Gita 11.36
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
स्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या जगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च । रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घाः ॥
sthāne hṛṣīkeśa tava prakīrtyā jagat prahṛṣyaty anurajyate ca | rakṣāṁsi bhītāni diśo dravanti sarve namasyanti ca siddha-saṅghāḥ ||
In essence: It is fitting that the world rejoices and becomes devoted to Your glory - demons flee in terror while perfected beings bow in reverence. You evoke both love and fear, each response perfectly appropriate.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Why do demons flee while perfected beings bow? Don't they see the same cosmic form?"
Guru: "They see the same form but through different lenses. What lens do demons look through?"
Sadhak: "Ego? Self-interest? The desire to control?"
Guru: "Exactly. When the ego encounters Infinite Reality, it recognizes its own dissolution approaching. Flight is its only option."
Sadhak: "And the siddhas?"
Guru: "They have already surrendered ego. When they see the Divine, they see their own deepest nature. Bowing is not submission but recognition - namaste, the divine in me honors the divine revealed."
Sadhak: "What about the world rejoicing? That seems the most interesting response."
Guru: "The ordinary world, when it glimpses truth, feels joy before it feels anything else. This is because joy is our natural state - separation from the Divine is the aberration. Reunion, even glimpsed, triggers spontaneous celebration."
Sadhak: "So all three responses are valid?"
Guru: "All three are 'sthāne' - fitting. Even demonic flight is the appropriate response for that level of consciousness. The Divine doesn't reject any response; it receives all according to their nature."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Response check meditation: As you begin the day, notice your habitual response to encountering something vast - nature, a profound idea, unexpected news. Do you feel joy (world-response), fear (demonic-response), or reverence (siddha-response)? Set intention: today I will notice my automatic responses to the Divine appearing in various forms.
Three-response awareness: When facing challenges or beauty today, pause to notice: Am I fleeing from this? Am I resistant? Or am I able to bow and receive? Neither judge your response nor force a different one - just observe which response arises naturally. This builds self-knowledge.
'Sthāne' reflection: Review your day asking: Were my responses fitting? When I felt fear, was there something I needed to face? When I felt joy, did I let myself receive it? When reverence arose, did I honor it? The goal is not perfect responses but truthful awareness of actual responses.