BG 11.16 aneka-bahudara-vaktra-netram... cited

Expressions researched:
"aneka-bahudara-vaktra-netram" |"nantam na madhyam na punas tavadim" |"pasyami tvam sarvato 'nanta-rupam" |"pasyami visvesvara visva-rupa"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

BG 11.16, Translation and Purport:

O Lord of the universe, O universal form, I see in Your body many, many arms, bellies, mouths and eyes, expanded everywhere, without limit. I see in You no end, no middle and no beginning.

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is unlimited; thus through Him everything could be seen.

SB Canto 3

SB 3.6.35, Translation and Purport:

O Vidura, who can estimate or measure the transcendental time, work and potency of the gigantic form manifested by the internal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

The froggish philosophers may go on with their mental speculations on the subject matter of the virāṭ, the gigantic form exhibited by the yogamāyā internal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but factually no one can measure such a vast exhibition. In Bhagavad-gītā (11.16), Arjuna, the recognized devotee of the Lord, says:

aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ

paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato 'nanta-rūpam

nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ

paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa

"O my Lord, O gigantic viśva-rūpa form, O master of the universe, I see innumerable hands, bodies, mouths and eyes in all directions, and they are all unlimited. I cannot find the end of this manifestation, nor do I see the middle, nor the beginning."

Bhagavad-gītā was specifically spoken to Arjuna, and the viśva-rūpa was exhibited before him at his request. He was awarded the specific eyes to see this viśva-rūpa, yet although he was able to see the Lord's innumerable hands and mouths, he was unable to see Him completely. Since Arjuna was unable to estimate the length and breadth of the potency of the Lord, who else would be able to do so? One may only indulge in miscalculation like the frog-philosopher. The frog-philosopher wanted to estimate the length and breadth of the Pacific Ocean by his experience of a well three cubic feet large, and thus he began to puff himself up to become as big as the Pacific Ocean, but at last he burst and died by this process. This story is applicable to the mental philosophers who, under the illusion of the Lord's external energy, indulge in estimating the length and breadth of the Supreme Lord. The best path is to become a cool-headed, submissive devotee of the Lord, try to hear about the Lord from the bona fide spiritual master, and thus serve the Lord in transcendental loving service, as suggested in the previous verse.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 3, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, I will explain.

Dr. Patel: Now Arjuna says, paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa...

Prabhupāda: Devāṁs, devāṁs, tava deva dehe means "devas, the demigods, they are part and parcel of Your virāṭa-rupa." They are not independent. Just like this finger is part of my this whole body, similarly, all these devas, these demigods... That is explained previously. Ye 'py anya-devatā bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ, te 'pi mām eva. If you give something to my finger, that is to be given to my body, but that is avidhi-pūrvakam. The thing's to be given to the mouth, not in the hand. But their logic is, because everything is the same, why not here? That is Māyāvāda. Yes.

Dr. Patel:

paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe

sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān

brahmāṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-stham

ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān

(BG 11.15)

Prabhupāda: Yes, Brahmā rāmeśvaram. Rāmeśvaram means Viṣṇu. Rāma īśvara, and Brahmā, Lord Brahmā, and...

Dr. Patel: Kamalāsana-stham ṛṣīṁṣ sarvān urugāṁṣ ca divyān. All wonderful things.

aneka-bāhūdara-vaktra-netraṁ

paśyāmi tvāṁ sarvato 'nanta-rūpam

nāntaṁ na madhyaṁ na punas tavādiṁ

paśyāmi viśveśvara viśva-rūpa

(BG 11.16)

kirīṭinam gadinaṁ cakriṇaṁ ca

tejo-rāśiṁ sarvato dīptimantam

Prabhupāda: Now even in His virāṭ-rūpa, He is person, kirīṭina. He has got helmet. Kirīṭina. Then?

Dr. Patel:

paśyāmi tvāṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ samantād

dīptānalārka-dyutim aprameyam

(BG 11.17)

tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ

tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam

tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā

sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me

(BG 11.18)

He is now frightened after seeing these things.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Must be frightened. Now, suppose all of a sudden, if you see a very big person, you will not be frightened? Because you are not accustomed to see that.

Dr. Patel: Anādi-madhyāntam ananta-vīryam ananta-bāhuṁ śaśi-sūrya-netram paśyāmi tvāṁ dīpta-hutāśa-vaktraṁ... (BG 11.19)

Prabhupāda: Now here is one important thing: śaśi-sūrya-netram. The śaśi, the moon, and the sun are the two eyes of God. Now in Brahma-saṁhitā it is also confirmed yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām. So in the Upaniṣads it is said, "When God sees, then you can see." So this... When the sunrise is there, that means when God sees, you can see. In the darkness you cannot see. And still, you are proud of your eyes. Yes. Without God seeing, you cannot see. And still, these rascals are proud of their eyes. "I can... Can you show me?" How you can see? First of all you have to see through the Supreme. And another significance is that you cannot hide yourself from the seeing of the Supreme. You cannot make anything hiding. Because even in the womb there is sunshine, sunlight. So He is seeing there. Apart from being the Paramātmā, from materially also, His eyes are always there. So you cannot do anything hiding. That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now, he is beginning from the three deities of creation: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara.

Girirāja: (reads synonyms) "Arjuna said: My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I see assembled together in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahmā sitting on the lotus flower as well as Lord Śiva and many sages and divine serpents."

Dr. Patel: Shall I go further, sir?

Prabhupāda: So you are understanding all this? If you have got any question, you can ask. All right, go on.

Dr. Patel: (reads next verse Bg. 11.16, in Sanskrit)

Girirāja: (reads synonyms) "aneka-many..." (pause)

Prabhupāda: "Because one, there is no aneka," that is nonsense. In one, aneka, that is philosophy.

Dr. Patel: Eko asmin bhaviṣyāmi abhutyam. (?)

Prabhupāda: Aneka is one. But "Because there is aneka," therefore, "because there is one, therefore no consideration of the aneka." That is not intelligent. Aneka in one. That is real philosophy.

Girirāja: "Bāhū-arms..."

Prabhupāda: Aneka, that is in one. Therefore this aneka is not different from the one. But this aneka does not mean that one. Read.

Girirāja: (continues synonyms) "Translation: O Lord of the universe..."

Prabhupāda: Still, although he saw aneka in Kṛṣṇa, still, he is seeing Kṛṣṇa there. That is real vision.