THE UNIVERSAL FORM
Painting by
Pariksit Dasa
(1981)

At the request of Arjuna, Lord Krsna showed him His universal form on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. In that universal form Arjuna saw unlimited mouths, unlimited eyes, unlimited wonderful visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore many divine upraised weapons. He wore celestial garlands and garments, and there were many divine scents smeared over His body. All was wondrous, brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.

If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form. At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.

Then, bewildered and astonished, his bodily hair standing on end, Arjuna bowed his head to offer obeisances. Then with joined palms he began to pray to the Supreme Lord:

"My dear Lord Krsna, I see assembled in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahma sitting on the lotus, as well as Siva and all the sages and divine serpents. O Lord of the universe, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes expanded without limit. I see in You no end, no middle, and no beginning.

"Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence spreading on all sides. That effulgence is like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun. I see this glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns, clubs and disks.

"You are the supreme primal objective. You are the ultimate resting place of this entire universe. You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest. You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the Personality of Godhead. That is my opinion.

"You are without origin, middle, or end. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are Your eyes. I see You with blazing fire coming forth from Your mouth, burning this entire universe with Your radiance.

"Although You are one, You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one , seeing this wondrous and terrible form, all the planetary systems are perturbed.

"All the hosts of demigods are surrendering before You and entering into You. Some of them, very much afraid, are offering prayers with joined palms, while host of great sages are singing the Vedic hymns.

"O Lord of lords, O refuge of the worlds, please be gracious to me. I cannot keep my balance seeing Your blazing deathlike faces and awful teeth. In all directions I am bewildered."

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