Gita 11.15
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
अर्जुन उवाच | पश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे सर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान् | ब्रह्माणमीशं कमलासनस्थमृषींश्च सर्वानुरगांश्च दिव्यान् ||१५||
arjuna uvāca | paśyāmi devāṁs tava deva dehe sarvāṁs tathā bhūta-viśeṣa-saṅghān | brahmaṇam īśaṁ kamalāsana-stham ṛṣīṁś ca sarvān uragāṁś ca divyān ||15||
In essence: In one body, Arjuna beholds the entire universe - every god, every creature, every sage - revealing that the Divine is not separate from creation but contains all existence within itself.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Why does Arjuna specifically mention Brahma seated on a lotus? Isn't Krishna supposed to be supreme?"
Guru: "What does it mean when you see your own country's president inside someone else's office, seated and working?"
Sadhak: "It would mean... that person's domain includes even the president. The president operates within their larger system."
Guru: "Exactly. Brahma is the creator of the universe - the highest deity many worship. Yet Arjuna sees Brahma seated within Krishna's body, doing his work from there. What does this tell us about the relationship between the created universe and the cosmic form?"
Sadhak: "That even creation itself - the act of creating - happens within the Divine. The creator is contained by something greater."
Guru: "This is the revelation that transforms Arjuna. He knew Krishna as friend, cousin, charioteer. Now he sees that the entire process of cosmic creation operates within his friend's body."
Sadhak: "It must be terrifying to realize your friend contains the universe."
Guru: "Why terrifying?"
Sadhak: "Because everything I thought was separate - gods I worshipped, teachers I honored - they're all just aspects of one being. My whole understanding of reality is wrong."
Guru: "Is it wrong, or incomplete? The gods are real. The sages are real. Their separate functions continue. What's changed is your understanding of their ultimate context. They exist - but they exist within Something greater."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Universal body meditation: After waking, before opening your eyes, visualize the cosmic form. See within it everyone you know - family, friends, colleagues, even adversaries. See the trees outside, the birds, the insects. See distant mountains and oceans. All within one form. Open your eyes knowing that everything you'll encounter today exists within the Divine. Set intention: 'Today I meet aspects of One.'
Recognition practice: At least three times during the day, when encountering any being - human, animal, plant - pause internally and recognize: 'This being exists within the cosmic form.' The irritating colleague, the beautiful flower, the buzzing fly - all are within the same divine body Arjuna saw. This doesn't make differences disappear but reveals their deeper unity.
Lotus seat reflection: Before sleep, visualize yourself like Brahma - seated on a lotus, doing your work of creation (your daily contributions), but seated within the cosmic body. Your work, however small, happens within the Divine. Your seat, however humble, is within God's body. Rest in this containment.