Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
Page 68
TRANSLATION
All the various manifestations of Lord Śiva, the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, the two Aśvīs, the Maruts, the forefathers, the Gandharvas, the Yakṣas, the Asuras and the perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder.
TEXT 23
रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं महाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् ।
बहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् ।। 23 ।।
rūpaṁ mahat te bahu-vaktra-netraṁ
mahā-bāho bahu-bāhūru-pādam
bahūdaraṁ bahu-daṁṣṭrā-karālaṁ
dṛṣṭvā lokāḥ pravyathitās tathāham
rūpam – the form; mahat – very great; te – of You; bahu – many; vaktra – faces; netram – and eyes; mahā-bāho – O mighty-armed one; bahu – many; bāhu – arms; ūru – thighs; pādam – and legs; bahu-udaram – many bellies; bahu-daṁṣṭrā – many teeth; karālam – horrible; dṛṣṭvā – seeing; lokāḥ – all the planets; pravyathitāḥ – perturbed; tathā – similarly; aham – I.
TRANSLATION
O mighty-armed one, all the planets with their demigods are disturbed at seeing Your great form, with its many faces, eyes, arms, thighs, legs and bellies and Your many terrible teeth; and as they are disturbed, so am I.
TEXT 24
नभःस्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् ।
दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो ।। 24 ।।
nabhaḥ-spṛśaṁ dīptam aneka-varṇaṁ
vyāttānanaṁ dīpta-viśāla-netram
dṛṣṭvā hi tvāṁ pravyathitāntar-ātmā
dhṛtiṁ na vindāmi śamaṁ ca viṣṇo
nabhaḥ-spṛśam – touching the sky; dīptam – glowing; aneka – many; varṇam – colors; vyātta – open; ānanam – mouths; dīpta – glowing; viśāla – very great; netram – eyes; dṛṣṭvā – seeing; hi – certainly; tvām – You; pravyathita – perturbed; antaḥ – within; ātmā – soul; dhṛtim – steadiness; na – not; vindāmi – I have; śamam – mental tranquillity; ca – also; viṣṇo – O Lord Viṣṇu.
TRANSLATION
O all-pervading Viṣṇu, seeing You with Your many radiant colors touching the sky, Your gaping mouths, and Your great glowing eyes, my mind is perturbed by fear. I can no longer maintain my steadiness or equilibrium of mind.
TEXT 25
दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्टै्वव कालानलसन्निभानि ।
दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ।। 25 ।।
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni ca te mukhāni
dṛṣṭvaiva kālānala-sannibhāni
diśo na jāne na labhe ca śarma
prasīda deveśa jagan-nivāsa
daṁṣṭrā – teeth; karālāni – terrible; ca – also; te – Your; mukhāni – faces; dṛṣṭvā – seeing; eva – thus; kāla-anala – the fire of death; sannibhāni – as if; diśaḥ – the directions; na – not; jāne – I know; na – not; labhe – I obtain; ca – and; śarma – grace; prasīda – be pleased; deva-īśa – O Lord of all lords; jagat-nivāsa – O refuge of the worlds.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing thus Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered.
TEXTS 26–27
अमी च त्वां धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्राः सर्वे सहैवावनिपालसङ्घै ।
भीष्मो द्रोणः सूतपुत्रस्तथासौ सहास्मदीयैरपि योधमुख्यैः ।। 26 ।।
वक्त्राणि ते त्वरमाणा विशन्ति दंष्ट्राकरालानि भयानकानि ।
केचिद्विलग्ना दशनान्तरेषु सन्दृश्यन्ते चूर्णितैरुत्तमाङ्गैः ।। 27 ।।
amī ca tvāṁ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putrāḥ
sarve sahaivāvani-pāla-saṅghaiḥ
bhīṣmo droṇaḥ sūta-putras tathāsau
sahāsmadīyair api yodha-mukhyaiḥ
vaktrāṇi te tvaramāṇā viśanti
daṁṣṭrā-karālāni bhayānakāni
kecid vilagnā daśanāntareṣu
sandṛśyante cūrṇitair uttamāṅgaiḥ
amī – these; ca – also; tvām – You; dhṛtarāṣṭrasya – of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; putrāḥ – the sons; sarve – all; saha – with; eva – indeed; avani-pāla – of warrior kings; saṅghaiḥ – the groups; bhīṣmaḥ – Bhīṣmadeva; droṇaḥ – Droṇācārya; sūta-putraḥ – Karṇa; tathā – also; asau – that; saha – with; asmadīyaiḥ – our; api – also; yodha-mukhyaiḥ – chiefs among the warriors; vaktrāṇi – mouths; te – Your; tvaramāṇāḥ – rushing; viśanti – are entering; daṁṣṭrā – teeth; karālāni – terrible; bhayānakāni – very fearful; kecit – some of them; vilagnāḥ – becoming attached; daśana-antareṣu – between the teeth; sandṛśyante – are seen; cūrṇitaiḥ – with smashed; uttama-aṅgaiḥ – heads.
