--> Skip to main content


Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13

Sanjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, Hari, the Great Lord of yoga, then showed to Partha His supreme Ishvara form. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 9)

Sanjaya then tells King Dhritarashtra that after Sri Krishna, the Great Lord of Yoga (Maha Yogeshwara) has spoken to Arjuna; the supreme form of Ishvara begins to reveal itself. We must not forget that God in His highest absolute state is without form. But through His yoga power He appears to have infinite forms and attributes. And among these forms, that seen by Arjuna is the highest. Sanjaya calls Sri Krishna Hari. One of the meanings of Hari is ‘one who removes’. And Krishna is so called because He removes ignorance, the source of man’s suffering. Endowed with divine sight Arjuna then sees the Ishvara form. And what does he see? He sees a form.

With many mouths and eyes, with many wondrous sights, with many celestial ornaments and with celestial weapons up lifted. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 10)

Wearing celestial garlands and garments, anointed with celestial fragrant perfumes, the all-wonderful Deity, resplendent, boundless, facing the universe everywhere. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 11)

Ishvara faces the universe everywhere, as He is the Self of all beings. It is a glorious vision. With what can it be compared? Oh! It is beyond all comparison. It excels everything imaginable. Still, to give an idea of that glory by way of example, Sanjaya says: (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 11)

If the effulgence of a thousand suns were to shine at once in the sky, that might resemble the splendor of that great Being. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 12)

But that is not all.

There in the body of the God of gods, the son of Pandu then saw the whole universe resting together with its manifold divisions. (Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI – Verse 12)