Gita 11.47
Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga
श्रीभगवानुवाच | मया प्रसन्नेन तवार्जुनेदं रूपं परं दर्शितमात्मयोगात् । तेजोमयं विश्वमनन्तमाद्यं यन्मे त्वदन्येन न दृष्टपूर्वम् ॥
śrī bhagavān uvāca | mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ rūpaṁ paraṁ darśitam ātma-yogāt | tejo-mayaṁ viśvam anantam ādyaṁ yan me tvad-anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam ||
In essence: Krishna: Being pleased with you, I have shown you My supreme, radiant, infinite, primeval form by My own power - never before seen by anyone other than you.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Krishna says Arjuna is the first to see this form. But don't sages and yogis see God all the time? What makes Arjuna's vision unique?"
Guru: "Sages see God, yes. But which God? In which form? The Absolute has infinite aspects. A sage might realize Brahman as formless awareness. Another might see the Divine Mother in her aspect of nurturing grace. Another might perceive Shiva in dissolution. But this particular form - the complete cosmic form containing all beings, all time, all worlds, with its thousand arms and universal mouths - this specific revelation had never occurred before."
Sadhak: "But why Arjuna? He wasn't even a renunciate. He was a warrior about to kill his relatives."
Guru: "Grace doesn't follow human logic. Krishna says 'prasannena' - being pleased. Why was Krishna pleased with Arjuna? Partly their relationship across lifetimes. Partly Arjuna's sincerity in the crisis. Partly because Arjuna was the right person at the right time to receive a teaching that would benefit millions for millennia. The Gita exists because Arjuna asked questions most seekers never dare ask."
Sadhak: "So it was destined? Arjuna had no choice?"
Guru: "It was offered; Arjuna accepted. When Krishna offers the divine eye, Arjuna could have refused. He could have said, 'I don't want to see; just tell me what to do.' Many seekers refuse higher revelation from fear. Arjuna's uniqueness wasn't passive - he actively received what was given. He looked when shown. He stayed present when terror could have closed his eyes. That willingness made him the recipient."
Sadhak: "Can we receive such visions today?"
Guru: "Different visions, certainly. The same reality can reveal Itself in countless ways. What you can't do is demand this particular form in this particular way - that was Arjuna's unique gift. But the same grace that showed Arjuna the cosmic form is available to show you what you need to see. It may be less dramatic but equally transformative."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Grace acknowledgment: Upon waking, before any practice, acknowledge: 'Whatever I might experience today comes from grace, not achievement. I can prepare but not produce. I can receive but not earn.' This sets the proper relationship with revelation - open hands rather than grasping ones.
Uniqueness appreciation: Recognize that whatever spiritual experiences you have, however ordinary they seem, may be unique to you. No one else has your exact combination of karma, capacity, and calling. The way the Divine reveals Itself to you is tailored for you. Someone else's visions aren't better; they're just theirs. Yours are yours. Value them.
Prasanna meditation: Before sleep, contemplate the word 'prasannena' - the Divine being pleased to reveal. If God is pleased to show Itself, what blocks your receiving? Usually fear, unworthiness, distraction. Tonight, simply say: 'I am willing to receive. Show me what I can see.' Then release the outcome. Grace decides the timing.