TRANSLATION
All the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, along with their allied kings, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa – and our chief soldiers also – are rushing into Your fearful mouths. And some I see trapped with heads smashed between Your teeth.
PURPORT
In a previous verse the Lord promised to show Arjuna things he would be very interested in seeing. Now Arjuna sees that the leaders of the opposite party (Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa and all the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and their soldiers and Arjuna’s own soldiers are all being annihilated. This is an indication that after the death of nearly all the persons assembled at Kurukṣetra, Arjuna will emerge victorious. It is also mentioned here that Bhīṣma, who is supposed to be unconquerable, will also be smashed. So also Karṇa. Not only will the great warriors of the other party like Bhīṣma be smashed, but some of the great warriors of Arjuna’s side also.
TEXT 28
यथा नदीनां बहवोऽम्बुवेगाः समुद्रमेवाभिमुखा द्रवन्ति ।
तथा तवामी नरलोकवीरा विशन्ति वक्त्राण्यभिविज्वलन्ति ।। 28 ।।
yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo ’mbu-vegāḥ
samudram evābhimukhā dravanti
tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrā
viśanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti
yathā – as; nadīnām – of the rivers; bahavaḥ – the many; ambu-vegāḥ – waves of the waters; samudram – the ocean; eva – certainly; abhimukhāḥ – towards; dravanti – glide; tathā – similarly; tava – Your; amī – all these; nara-loka-vīrāḥ – kings of human society; viśanti – are entering; vaktrāṇi – the mouths; abhivijvalanti – and are blazing.
TRANSLATION
As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths.
TEXT 29
यथा प्रदीप्तं ज्वलनं पतङ्गाः विशन्ति नाशाय समृद्धवेगाः ।
तथैव नाशाय विशन्ति लोकास्तवापि वक�
�त्राणि समृद्धवेगाः ।। 29 ।।
yathā pradīptaṁ jvalanaṁ pataṅgā
viśanti nāśāya samṛddha-vegāḥ
tathaiva nāśāya viśanti lokās
tavāpi vaktrāṇi samṛddha-vegāḥ
yathā – as; pradīptam – blazing; jvalanam – a fire; pataṅgāḥ – moths; viśanti – enter; nāśāya – for destruction; samṛddha – with full; vegāḥ – speed; tathā eva – similarly; nāśāya – for destruction; viśanti – are entering; lokāḥ – all people; tava – Your; api – also; vaktrāṇi – mouths; samṛddha-vegāḥ – with full speed.
TRANSLATION
I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire.
TEXT 30
लेलिहयसे ग्रसमानः समन्ताल्लोकान्समग्रान्वदनैर्ज्वलद्भिः ।
तेजोभिरापूर्य जगत्समग्रं भासस्तवोग्राः प्रतपन्ति विष्णो ।। 30 ।।
lelihyase grasamānaḥ samantāl
lokān samagrān vadanair jvaladbhiḥ
tejobhir āpūrya jagat samagraṁ
bhāsas tavogrāḥ pratapanti viṣṇo
lelihyase – You are licking; grasamānaḥ – devouring; samantāt – from all directions; lokān – people; samagrān – all; vadanaiḥ – by the mouths; jvaladbhiḥ – blazing; tejobhiḥ – by effulgence; āpūrya – covering; jagat – the universe; samagram – all; bhāsaḥ – rays; tava – Your; ugrāḥ – terrible; pratapanti – are scorching; viṣṇo – O all-pervading Lord.
TRANSLATION
O Viṣṇu, I see You devouring all people from all sides with Your flaming mouths. Covering all the universe with Your effulgence, You are manifest with terrible, scorching rays.
TEXT 31
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद ।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ।। 31 ।।
ākhyāhi me ko bhavān ugra-rūpo
namo ’stu te deva-vara prasīda
vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ
na hi prajānāmi tava pravṛttim
ākhyāhi – please explain; me – unto me; kaḥ – who; bhavān – You; ugra-rūpaḥ – fierce form; namaḥ astu – obeisances; te – unto You; deva-vara – O great one amongst the demigods; prasīda – be gracious; vijñātum – to know; icchāmi – I wish; bhavantam – You; ādyam – the original; na – not; hi – certainly; prajānāmi – do I know; tava – Your; pravṛttim – mission.
TRANSLATION
O Lord of lords, so fierce of form, please tell me who You are. I offer my obeisances unto You; please be gracious to me. You are the primal Lord. I want to know about You, for I do not know what Your mission is.
