(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Everlasting Eternal Experience Is Not A Thing That Can Be Observed With The Senses And Described By Our Mind And Intellect

किरीटिनं गदिनं चक्रिणं च
तेजोराशिं सर्वतो दीप्तिमन्तम् |
पश्यामि त्वां दुर्निरीक्ष्यं समन्ताद्
दीप्तानलार्कद्युतिमप्रमेयम् || 11.17||

kirīṭinaṁ gadinaṁ chakriṇaṁ cha
tejo-rāśhiṁ sarvato dīptimantam
paśhyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣhyaṁ samantād
dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam|| 11.17||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 11- Ver. 17:

I perceive Your form, crowned and armed with the club and disc, blazing as the dwelling of brilliance everywhere. It’s difficult to stare at You in the scorching heat of Your effulgence, which shines brightly in all directions like the sun.

Explanation

Before Arjun, the cosmic shape shone brighter than hundreds of blazing suns. The global form dazzled the eyes in the same way that the sun dazzles the eyes. Only because he had gained heavenly eyes from the Lord was he able to see it.

Arjun also saw the Lord in his four-armed Vishnu form, complete with the four prominent emblems—mace, conch, disc, and lotus flower—within the global form.

Verse & what we can learn

Arjuna realised that he could discern divinity in the cosmic form as he saw more elements of it, not just the material world, as he saw more aspects of it. The mace and discus he saw were Lord Vishnu’s weapons. They represent, respectively, spiritual discipline and the destructive power of time. The conch, which represents a summons to action and a warning against laziness, is another emblem of Lord Vishnu. Because Ishvara is the ultimate commander and is unaffected by selfish ambitions, Arjuna sees a crown as well.

These lyrical expressions convey the illumination of the eternal nature that Arjuna perceived in the cosmic form: “the blazing fire of sunlight,” “plenty of brilliance everywhere.” The same timeless nature lives within every one of us, but it is hidden by a veil of avidya, or ignorance. As we’ve seen, the everlasting essence within us is responsible for the functioning of our mind, intellect, senses, and body. Ishvara, the purest manifestation of the eternal essence, shines brightly like an endless number of suns, with nothing in its way.

Arjuna couldn’t seem to put his experience into words, no matter how hard he tried. Because the everlasting experience is not a thing that can be observed with the senses and described by our mind and intellect, this is the case. He acknowledges his mental limitations by asserting that the cosmic shape is “aprameyam,” or incomprehensible.

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.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…