The universal form

Out of compassion for me, you have spoken the supreme, most secret word concerning the Self. By this my delusion has gone.

I have heard from you at length of the arising and passing away of beings, and also of your inexhaustible greatness, O lotus-eyed one.

It is just as you have described yourself, O Supreme Lord. Yet I wish to see your form as Ishvara, O highest Puruṣa.

If you think it possible for me to see it, Lord, then, O Lord of Yoga, show me your imperishable Self.

Behold, son of Prithā, my forms by the hundreds and thousands—manifold, divine, of many colors and shapes.

Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Ashvins, and the Maruts. Behold, descendant of Bharata, many wonders never seen before.

See here today, in this body of mine, the whole universe gathered into one, with everything that moves and does not move, and whatever else you wish to see, O Gudākesha.

But you cannot see me with these eyes of yours alone. I give you a divine eye—behold my sovereign yoga-power.

Having spoken thus, O King, Hari, the great Lord of Yoga, then showed to the son of Prithā his supreme form as Ishvara—

With many mouths and eyes, with many wondrous sights, with many divine ornaments, with many divine weapons raised on high;

Wearing divine garlands and garments, anointed with divine fragrances, wholly wondrous, radiant, boundless, facing every direction.

If the light of a thousand suns were to blaze forth in the sky all at once, it might resemble the splendor of that great being.

There, in the body of the God of gods, the son of Pāndu then saw the whole universe resting as one, divided into its many forms.

Then Dhananjaya, overcome with wonder, his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the god in reverence and, with joined palms, spoke.

I see all the gods in your body, O God, and hosts of every kind of being; Brahmā the lord, seated on the lotus, and all the seers and divine serpents.

I see you on every side, boundless in form, with countless arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes; I see no end, no middle, and no beginning of you, O Lord of the universe, O universal form.

I see you crowned, bearing mace and discus, a mass of light blazing on every side, hard to look upon, glowing all around like burning fire and sun, immeasurable.

You are the imperishable, the highest thing to be known. You are the ultimate resting place of this universe. You are the undying guardian of the eternal dharma. I think you are the ancient Puruṣa.

I see you without beginning, middle, or end, of infinite power, with countless arms, the sun and moon your eyes, blazing fire your mouth, scorching this whole universe with your radiance.

The space between heaven and earth, and every direction, is filled by you alone. Having seen this astonishing, terrifying form of yours, the three worlds tremble in fear, O great being.

These hosts of gods enter into you; some, in fear, praise you with joined palms. Saying, "May it be well," throngs of great seers and perfected beings extol you with resounding hymns.

The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, Vishvadevas, the two Ashvins, Maruts, the ancestral spirits who drink the offering-steam, and hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and perfected beings—all of them gaze at you, every one astonished.

Having seen your immense form, with its many mouths and eyes, mighty-armed one, its many arms, thighs, and feet, its many bellies, terrible with many tusks—the worlds tremble, and so do I.

Seeing you touch the sky, ablaze, many-colored, mouths gaping wide, huge blazing eyes, my inmost being trembles in fear; I find no steadiness and no peace, O Vishnu.

Having seen your mouths, terrible with tusks, like the fires that end an age, I lose all sense of direction and find no refuge. Have mercy, Lord of the gods, dwelling place of the universe.

All these sons of Dhritarāshtra, together with hosts of kings, Bhīshma, Drona, and Karna the charioteer's son, along with our own foremost warriors, rush headlong into your mouths, terrible with tusks, dreadful to see. Some are seen caught between your teeth, their heads already crushed to dust.

Just as the many rushing waters of rivers race toward the ocean, so do these heroes of the human world rush into your blazing mouths.

Just as moths rush headlong into a blazing fire to their destruction, so too do these creatures rush headlong into your mouths to their destruction.