Gita 11.13
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
तत्रैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं प्रविभक्तमनेकधा । अपश्यद्देवदेवस्य शरीरे पाण्डवस्तदा ॥
tatraikasthaṁ jagat kṛtsnaṁ pravibhaktam anekadhā apaśyad deva-devasya śarīre pāṇḍavas tadā
In essence: The many IS the One: Arjuna saw all separation as simultaneous unity - the entire cosmos gathered in a single divine body.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "How can something be both one and many simultaneously? That's contradictory."
Guru: "Look at your own body. Is it one body or many cells?"
Sadhak: "Both, I suppose. One body made of trillions of cells."
Guru: "Do your cells contradict your unity, or express it?"
Sadhak: "Express it. Each cell contributes to the whole."
Guru: "Arjuna saw the universe exactly this way - countless 'cells' of reality constituting one cosmic body. The many doesn't contradict the One; it IS the One expressing itself."
Sadhak: "But cells are physically connected. Stars and galaxies are separated by vast distances."
Guru: "Connected by what?"
Sadhak: "Well, gravity, electromagnetic forces, space-time itself..."
Guru: "And what connects those forces? What unifies the laws of physics that bind galaxies across distances? What is space-time but the canvas on which separation appears? Arjuna saw the canvas, not just the painted figures - and the canvas is one seamless reality."
Sadhak: "So matter is God's body?"
Guru: "Not just matter - energy, mind, time, space, the laws governing them, and whatever lies beyond our categories. Everything arises within, is sustained by, and returns to that one divine body. Your body contains multitudes yet is one; the cosmic body contains universes yet is One."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Body as cosmos meditation: As you awaken, spend a few minutes feeling your body as a universe - trillions of cells, countless processes, all arising as 'one body.' Then extend the feeling: your body is a cell in the Earth's body, Earth in the solar system's body, and so on until you sense yourself as a minute-but-integral part of cosmic wholeness. This prepares you to see unity in multiplicity throughout the day.
One-in-many awareness: Throughout your day, practice seeing multiplicity as unity. In a crowd, see one humanity expressing as many individuals. In nature, see one life force as many species. When conflicts arise, see one reality appearing as apparently opposed perspectives. This doesn't solve conflicts but changes how you hold them - as differentiation within unity rather than fundamental separation.
Cosmic body relaxation: Before sleep, lie still and visualize your body relaxing part by part - but as you release each part, imagine the cosmos doing the same. As your hand relaxes, somewhere a galaxy settles into stillness. As your breath slows, universal rhythms slow with you. Feel the intimacy of being a cell in the cosmic body, never separate from the whole. Fall asleep as the universe falling into rest.