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Arjuna said:
1. What you have said, as a favour to me, about the supreme mystery in relation to the self, has dispelled my delusion.
2. from you, lotus-eyed one, I have heard in full detail about the generation and dissolution of beings, and your indissoluble greatness.
3. In this way, lord in the highest degree, you have described yourself; I desire to see your supreme form, greatest of persons.
4. Lord, if you think I am capable of seeing it, then, great lord of youga, show me your indissoluble self.
The Lord said:
5. Partha, see my hundredfold and thousandfold forms – diverse, divine, variegated, and manifold.
6. See the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, the twin Ashvins, and the Maruts. See, Bharata, many prodigious things, never witnessed before.
7. Now see, Gudakesha, here in my body the entire universe of moving and unmoving things, and whatever else you desire to behold.
8. But you will not be able to see me with your natural eye, so I give you a divine eye – behold my lordly power!
Sanjava said:
9. Then, O king, Hari, the great lord of yoga, revealed to Partha his lordly, supreme form.
10. It had many mouths and eyes, innumerable wonderful aspects, uncounted divine ornaments, countless divine weapons at the ready;
11. It was wearing divine garlands and robes, divine perfumes and ointments; it was made up of every prodigious thing, divine, infinite, facing in every direction.
12. If the light of a thousand suns should all at once rise into the sky, that might approach the brilliance of that great self.
13. The son of Pandu saw the entire universe, in its multiplicity, gathered there as one in the body of the god of gods.
14. Then Dhananjaya, confounded, his hair bristling, bowed his head to the god, and with his hands joined in reverence said:
Arjuna said:
15. O God, I see in your body the gods and all kinds of beings come together, Lord Brahma on his lotus seat, all the seers and the divine serpents.
16. I see you everywhere, many-armed, many-stomached, many-mouthed, many-eyed, infinite in form; I cannot find out your end, your middle or your beginning – Lord of the universe, form of everything.
17. I see you – so hard to behold – crowned, armed with a club, discus-bearing, a mass of radiant energy, blazing in all directions, unlimited, an all-consuming, fiery, solar brilliance.
18. I acknowledge you are the imperishable, the highest object of knowledge: you are the repository of all this, the unchanging protector of the perpetual law. You are the primeval person.
19. Without beginning, middle, or end, infinite in power, infinite in arms, sun and moon-eyed, I see you, your face a blazing fire, consuming the entire universe with your brilliance.
20. This space between heaven and earth is filled by you alone, as is every direction. Having seen this, your marvellous, terrible form, the three worlds totter – Great Self!
21. Those throngs of gods enter you; some, in dread, praise you with gestures of respect. Crying, “Hail!” crowds of great seers and perfected beings praise you with resounding praise.
22. Rudras and Adityas, Vasus and Sadhyas, the Vishva gods, the twin Ashvins, Maruts, steam-drinkers, crowds of celestial musicians, Yakshas, Asuras and perfected beings all gaze at you, dumbfounded.
23. Great Arm, seeing your mighty form with its many mouths and eyes, its many arms, thighs, and feet, its many stomach, its gaping mouths, full of tusks – the worlds reel, and so do I.
24. Vishnu, seeing you touching the sky, shining, rainbow-hued, cavern-mouthed, with luminous distended eyes, I am shaken to the core; I can find neither resolution nor rest.
25. Seeing your mouths dancing with tusks, like the flames of universal dissolution, I am disorientated and without shelter. Have mercy, lord of gods, home of the world!
26. And all those sons of Dhritarashtra, with crowds of kings – Bhisma, Drona, and the charioteer’s son – together with our foremost warriors too.
27. Flow into your terrifying fang-distended mouths. Some can be seen lodged between your teeth, their heads crushed to a pulp.
28. As many river currents converge on the sea, so those heroes of the human world flow into your blazing mouths.
29. As flying insects propel themselves to death in the brilliant flame, so the worlds impetuously hurl themselves to destruction between your jaws.
