Behold, thou seest the powers of Nature: fire, earth, wind, and sky; the sun, the heavens, the moon, the stars; all forces of vitality and healing; and the roving winds. Behold, thou seest the myriad wonders revealed to none but thee.
divya-mālyāmbara-dharaṁ divya-gandhānulepanam
sarvāśhcharya-mayaṁ devam anantaṁ viśhvato-mukham
Crowned with heavenly garlands, clothed in shining garments, anointed with divine unguents, He showed Himself as the Resplendent One, Marvelous, Boundless, and Omnipresent.
arjuna uvācha
paśhyāmi devāns tava deva dehe
sarvāns tathā bhūta-viśheṣha-saṅghān
brahmāṇam īśhaṁ kamalāsana-stham
ṛiṣhīnśh cha sarvān uragānśh cha divyān
Arjuna said: O Almighty God! I see in You the powers of Nature, the various creatures of the world, the Progenitor on His lotus throne, the Sages, and the shining angels.
अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं
पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम्।
नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं
पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप
aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
paśhyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ
paśhyāmi viśhveśhvara viśhva-rūpa
I see You, infinite in form, with faces, eyes, and limbs everywhere; with no beginning, middle, or end. O You, Lord of the Universe, whose form is universal!
I see you with the crown, the scepter, and the discus; a blaze of splendor. Scarcely can I gaze upon you, so radiant you are, glowing like a blazing fire, brilliant as the sun, immeasurable.
tvam akṣharaṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ
tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam
tvam avyayaḥ śhāśhvata-dharma-goptā
sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣho mato me
You are imperishable, the only one worthy of being known, the priceless treasure-house of the universe, the immortal guardian of eternal life, and the everlasting spirit.
Without beginning, without middle, and without end, infinite in power, with arms all-embracing, the sun and moon as Your eyes, Your face beaming with the fire of sacrifice, flooding the whole universe with light.
dyāv ā-pṛithivyor idam antaraṁ hi
vyāptaṁ tvayaikena diśhaśh cha sarvāḥ
dṛiṣhṭvādbhutaṁ rūpam ugraṁ tavedaṁ
loka-trayaṁ pravyathitaṁ mahātman
Alone, you fill all the quarters of the sky, earth, and heaven, and the regions between. O Almighty Lord! Seeing your marvelous and awe-inspiring form, the spheres tremble with fear.
The troops of celestial beings enter into You, some invoking You in fear, with folded palms; the great seers and adepts sing hymns to Your glory, saying, "All hail!"
रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्या
विश्वेऽश्िवनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च।
गन्धर्वयक्षासुरसिद्धसङ्घा
वीक्षन्ते त्वां विस्मिताश्चैव सर्वे
rudrādityā vasavo ye cha sādhyā
viśhve ’śhvinau marutaśh choṣhmapāśh cha
gandharva-yakṣhāsura-siddha-saṅghā
vīkṣhante tvāṁ vismitāśh chaiva sarve
The vital forces, major stars, fire, earth, air, sky, sun, heaven, moon, and planets; the angels, guardians of the universe, divine healers, winds, fathers, heavenly singers, and hosts of mammon-worshippers, demons, and saints are all amazed.
Seeing Thy stupendous Form, O Most Mighty One, with its myriad faces, its innumerable eyes, limbs, and terrible jaws, I myself and all the worlds are overwhelmed with awe.
नभःस्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं
व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम्।
दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा
धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो
nabhaḥ-spṛiśhaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśhāla-netram
dṛiṣhṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dhṛitiṁ na vindāmi śhamaṁ cha viṣhṇo
When I see You, touching the heavens, glowing with color, with open mouth and wide, fiery eyes, I am terrified. O my Lord! My courage and peace of mind abandon me.
दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि
दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि।
दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म
प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास
danṣhṭrā-karālāni cha te mukhāni
dṛiṣhṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni
diśho na jāne na labhe cha śharma
prasīda deveśha jagan-nivāsa
When I see Thy mouths with their fearful jaws, like glowing fires at the dissolution of creation, I lose all sense of place and find no rest. Be merciful, O Lord, in whom this universe abides!
1 See them all rushing headlong into Thy mouths, with terrible tusks, horrible to behold. Some are mangled between Thy jaws, with their heads crushed to atoms.
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं
न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम्
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo
namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda
vijñātum ichchhāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ
na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛittim
Tell me then, who are You, who wears this dreadful form? I bow before You, O Mighty One! Have mercy, I pray, and let me see You as You were at first. I do not know what Your intentions are.
श्री भगवानुवाच
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः।
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे
येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
kālo ’smi loka-kṣhaya-kṛit pravṛiddho
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛittaḥ
ṛite ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣhyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣhu yodhāḥ
Lord Shri Krishna replied: I have shown myself to you as the Destroyer who lays waste the world and whose purpose is destruction. In spite of your efforts, all these warriors gathered for battle shall not escape death.
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च
कर्णं तथाऽन्यानपि योधवीरान्।
मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा
युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान्
droṇaṁ cha bhīṣhmaṁ cha jayadrathaṁ cha
karṇaṁ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān
mayā hatāṁs tvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣhṭhā
yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān
Drona, Bheeshma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other brave warriors - I have condemned them all. Destroy them; fight without fear. Your foes shall be crushed."
