
                                  CHAPTER XI
                  OF THE MANIFESTING OF THE ONE AND MANIFOLD
                                       
   _Arjuna._ This, for my soul's peace, have I heard from Thee,
   The unfolding of the Mystery Supreme
   Named Adhyatman; comprehending which,
   My darkness is dispelled; for now I know-
   O Lotus-eyed!- whence is the birth of men,
   And whence their death, and what the majesties
   Of Thine immortal rule. Fain would I see,
   As thou Thyself declar'st it, Sovereign Lord!
   The likeness of that glory of Thy Form
   Wholly revealed. O Thou Divinest One!
   If this can be, if I may bear the sight,
   Make Thyself visible, Lord of all prayers!
   Show me Thy very self, the Eternal God!
   _Krishna._ Gaze, then, thou Son of Pritha! I manifest for thee
   Those hundred thousand thousand shapes that clothe my Mystery:
   I show thee all my semblances, infinite, rich, divine,
   My changeful hues, my countless forms. See! in this face of mine,
   Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aswins, and Maruts; see
   Wonders unnumbered, Indian Prince! revealed to none save thee.
   Behold! this is the Universe!- Look! what is live and dead
   I gather all in one- in Me! Gaze, as thy lips have said
   On GOD, ETERNAL, VERY GOD! See ME! what thou prayest!
   
   Thou canst not!- nor, with human eyes, Arjuna! ever mayest!
   Therefore I give thee sense divine. Have other eyes, new light!
   And, look! This is My glory, unveiled to mortal sight!
   _Sanjaya._ Then, O King! to God, so saying,
   Stood, to Pritha's Son displaying
   All the splendour, wonder, dread
   Of His vast Almighty-head.
   Out of countless eyes beholding,
   Out of countless mouths commanding,
   Countless mystic forms enfolding
   In one Form: supremely standing
   Countless radiant glories wearing,
   Countless heavenly weapons bearing,
   Crowned with garlands of star-clusters,
   Robed in garb of woven lustres,
   Breathing from His perfect Presence
   Breaths of every subtle essence
   Of all heavenly odours; shedding
   Blinding brilliance; overspreading-
   Boundless, beautiful- all spaces
   With His all-regarding faces;
   So He showed! If there should rise
   Suddenly within the skies
   Sunburst of a thousand suns
   Flooding earth with beams undeemed-of,
   Then might be that Holy One's
   Majesty and radiance dreamed of!
   
   So did Pandu's Son behold
   All this universe enfold
   All its huge diversity
   Into one vast shape, and be
   Visible, and viewed, and blended
   In one Body- subtle, splendid,
   Nameless- th' All-comprehending
   God of Gods, the Never-Ending
   Deity!
   
   But, sore amazed,
   Thrilled, o'erfilled, dazzled, and dazed,
   Arjuna knelt; and bowed his head,
   And clasped his palms; and cried, and said:
   _Arjuna._ Yea! I have seen! I see!
   Lord! all is wrapped in Thee!
   The gods are in Thy glorious frame! the creatures
   Of earth, and heaven, and hell
   In Thy Divine form dwell,
   And in Thy countenance shine all the features
   
   Of Brahma, sitting lone
   Upon His lotus-throne;
   Of saints and sages, and the serpent races
   Ananta, Vasuki;
   Yea! mightiest Lord! I see
   Thy thousand thousand arms and breasts, and faces,
   
   And eyes,- on every side
   Perfect, diversified;
   And nowhere end of Thee, nowhere beginning,
   Nowhere a centre! Shifts-
   Wherever soul's gaze lifts-
   Thy central Self, all-wielding, and all-winning!
   
   Infinite King! I see
   The anadem on Thee,
   The club, the shell, the discus; see Thee burning
   In beams insufferable,
   Lighting earth, heaven, and hell
   With brilliance blazing, glowing, flashing; turning
   
   Darkness to dazzling day,
   Look I whichever way;
   Ah, Lord! I worship Thee, the Undivided,
   The Uttermost of thought,
   The Treasure-Palace wrought
   To hold the wealth of the worlds; the Shield provided
   
   To shelter Virtue's laws;
   The Fount whence Life's stream draws
   All waters of all rivers of all being:
   The One Unborn, Unending:
   Unchanging and Unblending!
   With might and majesty, past thought, past seeing!
   
   Silver of moon and gold
   Of sun are glories rolled
   From Thy great eyes; Thy visage, beaming tender
   Throughout the stars and skies,
   Doth to warm life surprise
   Thy Universe. The worlds are filled with wonder
   
   Of Thy perfections! Space
   Star-sprinkled, and void place
   From pole to pole of the Blue, from bound to bound,
   Hath Thee in every spot,
   Thee, Thee!- Where Thou art not,
   O Holy, Marvellous Form! is nowhere found!
   
