55. *sañjaya uvāca*

sañjaya uvāca

ityarjunaṁ vāsudevastatho'ktvā svakaṁ rūpaṁ darśayāmāsa bhūyaḥ I āśvasayām āsa ca bhītam enaṁ bhūtvā punaḥ saumya-vapur-mahātmā II 11.50

11.50 Sañjaya said: Kṛṣṇa, while speaking to Arjuna, revealed His form with four arms, Then assuming His human form He consoled the terrified Arjuna.

arjuna uvāca

dṛṣṭvedaṁ mānuṣaṁ rūpaṁ tava saumyaṁ janārdana I idānīmasmi saṁvṛttaḥ sacetāh prakṛtiṁ gataḥ II 11.51

11.51 Arjuna says: Seeing this wonderful human form, My mind is now calm and I am restored to my original nature.

śrībhagavānuvāca sudurdarśamidaṁ rūpaṁ dṛṣṭavānasi yanmama I devā apyasya rūpasya nityaṁ darśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ II 11.52

11.52 Bhagavān says: The four-armed form that you have seen is rare to behold. Even the celestials are forever aspiring to see this form.

nāhaṁ vedairna tapasā na dānena na cejyayā I śakya evaṁvidho draṣṭuṁ dṛṣṭavānasi māṁ yathā II 11.53 11.53 The four armed form that you have seen with your Transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by study of the Vedas, nor by undergoing penances or charity or worship; one cannot see Me as I am, by these means.

bhaktyā tvananyayā śakya aham evaṁ vidho'rjuna I jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṁ ca parantapa II 11.54

11.54 My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can you understand Me as I am, standing before you, being seen directly. Only in this way can you reach Me, O Parantapa.

mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ I nirvairaḥ sarvabhūteṣu yaḥ sa māmeti pāṇḍava II 11.55

11.55 My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged entirely in My devotional service, who surrenders to Me as the Supreme, free from attachment, full of love for every entity, surely comes to Me.

iti śrīmad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṁvāde viśvarūpadarśanayogo nāmaekādaśo'dhyāyaḥ II

In the Upaniṣad of Śrimad Bhagavad Gītā, the scripture of yoga dealing with Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra, the science of Brahman, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṁvād, dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna, this is eleventh chapter named, Viśvarūpa Darśan Yogaḥ**,** 'Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form.'

Viśvarūpa Darśan Yogaḥ–Vision of the Cosmic form. This chapter has a very special significance. Kṛṣṇa shows His Cosmic form to Arjuna, giving the experience of Universal Consciousness. At Arjuna's request, Kṛṣṇa reveals His Divine Self, that of Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa.

If you are in love with Kṛṣṇa, this is the chapter to know Him and enjoy Him. He does not give any teachings. He gives the pure experience directly: 'I am Everything'. In the previous chapter, Kṛṣṇa gave the intellectual expression to a person deeply in love. Kṛṣṇa can be God only when a person achieves the maturity of Arjuna.

Let us now examine three questions:

Can Universal consciousness be experienced? What is the basic qualification for this experience? What happens in our being when we experiences it? These three questions are explained beautifully by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We shall understand and explore the wonderful possibility of experiencing Kṛṣṇa as the Cosmic window.

I Wish To See Your Divine Form (11.1-11.4)

Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself as not just an Incarnation but as also the very Source from which everything flows. He is the Source of all sources, the Cause of all causes, the source of all the worlds and Universes.

Arjuna's questions have all disappeared; his incompletions, delusions have dissolved. It is not that Arjuna is not aware of Kṛṣṇa's Divinity. Arjuna chose to have the Master lead him 'unarmed' as his charioteer, while Duryodhana chose Kṛṣṇa's vast Nārāyaṇi Senā, the Yādava army.

Kṛṣṇa clears any lingering self-doubts that Arjuna may have by explaining to him what He, the Master of the Universe is. He tells Arjuna who He really is. After detailing all His glories, Kṛṣṇa concludes, that He supports all of Existence within just a fragment of His Divine Self.

Yet, Arjuna hesitates, 'If you think I can behold Your form, O Prabho,' which indicates that there is some fear, some self-doubt. Arjuna says: 'O Yogeśvara, Master of all mystic power, please show me Your imperishable Cosmic Self, darśaya-ātmānam avyayam (11.4).'

Arjuna is an evolved disciple. He pleads, 'Let what may happen be decided by You. If it may please You, may I have your darśan. I have no right to ask You. As Your devotee, who surrenders to You, I ask of You to please show me Your entire splendor, Your wisdom, Your truth and all that You really are!'