30. Vishnu, you lap up all the worlds with your flaming mouths, ubiquitously devouring; your fierce rays engulf the entire universe in brilliance, roasting it.
31. Tell me, terrible manifestation, who are you? Homage to you, supreme god – have mercy! First being, I need to understand you; I cannot discern your purpose.
The Lord said:
32. I am time run on, destroyer of the universe, risen here to annihilate worlds. Regardless of you, all these warriors, stationed in opposing ranks, shall cease to exist.
33. Therefore go to it, grasp fame! And having conquered your enemies, enjoy a thriving kingship. They have already been hewn down by me: Savyasachin, simply be the instrument.
34. Kill Drona, kill Bhisham, kill Jayadratha and Karna, and the other warrior heroes as well: they are killed by me. Don’t waver – you must fight! In battle you shall overcome your enemies.
Sanjaya said:
35. When he had heard Krishna’s speech, Arjuna, his palms joined in reverence, trembling, having saluted again, bowing low, trrified, stuttered in reply:
Arjuna said:
36. It is only right, Hrishikesha, that the world exults in and is devoted to your celebration. Terrified demons scatter to the winds, and all the crowds of perfected beings bow down before you.
37. And how should they not bow down to you, Great One? To the original creator, greater even than Brahma, infinite lord of gods, home of the world. You are the imperishable – being, non-being, and what is beyond.
38. You are the original god, the primeval person; you are the receptacle of all this – knower, known, and ultimate condition. Infinite form, the entire universe was composed by you.
39. You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, Prajapti, the great grandfather. Praise, a thousand times praise to you; again and again, praise and praise you.
40. Praise to you openly, secretly, totally – the All! Infinite strength, unmeasured force, completing everything, you are everything.
41. For whatever I uttered rashly, imagining you my equal, calling: “Hey Krishna! Hey Yadava! Hey friend! ignorant of your greatness, through familiarity, or out of affection –
42. And if as a joke I treated you improperly when it came to sport, rest, sitting, or eating, alone or even in public, Achyuta – I ask you, the Immeasurable, forgiveness.
43. You are the father of the world, of moving and unmoving things; you are its venerable teacher and object of worship. Nothing can be compared to you, so how, even in the three worlds, could there be anything greater? Unequalled power!
44. Therefore, bowing down and prostrating myself, I ask forgiveness of you, praiseworthy lord. As father with son, friend with friend, lover with lover, have patience – if it pleases you – O god!
45. I rejoice that I have seen what has never before been seen, but my mind is unhinged with fear. O god, show me that other form again. Be merciful, lord of gods, home of the world!
46. I need to see you as you were before: crowned, with a club, and holding a discus. O thousand-armed one, whose material form is the universe, assume your four-armed shape.
The Lord said:
47. By showing favour to you, Arjuna, through my own power I have made manifest this supreme form of mine, lustrous, universal.
48. Not through the Vedas, not through sacrifice, not through study, not by giving alms, not by rituals, not by fierce asceticism, can I be seen in such a form in the human world; by you alone it can be seen, Prince of Kurus.
49. Don’t tremble, don’t be confused because you have seen this so terrible form of mine. Your dread dispelled, your heart lightened, behold this, my familiar form.
Sanjava said:
50. So saying, Vasudeva once more revealed his own familiar form to Arjuna; the Great One, resuming his mild appearance, allowed the terrified man to breathe again.
Arjuna said:
51. Seeing this agreeable, human form of yours, Janardana, I have now pulled myself together, and I am rational again.
The Lord said:
52. This form of mine, which you have seen, is very hard to see. Even the gods crave incessantly for a glimpse of this form.
53. Neither through the Vedas, nor through asceticism, neither by alms-giving, nor by sacrifice is it possible to see me in the way you have seen me.
54. But by exclusive devotion, Arjuna, I can be known and seen thus, as I really am, and entered into, Incinerator of the Foe.
55. He who acts for me, who makes me the highest goal, who is devoted to me, who has abandoned attachment, who is without hatred for any being, comes to me, Pandava.