(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

One Who Is Accustomed To Viewing Divine As His Beloved Cannot Bear To See Him In A Formal Capacity

नभ:स्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं
व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् |
दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा
धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो || 11.24||

nabhaḥ-spṛiśhaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśhāla-netram
dṛiṣhṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dhṛitiṁ na vindāmi śhamaṁ cha viṣhṇo|| 11.24||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 11- Ver. 24:

My imagination is terrified when I see you touching the sky, glowing in various colours, with open mouths and enormous burning eyes. O Vishnu, I lack both bravery and serenity.

Explanation

Arjuna’s relationship with Shree Krishna changed after he saw God in his cosmic form. He had previously treated him as a close friend and engaged with him in a manner befitting a close associate. He was aware that Shree Krishna was God in the back of his mind, but the overwhelming love in his heart would cause him to overlook this facet of Shree Krishna’s personality. He’d just recall that he adored his friend Shree Krishna more than anything else.

That is how love works. It consumes the devotee’s consciousness so completely that he forgets his Beloved Lord’s formal position. And if formality is maintained, love will be unable to express itself fully. The Braj cowherds just saw Shree Krishna as a close friend, and the Lord, too, enjoys the closeness of such encounters with his devotees in which they relate to him as a close friend.

In sakhya bhava, Arjuna was also a Shree Krishna devotee. He had grown accustomed to thinking of Shree Krishna as a friend. That is why he decided to have Shree Krishna drive his chariot. Arjun would never have allowed him to conduct such a humiliating job if his love had been inspired by the truth that Shree Krishna was the Supreme Lord of all creation. His friendly attitude toward Shree Krishna had been replaced with fear as he saw his boundless grandeur and inconceivable opulences.

Verse & what we can learn

Arjuna describes the cosmic form as being enormous. He claims it “touched the sky.” Its immensity, along with the terrifying imagery he witnessed, resulted in a sight more terrifying than anything we can comprehend. It had a limitless amount of colours, according to Arjuna, implying the ability to generate all types of names and forms. It also has an unlimited number of open mouths with fangs, as well as massive blazing eyes.

Arjuna was greatly influenced by Ishvara’s “raudra roopa,” or angry form. He confessed to Shri Krishna that he lacked guts. For one of the world’s greatest fighters, who values courage above all else, to say such a thing shows that this cosmic form must have been something much beyond our wildest dreams.

Arjuna also acknowledged that he had lost all sense of calm. Arjuna was naturally calm, but this manifestation of the cosmic form had a destabilizing impact on him. This shloka encourages us to see Ishvara’s handywork even in conditions that cause us to lose trust in him, and to constantly remind ourselves that every calamity is a method of self-purification.

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.

Despite Arjuna’s desire for Shri Krishna to stop showing his cosmic form, there was more to come, as we will see next shloka.

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