Let Me Give You The Divine Eye (11.5-11.8)

Before Kṛṣṇa gives darśan of the Universal form, He makes an important, beautiful statement, 'O Arjuna! You cannot see my form with ordinary eyes. To behold this form, you would need divya netra, the divine third eye.

'divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ...(11.8)' Let me give you the divine eye to enable you to see and experience Me.' From this verse, He starts giving the Viśvarūpa Darśan—Vision of His Cosmic Form.

Kṛṣṇa says, 'O Arjuna, may you start seeing whatever exists, sthāvara and jaṅgama (immovable and movable), the Universe that no ordinary man can see. Even the great sages have not seen or aware of this sight.' Kṛṣṇa, in His infinite compassion and love for Arjuna, shows him all these wonderful Universal forms.

Here is a wonderful phenomenon. Now Kṛṣṇa gives Arjuna the power to see what is happening in the whole Universe, not only in the present, but in the past and the future also!

Darśan, Seeing the Divine Form is Possible

Here are the three questions that are the essence of the whole chapter.

Can the Divine form be seen? What is the qualification to see the Divine form? What really happens when you see the Divine form?

I tell you out of courtesy the simple truth, 'Yes, it can be experienced.' This is the solid truth; a promise that this can be experienced. I have no vested interest in convincing you of this possibility. Never think, 'This is

not for me.' It is for everybody! The first thing that you need to know is that—it is possible. Only then what Kṛṣṇa says will work on our being. All that you need is complete trust in the Master that what He says will happen. I promise you it will.

Next, what is the qualification? By giving this experience to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa proves that there is no need for any qualification because Arjuna himself has no qualification. Arjuna neither took the responsibility nor understood fully the teachings of Kṛṣṇa. He was simply fortunate to be in the presence of Kṛṣṇa. You too are fortunate to be here and not caught in some traffic jam! There were thousands of possibilities for you to be elsewhere, but you chose to be here. This is the only qualification.

In fact, you are the Arjuna who missed Kṛṣṇa in an earlier form. You are here now, listening or reading, not by any mere accident or Divine coincidence. You are here now for a reason. That is qualification enough. Make sure that you do not miss Kṛṣṇa again this time!

First, we acknowledge the possibility of having the experience. Next, the qualification: simply by being here we are qualified for the experience.

Next, what happens when you have the experience?

Kṛṣṇa's words: 'Arjuna, you cannot see Me with these ordinary eyes. You need the divine eye, the third eye, divyacakṣu. To see My Cosmic form, I give you the divine eye. (11.8)'

The vision of 360 degrees is what Kṛṣṇa means by divyacakṣu, trinetra, divine eye or third eye, also called ājñā cakra. When this eye opens you will see 360 degrees not only in the horizontal but in the vertical dimension too. You will see and experience the whole Existence as You. This experience is what Kṛṣṇa calls Cosmic Consciousness.

After this verse, neither Kṛṣṇa nor Arjuna speaks. Suddenly, it is Sañjaya who is speaking.

A Thousands Blazing Suns (11.9-11.14)

These verses show the unlimited, never-ending, wonderful, allpervading nature of the Lord. Anyone who has had this experience is reborn. The body expands to fill everything. The entire Universe is part of the body. There is no separation of the individual and the whole. The whole is part and the part is whole. At another level the whole Universe exists within you. Arjuna saw in the Universal form, unlimited mouths, eyes and wonderful visions. Now Arjuna sees 360 degrees in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. He sees the Whole as his own being.

There is no boundary to Kṛṣṇa's Universal form. The word Viṣṇu, which is His real form, means one who expands infinitely. The splendor that Sañjaya talks about is beyond anything the mind can comprehend, because it is the source of all splendor.

Arjuna is awestruck and is in silence. Wherever he looked was Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa in many forms, many shapes, many non-forms and non-shapes. In the body of the Supreme Lord, Arjuna saw the whole Universe divided and at the same time united in one form. The vision that Arjuna beheld enveloped him completely. He was, in fact, part and experience of that vision as well.

Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa grew up together as friends. In this one moment, that relationship was redefined. When Arjuna beheld the Cosmic form of Kṛṣṇa, all thoughts of friendship disappeared. He became the typical dāsa, servant. Hands trembling, hair on end, tears in his eyes, Arjuna bowed down deep and started speaking in deep ecstasy. Ecstasy cannot be willed. Arjuna is in adoration, in awe. He realizes the presence of an energy that has no equal. In fact, Arjuna at this moment is beyond the five defined bhāvas. He is in the state of mahā bhāva.

