Bhagavad Gita Discourse 10-12
Discourse 10-12
Krishna tells Arjun that those who recognize him as the supreme God are freed from the sins they have committed. These devotees can attain harmony and can recognize the Eternal. Arjun emphatically accepts Krishna as the one Supreme God and asks him to tell him of his opulence. He wishes to learn how Krishna pervades over all things. Krishna generously recounts to Arjun that he is the unborn God who creates all things, he is the light of the sun, the ocean, the strength of the strong, and the Himalayas. He is the source of all beauty and all goodness. Krishna talks of a few of his past incarnations and his omnipresence existence over all things and people. Krishna tells Arjun that it is more important to understand his unending omnipresence divine power than the knowledge of his forms and incarnations.
Arjun has accepted Krishna as the source of all creation and the supreme God, however, he wishes to see the manifestation of Krishna in the supreme form. He requests Krishna to show him the universal form, and Krishna obliges Arjun and grants him divine sight. Arjun sees the universal form of Krishna in its infinity and sees no end, beginning or middle. Krishna is endless, armed with celestial weapons, and a multitude of arms, thighs, and faces. Terror of this ultimate form develops in him as he watches the men from the battlefield rush into the mouths of the divine God. He sees them die and be crushed by God's teeth and implores Krishna to explain to him the vision.
Krishna explains that the men on the battlefield have already been slain by Krishna, and Arjun will serve as the instrument of the almighty in striking them down and deliver them to their already decided fate. Arjun understands and begs forgiveness for ever having acted with him too familiarly, and requests Krishna to return to his friendly and gentle form. Krishna obliges Arjun and readopts his human form, and informs Arjun that he is the first ever to see Krishna's true form. None could hope to glimpse that form, except by placing unwavering faith and devotion in Krishna.
Arjun asks Krishna which yogi is considered by him to be the best, whether it is the yogi who is devoted to him or the one that focuses on the Eternal. Krishna replies that those that offer all of their devotion to him are considered to be the best yogis. However, those that pray to the Eternal oneness also find their salvation in him, but that path is a difficult one for humans to follow. He tells Arjun to place all of his devotion unto him for he would certainly deliver all those that love him with pureness. He explains the paths that can be taken by those that find it difficult to meditate and tells Arjun that such individuals will be delivered from their sins if they were to sacrifice all the fruits of their labor to him. He then describes the pure devotee who sheds both desires, and ego, which makes him loved by Krishna.
Analysis
In an earlier discourse, Krishna had said that he does not love one being more than any other, but accepts all sacrifices made with devotion. However at the beginning of the 10th discourse, Krishna tells Arjun that he bears him love, and it is unclear why this may be the case. It either could be because of Arjun's devotion and innate goodness or it could be that Arjun was simply in the right place at the right time. Krishna chose to share the wisdom of the ages with Arjun as a means to have it spread among the people, and so his love for Arjun may simply be his love for mankind that lives in harmony with Dharma. In this section of the Gita, Krishna lists his primary incarnations and forms which establish him as the supreme God, and it provides an index of core Hindu beliefs that all culminate in Krishna. He specifically names Arjun and Vyasa during his discourse, and so lifts them above other holy men, which indicates the sacred role that the Bhagavad Gita plays in Hinduism.
Arjun, in his request to glimpse the universal form, establishes the argument of the yoga of action over that of Sankhya. It is far too difficult to perceive Krishna's oneness through wisdom alone, but the physical experience of it is far more comprehensive in establishing the true scope of the almighty. Krishna grants Arjun divine sight and thereby establishes Arjun's worthiness for divinity. He is allowed to shed the view of the material world and view the ethereal.
The narration of the Gita returns briefly to Sanjay and the reader learns that he too was able to perceive God's universal form. This vision was granted him by the powers of Vyasa, and so the author of the Gita is thus indicated to have achieved divinity. The revelation of the Universal form is certainly the climax of the Bhagavad Gita, and Arjun's resolve to fight in the war is established through the vision of the ultimate form. Arjun sees the destruction of the Bharata clan and is informed that the warriors are certain to find a death for God has already ordained it. Arjun merely serves as the tool, and this helps Arjun disassociate himself from his actions, and prepares him emotionally for battling his kinsmen.