   O Mystic, Awful One!
   At sight of Thee, made known,
   The Three Worlds quake; the lower gods draw nigh Thee;
   They fold their palms, and bow
   Body, and breast, and brow,
   And, whispering worship, laud and magnify Thee!
   
   Rishis and Siddhas cry
   "Hail! Highest Majesty!
   From sage and singer breaks the hymn of glory
   In dulcet harmony,
   Sounding the praise of Thee;
   While countless companies take up the story,
   
   Rudras, who ride the storms,
   Th' Adityas' shining forms,
   Vasus and Sadhyas, Viswas, Ushmapas;
   Maruts, and those great Twins
   The heavenly, fair, Aswins,
   Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Siddhas, and Asuras,-
   
   These see Thee, and revere
   In sudden-stricken fear;
   Yea! the Worlds,- seeing Thee with form stupendous,
   With faces manifold,
   With eyes which all behold,
   Unnumbered eyes, vast arms, members tremendous,
   
   Flanks, lit with sun and star,
   Feet planted near and far,
   Tushes of terror, mouths wrathful and tender;-
   The Three wide Worlds before Thee
   Adore, as I adore Thee,
   Quake, as I quake, to witness so much splendour!
   
   I mark Thee strike the skies
   With front, in wondrous wise
   Huge, rainbow-painted, glittering; and thy mouth
   Opened, and orbs which see
   All things, whatever be
   In all Thy worlds, east, west, and north and south.
   
   O Eyes of God! O Head!
   My strength of soul is fled,
   Gone is heart's force, rebuked is mind's desire!
   When I behold Thee so,
   With awful brows a-glow,
   With burning glance, and lips lighted by fire
   
   Fierce as those flames which shall
   Consume, at close of all,
   Earth, Heaven! Ah me! I see no Earth and Heaven!
   Thee, Lord of Lords! I see,
   Thee only- only Thee!
   Now let Thy mercy unto me be given,
   
   Thou Refuge of the World!
   Lo! to the cavern hurled
   Of Thy wide-opened throat, and lips white-tushed,
   I see our noblest ones,
   Great Dhritarashtra's sons,
   Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, caught and crushed!
   
   The Kings and Chiefs drawn in,
   That gaping gorge within;
   The best of both these armies torn and riven!
   Between Thy jaws they lie
   Mangled full bloodily,
   Ground into dust and death! Like streams down-driven
   
   With helpless haste, which go
   In headlong furious flow
   Straight to the gulfing deeps of th' unfilled ocean,
   So to that flaming cave
   Those heroes great and brave
   Pour, in unending streams, with helpless motion!
   
   Like moths which in the night
   Flutter towards a light,
   Drawn to their fiery doom, flying and dying,
   So to their death still throng,
   Blind, dazzled, borne along
   Ceaselessly, all those multitudes, wild flying!
   
   Thou, that hast fashioned men,
   Devourest them again,
   One with another, great and small, alike!
   The creatures whom Thou mak'st,
   With flaming jaws Thou tak'st,
   Lapping them up! Lord God! Thy terrors strike
   
   From end to end of earth,
   Filling life full, from birth
   To death, with deadly, burning, lurid dread!
   Ah, Vishnu! make me know
   Why is Thy visage so?
   Who art Thou, feasting thus upon Thy dead?
   
   Who? awful Deity!
   I bow myself to Thee,
   Namostu Te, Devavara! Prasid!
   O Mightiest Lord! rehearse
   Why hast Thou face so fierce?
   Whence doth this aspect horrible proceed?
   _Krishna._ Thou seest Me as Time who kills,
   Time who brings all to doom,
   The Slayer Time, Ancient of Days, come hither to consume;
   Excepting thee, of all these hosts of hostile chiefs arrayed,
   There stands not one shall leave alive the battlefield! Dismayed
   No longer be! Arise! obtain renown! destroy thy foes!
   Fight for the kingdom waiting thee when thou hast vanquished those.
   By Me they fall- not thee! the stroke of death is dealt them now,
   Even as they show thus gallantly; My instrument art thou!
   Strike, strong-armed Prince, at Drona! at Bhishma strike! deal
   death
   On Karna, Jyadratha; stay all their warlike breath!
   'Tis I who bid them perish! Thou wilt but slay the slain;
   Fight! they must fall, and thou must live, victor upon this plain!
   _Sanjaya._ Hearing mighty Keshav's word,
   Trembling that helmed Lord
   Clasped his lifted palms, and- praying
   Grace of Krishna- stood there, saying,
   With bowed brow and accents broken,
   These words, timorously spoken:
   _Arjuna._ Worthily, Lord of Might!
   The whole world hath delight
   In Thy surpassing power, obeying Thee;
   The Rakshasas, in dread
   At sight of Thee, are sped
   To all four quarters; and the company
   
   Of Siddhas sound Thy name.
   How should they not proclaim
   Thy Majesties, Divinest, Mightiest?
   Thou Brahm, than Brahma greater!
   Thou Infinite Creator!
   Thou God of gods, Life's Dwelling-place and Rest.
   
