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The transcendental form

CHENNAI: Scriptures attempt to describe the cosmic form of the Lord to emphasise the Supreme Being’s omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. In the Bhagavad Gita, when Arjuna responds with folded arms to the unique cosmic vision of the Supreme Brahman that was unfolding before him, his spontaneous and minute descriptions of the revelation constitute a tangible word picture to be savoured and experienced by all, pointed out Sri N. Veezhinathan in a lecture. But for such a description, the magnitude of this infinite greatness would be best left to one’s imagination and inner realisation.

This magnificent revelation with an infinite variety of forms, colours, shapes, kinds, etc., was beyond all human cognisance, transcending all measures and counts. Lord Krishna endowed Arjuna with supernatural eyes to enable him to see this divine form. When Sanjaya recounts this vision of the Lord that Arjuna beheld to Dhritarashtra, he describes Lord Krishna as the great Yogeswara for in His transfiguration was subsumed the entire range of all creatures in heaven and earth — celestials, humans, sentient and non-sentient beings, the movable and immovable objects, etc. The Divine form with face turned everywhere, with many mouths and eyes, divine ornaments, weapons, garlands, etc., was the very embodiment of effulgence.

It is stated that Lord Krishna revealed this cosmic form to Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra and many others assembled in the Kaurava court when He had come to Hastinapura as a messenger of the Pandavas to try for a final reconciliation. When all attempts to avoid a war seemed futile, and Duryodhana presumed (in sheer arrogance) that he could make Lord Krishna his captive and planned to do so, the Lord showed His all encompassing greatness. The splendour and terrible aspects of the form dazzled all and those who recognised the greatness of the Lord counted themselves blessed to have this dharshan. Dhritarashtra was granted eyes to see this glorious sight, and being overwhelmed, he prayed to Lord Krishna to take away the power of sight from him, for having seen such an auspicious vision, he did not want to see anything else.

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