GitaChapter 11Verse 18

Gita 11.18

Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga

त्वमक्षरं परमं वेदितव्यं त्वमस्य विश्वस्य परं निधानम् | त्वमव्ययः शाश्वतधर्मगोप्ता सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे ||१८||

tvam akṣaraṁ paramaṁ veditavyaṁ tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam | tvam avyayaḥ śāśvata-dharma-goptā sanātanas tvaṁ puruṣo mato me ||18||

In essence: Arjuna's mind crystallizes what vision reveals - this blazing form is the imperishable goal of all seeking, the treasury where the entire universe rests, the eternal guardian of dharma itself.

A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply

Sadhak-Guru Dialogue

Sadhak: "Arjuna says 'mato me' - 'in my opinion.' Why does he express this as opinion rather than certain knowledge?"

Guru: "What is the difference between being told someone is trustworthy and discovering through experience that they are?"

Sadhak: "When I discover it myself, I own that knowledge. It's not just information but conviction."

Guru: "And can you prove your conviction to someone who hasn't had your experience?"

Sadhak: "No. They would have to trust me or have their own experience."

Guru: "This is 'mato me.' Arjuna has seen directly. His statement emerges from vision, not scripture. He's not quoting what he learned but declaring what he now knows. The humble phrasing 'in my consideration' actually shows the shift from believing what he was taught to knowing what he has witnessed."

Sadhak: "So this is more certain than if he had said 'the scriptures declare'?"

Guru: "Much more. Scripture can be doubted. Direct vision cannot be doubted by the one who sees. Arjuna will never again wonder if Krishna is the Supreme. The question is resolved by perception, not argument."

Sadhak: "Can I reach such certainty?"

Guru: "The Gita is given precisely so that you may. But it requires the journey Arjuna took - not just reading about the vision but living toward it."

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🌅 Daily Practice

🌅 Morning

Veditavya contemplation: Upon waking, before the day's learning begins, contemplate: 'What is ultimately worth knowing?' Let the mind range through all knowledge you possess or seek - practical, intellectual, spiritual. Then recognize: whatever is worth knowing points toward something beyond itself. Set the day's intention toward knowledge that matters, not just information that fills.

☀️ Daytime

Treasury awareness: Throughout the day, when you encounter anything valuable - a beautiful sight, a meaningful conversation, a moment of peace - recognize it as coming from the 'supreme treasury.' These aren't random goods but distributions from nidhāna, the cosmic storehouse. Receive them with awareness of their source.

🌙 Evening

Dharma-goptā gratitude: Before sleep, reflect on how dharma was protected today - in you, around you. Notice moments when righteous impulses arose, when truth was preserved, when fairness prevailed despite pressure. Recognize the cosmic protector at work through finite circumstances. Express gratitude that dharma has an eternal guardian even when humans fail it.

Common Questions

Why is the Divine called 'akṣara' (imperishable)? What exactly doesn't perish?
Everything in manifest reality undergoes change - arising, existing, dissolving. Akṣara refers to that which underlies all change without itself changing. The screen doesn't move though the movie plays across it. The cosmic form Arjuna sees is not one more thing that will decay but the imperishable ground on which all things arise and dissolve. It's not eternal in duration (lasting forever) but eternal in nature (beyond time's process of decay).
How is God the 'protector of dharma' when there's so much adharma (unrighteousness) in the world?
Protection doesn't mean elimination of opposition but preservation of essential principles. Dharma remains knowable, practicable, and ultimately victorious despite temporary adharmic surges - this is protection. Also, Krishna earlier promised to descend whenever dharma declines (4.7-8), showing protection through intervention when needed. The guardian doesn't prevent all attacks but ensures what's guarded survives.
Is 'sanātana puruṣa' (eternal person) the same as the Hindu God or a universal concept?
The term 'puruṣa' in Sanskrit philosophy denotes cosmic consciousness - the witness-self that pervades creation. Arjuna calling the cosmic form 'sanātana puruṣa' identifies it as this eternal conscious being. Whether called God, Brahman, Allah, or any name, the reference is to the ultimate conscious reality. The Hindu context provides the language, but the reality indicated transcends religious boundaries.