Oh tempest,
oh slippery wind,
let me subdue you.
Carry me to the Center,
from where All existence flows,
the place sublime.
Where knowing transforms
into glorious becoming.
And as I follow,
or am I gently pushed,
away from my longing,
away from my desire.
Shatter the chains
of the material world,
and unfettered and free
let me soar to you.
I am like a madman,
no a dervish spinning,
that aching empty void.
Silent and subsumed within the flame,
a love without restraint,
my heart breaks in seeking you.
415: Arjuna said: Out of kindness and affection for me, You have just revealed the ultimate guhya ‘secret knowledge’ concerning your nature as Adyatmika ‘the Supreme Being and the source of all that is’, Because of Your words, my moha ‘delusion has now been removed.
417: O Parama Ishvara ‘greatest among the controllers’, since You have described your nature as the Atmana ‘ultimate Atma’, and you are also Purusha Uttama ‘the greatest Person who is beyond the reach of matter’, I wish to see Your aishvara rupa ‘magnificnt universal form’ by which you pervade and support everything within the universe.
418: O Prabhu ‘my beloved Master’, if You think I am eligible for this, O Yoga Ishvar ‘greatest Yogis’, please show me how your imperishable Self pervades the entire universe.
419: Shri Bhagavan then said: O Arjuna, just see My many forms, hundreds of thousands of divine images, and each in various colors and shapes.
420: Now you may see the Adityas (the solar deities in Hinduism, often seen as twelve sons of the goddess Aditi), the Vasus (The Vasus (or Ashta Vasus) are eight elemental deities in Hinduism. representing fundamental aspects of nature like earth, water, fire, wind, sun, sky, moon, and stars, serving as attendants to Indra and Vishnu, symbolizing the building blocks of creation and cosmic phenomena…), the Rudras (The Rudras are a group of powerful, fierce deities in Hinduism, often considered manifestations or attendants of Lord Shiva, known as “the howlers” or “roaring ones,” embodying destructive, transformative, and healing aspects, often depicted as eleven in number representing cosmic forces…), the Ashvins (Ashvins [or Ashvini Kumara] are divine twon horsemen in Vedic and Hindu mythology). symbolizing dawn, medicine, healing, and knowledge, often depicted in a golden chariot drawn by horses, acting as the physicians to the gods and helpers to humanity, appearing before sunrise to dispel darkness and bring good fortune, and are linked to the constellations and the Ashvin lunar mansion…) the Maruts (The Maruts are powerful, agressive storm deities in Vedic Hinduism, , sons of the god Rudra, and companions to Indra, depicted as warriors with golden weapons (lightning) riding chariots, representing turbulent winds, rain, and fertility, often seen as fierce but vital forces of nature…) and other divine beings, who are also there, O Arjuna, behold the many marvels never seen before.
421: O Arjuna, just see how everything in the entire jagat, both the moving and unmoving, is standing together within my universal body as one grand being. Anything you wish to see is present here.
422: But you cannot see this form with your physical eyes, so I am giving you divine eyes. Behold as I now reveal My universal and splendid qualities through My yoga aishvarya ‘unlimited yogic powers’.
423: Then Sanjaya said to Dhritarashtra: O King, after speaking this way, Shri Krishna, the Maha Yoga Ishvara Hari ‘the greatest master of yoga who removes all inauspicious things from one’s heart revealed to Arjuna his Parama Rupa Aishvara ‘supreme and attractive universal form.
424: Sanjaya continued to speak: Suddenly Arjuna saw countless mouths and eyes, unlimited marvelous visions extending everywhere. He saw divine ornaments of immeasurable splendor and endless mystic weapons upraised everywhere.
And here is what I saw…
425: Sanjaya continued: Decorated with divine garments, garlanded with celestial flowers, fragrant with the intoxicating perfumes, and exhibiting magical marvels of every description, Deva Ananta Vishvata Mukha ‘the Supreme Deva whose uncountable faces look in every direction’ appeared before Arjuna.
426: Sanjaya said: Divi surya sahasrasya ‘if a thousands suns’ rose up in the sky all at once, their brilliance would not equal the effulgence of that form that Arjuna now saw.
427: Sanjaya continued: There, Arjuna saw the entire jagat as the grand cosmic body of Shri Krishna, who is Deva Devasya ‘the Ultimate deva among them all’. Within that cosmic form, divided into many species and classes of living entities, all individual beings live their lives.