TEXT 32
श्रीभगवानुवाच
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः ।
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः ।। 32 ।।
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho
lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ
ṛte ’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve
ye ’vasthitāḥ praty-anīkeṣu yodhāḥ
śrī-bhagavān uvāca – the Personality of Godhead said; kālaḥ – time; asmi – I am; loka – of the worlds; kṣaya-kṛt – the destroyer; pravṛddhaḥ – great; lokān – all people; samāhartum – in destroying; iha – in this world; pravṛttaḥ – engaged; ṛte – without, except for; api – even; tvām – you; na – never; bhaviṣyanti – will be; sarve – all; ye – who; avasthitāḥ – situated; prati-anīkeṣu – on the opposite sides; yodhāḥ – the soldiers.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. With the exception of you [the Pāṇḍavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.
PURPORT
Although Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa was his friend and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he was puzzled by the various forms exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he asked further about the actual mission of this devastating force. It is written in the Vedas that the Supreme Truth destroys everything, even the brāhmaṇas. As stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.2.25),
yasya brahma ca kṣatraṁ ca
ubhe bhavata odanaḥ
mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṁ
ka itthā veda yatra saḥ
Eventually all the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and everyone else are devoured like a meal by the Supreme. This form of the Supreme Lord is the all-devouring giant, and here Kṛṣṇa presents Himself in that form of all-devouring time. Except for a few Pāṇḍavas, everyone who was present on that battlefield would be devoured by Him. Arjuna was not in favor of the fight, and he thought it was better not to fight; then there would be no frustration. In reply, the Lord is saying that even if he did not fight, every one of them would be destroyed, for that was His plan. If Arjuna stopped fighting, they would die in another way. Death could not be checked, even if he did not fight. In fact, they were already dead. Time is destruction, and all manifestations are to be vanquished by the desire of the Supreme Lord. That is the law of nature.
TEXT 33
तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम् ।
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन् ।। 33 ।।
tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin
tasmāt – therefore; tvam – you; uttiṣṭha – get up; yaśaḥ – fame; labhasva – gain; jitvā – conquering; śatrūn – enemies; bhuṅkṣva – enjoy; rājyam – kingdom; samṛddham – flourishing; mayā – by Me; eva – certainly; ete – all these; nihatāḥ – killed; pūrvam eva – by previous arrangement; nimitta-mātram – just the cause; bhava – become; savya-sācin – O Savyasācī.
TRANSLATION
Therefore get up. Prepare to fight and win glory. Conquer your enemies and enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasācī, can be but an instrument in the fight.
PURPORT
Savya-sācin refers to one who can shoot arrows very expertly in the field; thus Arjuna is addressed as an expert warrior capable of delivering arrows to kill his enemies. “Just become an instrument”: nimitta-mātram. This word is also very significant. The whole world is moving according to the plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Foolish persons who do not have sufficient knowledge think that nature is moving without a plan and all manifestations are but accidental formations. There are many so-called scientists who suggest that perhaps it was like this, or maybe like that, but there is no question of “perhaps” and “maybe.” There is a specific plan being carried out in this material world. What is this plan? This cosmic manifestation is a chance for the conditioned souls to go back to Godhead, back to home. As long as they have the domineering mentality which makes them try to lord it over material nature, they are conditioned. But anyone who can understand the plan
of the Supreme Lord and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness is most intelligent. The creation and destruction of the cosmic manifestation are under the superior guidance of God. Thus the Battle of Kurukṣetra was fought according to the plan of God. Arjuna was refusing to fight, but he was told that he should fight in accordance with the desire of the Supreme Lord. Then he would be happy. If one is in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness and his life is devoted to the Lord’s transcendental service, he is perfect.
TEXT 34
द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च कर्णं तथान्यानपि योधवीरान् ।
मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान् ।।
droṇaṁ ca bhīṣmaṁ ca jayadrathaṁ ca
karṇaṁ tathānyān api yodha-vīrān
mayā hatāṁs tvaṁ jahi mā vyathiṣṭhā
yudhyasva jetāsi raṇe sapatnān
droṇam ca – also Droṇa; bhīṣmam ca – also Bhīṣma; jayadratham ca – also Jayadratha; karṇam – Karṇa; tathā – also; anyān – others; api – certainly; yodha-vīrān – great warriors; mayā – by Me; hatān – already killed; tvam – you; jahi – destroy; mā – do not; vyathiṣṭhāḥ – be disturbed; yudhyasva – just fight; jetā asi – you will conquer; raṇe – in the fight; sapatnān – enemies.
TRANSLATION
Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Jayadratha, Karṇa and the other great warriors have already been destroyed by Me. Therefore, kill them and do not be disturbed. Simply fight, and you will vanquish your enemies in battle.
PURPORT
Every plan is made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He is so kind and merciful to His devotees that He wants to give the credit to His devotees who carry out His plan according to His desire. Life should therefore move in such a way that everyone acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the medium of a spiritual master. The plans of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are understood by His mercy, and the plans of the devotees are as good as His plans. One should follow such plans and be victorious in the struggle for existence.