   Thou, of all souls the Soul!
   The Comprehending Whole!
   Of being formed, and formless being the Framer;
   O Utmost One! O Lord!
   Older than eld, Who stored
   The worlds with wealth of life! O Treasure-Claimer,
   
   Who wottest all, and art
   Wisdom Thyself! O Part
   In all, and All; for all from Thee have risen
   Numberless now I see
   The aspects are of Thee!
   Vayu Thou art, and He who keeps the prison
   
   Of Narak, Yama dark;
   And Agni's shining spark;
   Varuna's waves are Thy waves. Moon and starlight
   Are Thine! Prajapati
   Art Thou, and 'tis to Thee
   They knelt in worshipping the old world's far light,
   
   The first of mortal men.
   Again, Thou God! again
   A thousand thousand times be magnified!
   Honour and worship be-
   Glory and praise,- to Thee
   Namo, Namaste, cried on every side;
   Cried here, above, below,
   Uttered when Thou dost go,
   Uttered where Thou dost come! Namo! we call;
   Namostu! God adored!
   Namostu! Nameless Lord
   Hail to Thee! Praise to Thee Thou One in all;
   
   For Thou art All! Yea, Thou!
   Ah! if in anger now
   Thou shouldst remember I did think Thee Friend,
   Speaking with easy speech,
   As men use each to each;
   Did call Thee "Krishna," "Prince," nor comprehend
   
   Thy hidden majesty,
   The might, the awe of Thee;
   Did, in my heedlessness, or in my love,
   On journey, or in jest,
   Or when we lay at rest,
   Sitting at council, straying in the grove,
   
   Alone, or in the throng,
   Do Thee, most Holy! wrong,
   Be Thy grace granted for that witless sin
   For Thou art, now I know,
   Father of all below,
   Of all above, of all the worlds within
   
   Guru of Gurus; more
   To reverence and adore
   Than all which is adorable and high!
   How, in the wide worlds three
   Should any equal be?
   Should any other share Thy Majesty?
   
   Therefore, with body bent
   And reverent intent,
   I praise, and serve, and seek Thee, asking grace.
   As father to a son,
   As friend to friend, as one
   Who loveth to his lover, turn Thy face
   
   In gentleness on me!
   Good is it I did see
   This unknown marvel of Thy Form! But fear
   Mingles with joy! Retake,
   Dear Lord! for pity's sake
   Thine earthly shape, which earthly eyes may bear!
   
   Be merciful, and show
   The visage that I know;
   Let me regard Thee, as of yore, arrayed
   With disc and forehead-gem,
   With mace and anadem,
   Thou that sustainest all things! Undismayed
   
   Let me once more behold
   The form I loved of old,
   Thou of the thousand arms and countless eyes!
   This frightened heart is fain
   To see restored again
   My Charioteer, in Krishna's kind disguise.
   
   Krishna. Yea! thou hast seen, Arjuna! because I loved thee well,
   The secret countenance of Me, revealed by mystic spell,
   Shining, and wonderful, and majestic, manifold,
   Which none save thou in all the years had favour to behold;
   For not by Vedas cometh this, nor sacrifice, nor alms,
   Nor works well-done, nor penance long, nor prayers, nor chanted
   psalms,
   That mortal eyes should bear to view the Immortal Soul unclad,
   Prince of the Kurus! This was kept for thee alone! Be glad!
   Let no more trouble shake thy heart, because thine eyes have seen
   My terror with My glory. As I before have been
   So will I be again for thee; with lightened heart behold!
   Once more I am thy Krishna, the form thou knew'st of old!
   _Sanjaya._ These words to Arjuna spake
   Vasudev, and straight did take
   Back again the semblance dear
   Of the well-loved charioteer;
   Peace and joy it did restore
   When the Prince beheld once more
   Mighty BRAHMA'S form and face
   Clothed in Krishna's gentle grace.
   _Arjuna._ Now that I see come back, Janardana!
   This friendly human frame, my mind can think
   Calm thoughts once more; my heart beats still again!
   _Krishna._ Yea! it was wonderful and terrible
   To view me as thou didst, dear Prince! The gods
   Dread and desire continually to view!
   Yet not by Vedas, nor from sacrifice,
   Nor penance, nor gift-giving, nor with prayer
   Shall any so behold, as thou hast seen!
   Only by fullest service, perfect faith,
   And uttermost surrender am I known
   And seen, and entered into, Indian Prince!
   Who doeth all for Me; who findeth Me
   In all; adoreth always; loveth all
   Which I have made, and Me, for Love's sole end,
   That man, Arjuna! unto Me doth wend.
   
   HERE ENDETH CHAPTER XI OF THE
   BHAGAVAD-GITA,
   Entitled "Viswarupadarsanam,"
   Or "The Book of the Manifesting of the
   One and Manifold."