Sanjaya continued: "Having heard these words from the Lord Shri Krishna, the Prince Arjuna, with folded hands trembling, prostrated himself and with a choked voice, bowing down again and again, and overwhelmed with awe, once more addressed the Lord.
arjuna uvācha
sthāne hṛiṣhīkeśha tava prakīrtyā
jagat prahṛiṣhyaty anurajyate cha
rakṣhānsi bhītāni diśho dravanti
sarve namasyanti cha siddha-saṅghāḥ
Arjuna said: My Lord! It is natural for the world to revel and rejoice when singing praises of Your glory; the demons fly in fear and the saints offer You their salutations.
कस्माच्च ते न नमेरन्महात्मन्
गरीयसे ब्रह्मणोऽप्यादिकर्त्रे।
अनन्त देवेश जगन्निवास
त्वमक्षरं सदसत्तत्परं यत्
kasmāch cha te na nameran mahātman
garīyase brahmaṇo ’py ādi-kartre
ananta deveśha jagan-nivāsa
tvam akṣharaṁ sad-asat tat paraṁ yat
How else should they do? O Supreme Self, greater than the powers of creation, the first cause, infinite, the Lord of Lords, the home of the universe, imperishable, being and non-being, yet transcending both.
त्वमादिदेवः पुरुषः पुराण
स्त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम्।
वेत्तासि वेद्यं च परं च धाम
त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तरूप
tvam ādi-devaḥ puruṣhaḥ purāṇas
tvam asya viśhvasya paraṁ nidhānam
vettāsi vedyaṁ cha paraṁ cha dhāma
tvayā tataṁ viśhvam ananta-rūpa
You are the Primal God, the Ancient One, the Supreme Abode of this universe, the Knower, the Knowledge, and the Final Home. You fill everything. Your form is infinite.
vāyur yamo ’gnir varuṇaḥ śhaśhāṅkaḥ
prajāpatis tvaṁ prapitāmahaśh cha
namo namas te ’stu sahasra-kṛitvaḥ
punaśh cha bhūyo ’pi namo namas te
You are the wind, you are death, you are the fire, the water, the moon, the father, and the grandfather. Honor and glory to you a thousand and a thousand times! Again and again, salutations to you, O my Lord!
namaḥ purastād atha pṛiṣhṭhatas te
namo ’stu te sarvata eva sarva
ananta-vīryāmita-vikramas tvaṁ
sarvaṁ samāpnoṣhi tato ’si sarvaḥ
Salutations to Thee in front and on all sides, Thou who encompasseth me round about. Thy power is infinite; Thy majesty immeasurable; Thou upholdest all things; indeed, Thou Thyself art All.
सखेति मत्वा प्रसभं यदुक्तं
हे कृष्ण हे यादव हे सखेति।
अजानता महिमानं तवेदं
मया प्रमादात्प्रणयेन वापि
sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ
he kṛiṣhṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
Whatever I have said to you in rashness, taking you only as a friend and addressing you as “O Krishna! O Yadava! O Friend!” in thoughtless familiarity, without understanding your greatness;
Whatever insults I have offered to You in jest, in sport, in repose, in conversation, or at a banquet, alone or in a crowd, I ask for Your forgiveness for them all, O You Who are without equal!
पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य
त्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान्।
न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो
लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव
pitāsi lokasya charācharasya
tvam asya pūjyaśh cha gurur garīyān
na tvat-samo ’sty abhyadhikaḥ kuto ’nyo
loka-traye ’py apratima-prabhāva
For you are the Father of all things movable and immovable, the Worshipful, the Master of Masters! In all the worlds, there is none equal to you; how then could there be one superior, O you who stand alone, Supreme?
Therefore, I prostrate myself before You, O Lord! Most Adorable! I salute You, and I ask for Your blessing. Only You can be trusted to bear with me, like a father to a son, like a friend to a friend, and like a lover to his beloved.
अदृष्टपूर्वं हृषितोऽस्मि दृष्ट्वा
भयेन च प्रव्यथितं मनो मे।
तदेव मे दर्शय देव रूपं
प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास
adṛiṣhṭa-pūrvaṁ hṛiṣhito ’smi dṛiṣhṭvā
bhayena cha pravyathitaṁ mano me
tad eva me darśhaya deva rūpaṁ
prasīda deveśha jagan-nivāsa
I rejoice that I have seen what no man has ever seen before; yet, O Lord! I am overwhelmed with fear. Please take on the form I know. Be merciful, O Lord! You who are the home of the entire universe.
I long to see Thee as Thou wert before, with the crown, the scepter, and the discus in Thy hands; in Thy other form, with Thy four hands, O Thou whose arms are countless and whose forms are infinite.
श्री भगवानुवाच
मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं
रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात्।
तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं
यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम्
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ
rūpaṁ paraṁ darśhitam ātma-yogāt
tejo-mayaṁ viśhvam anantam ādyaṁ
yan me tvad anyena na dṛiṣhṭa-pūrvam
Lord Shri Krishna replied: My beloved friend! It is only through My grace and power that you have been able to see this vision of splendour, the Universal, the Infinite, the Original. Never has it been seen by anyone else.
न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै
र्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः।
एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके
द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair
na cha kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ
evaṁ-rūpaḥ śhakya ahaṁ nṛi-loke
draṣhṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra
It is not possible for man on earth to see what thou hast seen, O thou foremost hero of the Kuru-clan, through study of the scriptures, sacrifice or gift, ritual or rigorous austerity!
Sanjaya continued: "Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Lord Shri Krishna showed Himself again in His accustomed form; and the Mighty Lord, in gentle tones, softly consoled him who had recently trembled with fear.