(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

There Is No Beginning, Middle Or End To Divine Cosmic Form

अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रं
पश्यामि त्वां सर्वतोऽनन्तरूपम् |
नान्तं न मध्यं न पुनस्तवादिं
पश्यामि विश्वेश्वर विश्वरूप || 11.16||

aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ
paśhyāmi tvāṁ sarvato ’nanta-rūpam
nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ
paśhyāmi viśhveśhvara viśhva-rūpa||11.16||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 11- Ver. 16:

I see you with a multitude of hands, bellies, mouths, and eyes, as well as endless shapes emanating from all directions. O king of the universe, O cosmic form, I perceive no end, middle, or beginning to you.

Explanation

Arjun employs two vocatives universal controller,” and “universal shape.” “O Shree Krishna, the cosmos is nothing but your manifestation, and you are the supreme master of it,” he indicates. Furthermore, he underlines the immensity of the form he is experiencing by stating that Arjuna cannot identify any limit to his manifestations from any viewpoint. When he looks for the start, he can’t seem to find it. When he tries to see its centre, he has no luck, and when he looks for the finish, he finds no limit to the vista that appears in front of him.

Verse & what we can learn

In his rushed speech, Arjuna elaborates on the intricate imagery of Ishvara’s cosmic form. He can now see an unlimited number of forms, but his intellect is unable to interpret or identify them. It can only process sections of this image — hands, lips, eyes, and so on – and cannot comprehend the entire picture. Arjuna tried to see if the entire cosmic form had a shape or contour when he couldn’t figure out how the numerous eyes, hands, bellies, and mouth fit together.

As the shloka says, Arjuna was entirely absorbed and surrounded by this cosmic form in all three dimensions, “from all sides.” Shri Krishna illustrates the mind’s limitations in this shloka, with its proclivity for chopping things up into fragments. It is unable to comprehend Ishvara’s thinking, which operates at a cosmic level. Our ideas are limited to what we call “me” and “my,” whereas Ishvara’s thoughts encompass the entire cosmos. It also implies that Ishvara is the source of all names and forms, which all blend back into Ishvara.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the next shloka Arjuna begins to describe the cosmic form of Ishvara.

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