428: Immediately, Arjuna was overwhelmed by the amazing sights he saw. With his hair standing on end, he bowed down to Shri Krishna. Holding out his hands in the anjali mudra, as if offering flowers, he began to speak.
429: Arjuna said: O greatest Deva, I see all the other Devas there within Your cosmic body. Indeed, I see every kind of being assembled there. In addition, I see the creator of all, Brahma, who is the greatest of all material ishas, sitting upon his kamala asana ‘lotus flower seat’. I also see the divya rishis ‘the enlightened seers’ and the mighty Nagas.”
430: I see your infinite rupa ‘form’ extending in every direction. I see endless arms, bodies, faces, and eyes. There is no beginning, no middle, and no end to your endless manifestations. O Shri Krishna, Ovishva Ishvara Vishvarupa, Your ‘unlimited form is the entire universe’.
431: Now I see You. Your many heads are wearing crowns and You are armed with the divine weapons like the club and the disk. Your immense splendor is shining brilliantly in every direction, but You are exceedingly difficult to see because Your blazing, fiery, and immeasurable sun-like radiance.
435: A great host of devas, some frightening and other trembling in awe, are entering into You, bowing and praising you with mantras. Throngs of great rishis, sages, and seers are also chanting and crying out hymns of praise to you.
460: I wish to see you again in Your rupa wearing a crown, carrying a club, and bearing the sudarshana chakra. I want to see Your four armed Vishnu form, O sahasrabahu ‘thousand-armed One’, O Vishvamurti ‘source of all other forms in the Universe’.
461: Shri Bhagavan spoke: As a kindness, Arjuna, I have revealed My param rupa ‘Supreme form’, manifesting it entirely through the yoga maya of My unlimited Atma. This brilliant, unborn, original, and universal form of Mine has never been revealed so completely to anyone before you.
462: This cosmic form of Mine cannot be seen by reciting Vedic hymns, or by offering large donations, or by performing agnihotra yajna. Neither is it revealed to those who perform elaborate rituals nor to those who undertake harsh and demanding tapasya. On this human loka, Arjuna, you are the only person to whom this form has been so fully revealed.
463: So, do not tremble or remain in a state of bewilderment because you have seen My ghora rupa ‘ghastly universal form’. Be free of all fears and feel love and joy in your heart as you now behold my original rupa, my all-attractive two-armed transcendental form of Shri Bhagavan.
466: Shri Bhagavan said: This vishva rupa of mine, which I have just revealed to you, is extremely dificult to see, even the devas are constantly wishing to see that form.
467: But it is not through dana, yajna, tapasya, or study of vedic knowledge that I can be seen in my universal form as you have seen Me.
468: Only by pure and unwavering Bhakti yoga can I be seen, known, and understood, in My most essential, true, and ultimate nature. O Arjuna, only in this way can you reach, attain, and fully enter into the mysteries of My many divine forms.
469: O Arjuna, one who is mad Bhakta ‘lovingly dedicates all they do to Me’, constantly thinking only of me as the Ultimate Supreme being and most loving friend, who has no attachment to matter, who is free of enmity with all living beings, and who is always devoted to Me is certain to come to Me.
All texts from the Gita come from “The Bhagavad Gita, Comes Alive, a Radica Translation by Jeffrey Armstrong and Kavindra Rishi.”
Maybe I snuck in the back door…And I know I’m not the second because many Humans have ascended to see the flaming forms.
“Bhakti Yoga is the path of divine love and devotion, focusing on uniting with the Divine through love, adoration, and selfless service, often personified as a chosen deity (Ishta-devata) like Krishna, Shiva, or the Divine Mother. Key practices include Kirtan (chanting), Smarana (remembrance), Shravana (listening to scriptures), and various forms of worship and service, all aiming to dissolve the ego and achieve oneness with God. It’s a heart-centered path, popular for its emotional connection and accessibility, emphasizing that love for the Divine is everyone’s birthright…”
“A Varja is a ritual object of Tibetan Buddhism symbolizing diamond-like indestructability and a thunderbolts irresistible force, representing spiritual power, while a Visa Varjra (or Doube Vajra) is two crossed vajaras forming a stable cross, signifying absolute stability, universal harmony, and the foundation of the universe, often linked to the Buddh Amoghasiddhi and representing the four Karma activities. . Both destroy ignorance, but the Viswa Vajra specifically embodies unwavering stability, protection, and interconnectedness.”