Bhagavad Gita Discourse 7-9
Discourse 7-9
Krishna tells Arjun that he will reveal to him his complete form, one that few can ever see. He has eight visible forms: fire, earth, water, air, ether, the mind, reason, and sense of 'I'. Above them, all is the invisible nature, which is where life sprung from and where the universe had its beginning. Krishna says that there is nothing higher in the universe than him and that the three Gunas of nature rest in him, they are the peaceful light, restless life, and the lifeless darkness. Those who commit evil acts don't seek Krishna for their sight and mind are blinded by delusions and their evil path. Krishna elaborates that four kinds of men and names them the man of vision, the man of sorrows, the seeker of knowledge, and the seeker of something he treasures. The greatest and rarest of them all is the man of vision, for he sees the Oneness and Krishna resides with him. Men clouded by desires pursue varied paths to other gods.
Unwise men are unable to perceive Krishna's true form and are blinded by their delusions and desires. They are divided by hate and desire, but good men see beyond their delusions and can achieve an understanding of Brahman, Atman, and Karma.
Arjun seeks the meaning of Brahman, Atman, Karma, the kingdom of light, and the Kingdom of earth. He wishes to know how an offering is made and how the harmonious soul sees the glory of Krishna at the end of life. Krishna replies that the Brahman is the supreme Eternal, the Atman is the spirit of man, and Karma is the force of creation. The kingdom of earth is matter and the spirit is the kingdom of light. Those that meet their end with their thoughts on Krishna find their salvation in him, and so he asks Arjun to think of him always. And he then begins to elaborate on the path that the seers of the Veda call Eternal.
He tells Arjun that the moment of death determines the position in the afterlife, and those that follow the Bhakti yoga attain liberation in him. He tells Arjun to think of him always and explains the transcendental Eternal that does not cycle through cosmic night and day as the rest of the universe. The transcendental eternal is the abode of Krishna, and where the Bhakti yogi is found after death, for he is freed from the perpetual and infinite cycle of creation and destruction.
Krishna tells Arjun that he will now share with him the secret knowledge that can deliver him from all the miseries of the world as Arjun bears in him true faith. He tells him to find pleasure in fulfilling the duties of his Dharma. Krishna says that he is the source of all creation, as the worlds come from him, but he remains detached from them. He is the supreme God, creator of all, and yet many on Earth fail to see his supreme form. Some of these men read the Vedas and drink soma, they offer their devotion to the Devas - Demigods. These followers of the demigods achieve heaven. They go to the comfort of Indra's heaven but they eventually return to life and death for their vision remains clouded with transient pleasures. However, there are those few who recognize the supreme in Krishna, and they are delivered from the cycle of life and death through their devotion to him. Krishna accepts even the smallest offerings made out of love and accepts those made in the name of other demigods as well for he is the one Supreme God. He tells Arjun to believe in him and to think of him always, so that he too may attain the divine at the end of his life.
Analysis
In this section, Krishna again emphasizes that he is the One eternal God as his immaterial form is the Brahman which pervades all things. This oneness is recognized by men of Vision. Such men are favored by Krishna, and he suggests that he is not only Lord Vishnu but also the creator and the destroyer, and so he is both Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. This is consistent with some sects of Hinduism that believe he is the one principal God, and the other gods come from him. The tenth and eleventh discourses involve Krishna revealing his Virat-rupa to Arjun, but the existence of this form is first mentioned in the 7th discourse, for Krishna says that he is formless and all-encompassing.
Like most discourses in the Bhagavad, the eighth also begins with Arjun's questions. Arjun seeks to gain clarification on the meaning of Brahman, Atman, and Karma, and Krishna briefly highlights the concepts but does not delve into great detail for he has already done so in the past discourses. He explains that the greatest sacrifice is that of God taking mortal form. Krishna's coming into the material world to rescue Arjun and other men from ignorance and a life without Dharma is the ultimate sacrifice. He says that those who recognize this are led away from the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction. Krishna likens this universal scale cycle of creation and destruction to the passing of a day and the setting of the night. In Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu's last and final incarnation is called the Kalki Avatar. It is believed that the coming of Kalki will signal the beginning of a new cycle of creation, like the one that has been referenced in the Bhagavad.
Krishna references several opposites as he talks about his place as God, which suggests that Krishna is above all dualities. He is both being and non-being, for he is the transcendental one as well as Krishna. Krishna says that all things in creation come from him, and upon destruction return to him. Krishna does not dwell in the things that come from him, but rather the creations dwell in Krishna.
