sides, Infinite One!’

Having thus offered his salutations to the Cosmic One, Arjuna now begs His forgiveness for the offences committed through thought, word and deed. Arjuna regrets calling Shri Krishna so informally by name – Krishna, Yadava, Friend! Completely unaware of His greatness and Infinite glory and seeks His forgiveness if in play, in repose, at meals, either alone or with others, if Arjuna had slighted Shri Krishna, know it to be due to ignorance.

Arjuna prostrates in front of the Cosmic Form and states that Shri Krishna is the father of the Creation, teacher worthy of adoration, therefore, like a father bears with his truant son, a friend with another, a husband with a beloved spouse so too should Shri Krishna thus indulge Arjuna.

And now, Arjuna comes to the crux of the matter, having seen the wondrous Cosmic Form of the Divine, Arjuna is transported with joy and yet, trembles with fear and begs Shri Krishna to step down from the Cosmic Form and to reveal the form of Vishnu to him, beloved by all.

Shri Bhagvan finally answers Arjuna and states that pleased as He was with his disciple’s devotion, He was moved to reveal the effulgent, primal Form to him, never before witnessed by anyone for in this mortal world neither by the study of the Vedas, rituals, austere penances can the Cosmic Form of the Divine be witnessed again.

Reassuring Arjuna, Shri Bhagvan gently reveals the four-armed Divine form of Vishnu bearing the conch, lotus, mace, discus.

Sanjaya relates this to Dhrithrashtra of how Shri Krishna consoled Arjuna who took affright after envisioning the Cosmic Form of the Divine.

Arjuna regains his composure after viewing the four-armed form of Vishnu and Shri Bhagvan smilingly says that even this form of Vishnu is difficult to perceive for even the gods are eager to behold it. For Shri Bhagavan says even this form of Vishnu cannot be perceived by the study of Vedas or penance.

Only through single-minded devotion can this form be envisioned and even merged into. What a marvelous statement Shri Bhagvan states that makes us ponder that we understand knowledge and perception of the Divine but single minded devotion, what would such qualities be?

Shri Bhagvan states that he who performs all his duties for His sake, depends on Him, devoted to Him, is detached from the world, and is free from malice towards all beings, reaches Me.

yogeśaṁ(m) saccidānandaṁ(v̐), vāsudevaṁ(v̐) vrajapriyam,

dharmasaṁsthāpakaṁ(v̐) vīraṁ(ṅ), kṛṣṇaṁ(v̐) vande jagadgurum

I bow to the Master of Yoga, who is the beloved son of Vasudeva, the brave warrior who established Dharma, the spiritual guru of the world.

                                             OM ŚRĪKṚṢṆĀRPAṆAMASTU Note: The talks can be accessed on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@kalpanarj3101