Gita 11.43
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
पितासि लोकस्य चराचरस्य त्वमस्य पूज्यश्च गुरुर्गरीयान् । न त्वत्समोऽस्त्यभ्यधिकः कुतोऽन्यो लोकत्रयेऽप्यप्रतिमप्रभाव ॥
pitāsi lokasya carācarasya tvam asya pūjyaś ca gurur garīyān | na tvat-samo 'sty abhyadhikaḥ kuto 'nyo loka-traye 'py apratima-prabhāva ||
In essence: You are the Father of all creation, the most venerable Guru - none equals You in the three worlds, much less exceeds You.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "I've always called upon God as Father, but it felt like addressing an abstract concept. How do I make this relationship real?"
Guru: "Do you feel your earthly father as abstract?"
Sadhak: "No, I feel his presence, his care, even when he's not physically here."
Guru: "Exactly. That feeling you have toward your earthly father - the sense of being cared for, of being someone's child - is not different from divine fatherhood. It's training wheels. Every child naturally turns to their father when afraid. Where does that instinct come from?"
Sadhak: "From... the original relationship with the Divine Father?"
Guru: "Now you're understanding. Every human father is practicing fatherhood that originates in God. When you feel protected by your father, you're experiencing a fragment of cosmic protection. Arjuna saw this directly - his friend Krishna was the Father of fathers, the source of all protection, all teaching, all love."
Sadhak: "But then why did he see the terrifying form? Fathers don't terrorize their children."
Guru: "Don't they? When a father prevents a child from playing with fire, the child experiences fear. When a father disciplines, the child trembles. The terror isn't opposed to love - it's part of it. Seeing the cosmic form, Arjuna experienced the fullness of divine parenthood: not just the gentle nurturing but the fierce protection, the absolute authority, the power that creates and dissolves worlds. Can you accept such a Father?"
Sadhak: "It's overwhelming. But also... reassuring. If the same Being who destroys also creates and teaches..."
Guru: "Then nothing is truly lost. Every dissolution is a father calling his children home."
Did this resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to hear this.
🌅 Daily Practice
Father recognition: Upon waking, before getting up, lie still for a moment and recognize: 'I am a child waking in my Father's house. This room, this body, this breath - all are His gifts. Today I walk through His world.' Let this recognition color your first movements of the day with the trust of a child in a loving home.
Seeing the Guru: Throughout the day, when you learn anything - from a book, a colleague, an experience, even a mistake - pause to recognize the ultimate Guru teaching through that channel. A traffic delay teaching patience, a difficult person teaching equanimity, a beautiful sunset teaching presence - all are Krishna-as-Guru appearing in different forms.
Incomparable contemplation: Before sleep, spend a few minutes contemplating 'apratima-prabhāva' - incomparable glory. Think of the most glorious thing you witnessed today - a sunset, a kind act, a moment of beauty. Recognize it as a pale reflection of the source. Let this create a sense of the infinite awaiting you, rather than the finite ending your day.