Worlds Tremble In Fear (11.15-11.24)

As Arjuna is in the same Consciousness as the Lord, this verse should actually start with 'Bhagavān uvāca' meaning 'the Lord says!' These statements are said to come from Him for us to record.

These are such beautiful ways that he describes the form. He does so to inspire us to achieve this form and this experience.

He says, 'O Lord! I can see all the gods and deities in Your body. I can see the special union of living entities. I can see Brahma seated on the lotus flower. I can see all the sages and divine serpents. O Viśveśvara, Lord of the Universe, I see many arms, stomachs, faces, eyes and your limitless form. O Viśvarūpa, Universal form, I cannot see your beginning, middle or end (11.16).'

Arjuna sees the glowing form everywhere adorned with various crowns and discs. Some of what he sees is formless energy. He perceives radiance more powerful than a thousand suns, blazing, impossible to look at even with his divine eye.

Suddenly the scene changes. Arjuna is terrified. What Arjuna sees disturbs him.

'O All pervading Viṣṇu! I see You with burning fire in your gaping mouth, heating up the entire Universe, touching the sky. My heart trembles in fear and I have no courage to behold You.' Until now Arjuna was saying there was no beginning, middle or end. Now he says the form is touching the sky; an indication that he is settling, coming down from the experience. '

When Arjuna had his first glimpse of the Cosmic Vision of Kṛṣṇa, he identified with the Vision. There was no separation. Now, suddenly there is separation. Along with separation, there is fear!

Tell Me Who You Are (11.25-11.31)

From the macro perspective, Arjuna comes down to see the same destruction being played out at the battlefield at Kurukṣetra. From this verse we should say, 'Arjuna uvāca!' meaning 'Arjuna says'. It is no longer the divine state that Arjuna talks from. The moment he started feeling the fear, he descended to his normal state. Understand, only your fear separates you from Cosmic consciousness.

Arjuna exclaims that he sees the Kaurava warriors along with Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, all rushing into Kṛṣna's fearful mouths, with their heads smashed between His teeth, ground into nothing. He describes the whole scene. He sees heavy losses on both sides; his own side, his warriors and generals also. The vision of destruction implies that he too is mortal. Arjuna is terrified.

'Who are You?', asks Arjuna. 'What are You here for? You are so fierce.

I see men disappearing into You as rivers rush into the mighty oceans. Like moths rushing into fire, I see creatures speed into destruction within You. You terrify me. Have mercy upon me.'

Death is the ultimate fear. Even the great warrior Arjuna trembles when faced with death. For the first time, Arjuna realizes that Master cannot be put in a frame. The primal energy that the Master is has to be experienced, without expectations and fears. No one expects Kṛṣṇa to be terrifying. So Arjuna pleads, 'Please have mercy upon me. I bow down to You, namo 'stu te deva-vara prasādi (11.31).'

Get Up And Gain Glory, Be Not Afraid (11.32-11.34)

Kṛṣṇa explains in these verses what He really is.

'I am time, kālo asmi' says Kṛṣṇa. 'I devour and destroy the world, loka-kṣaya-kṛt (11.32).'

This is one of the most potent truths uttered by Kṛṣṇa in Gītā. For the first time, He takes off His mask and says, 'I am the Destroyer. I am Kāla, time,' says the Lord, 'and I destroy.' Time never stands still. It moves on. Nothing can stop the flow of time or move time forward. Time destroys.

The future constantly moves into the present, and then into the past. Kṛṣṇa is stating a simple fact here. 'With or without you,' He says, 'all these warriors will be dead. As Time, I shall devour them. It is not you who are the cause. O Savyasāci (Arjuna), by just being the instrument of their destruction, nimitta-mātraṁ bhava, get up and be the gainer of fame, wealth and power, tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham. (11.33).'

As Mahākāla, Time personified, Kṛṣṇa destroys all, the good and the bad. Time moves on and destroys the present into past, future into present and past. As time, Kṛṣṇa is neutral. He knows what will happen in the future and yet He does not influence it.

When one completes with Kṛṣṇa, when one surrenders to Him, to His Will, things happen as they should. We do what we need to, without worrying about what is to happen and how. We then are in the flow of time; we are in the flow of Kṛṣṇa's energy.

When Kṛṣṇa speaks of destroying and wiping out the world, He is talking about the destruction of the illusory physical and material world. He is the destroyer of fantasies, identities. What Mahākāla, Time, destroys, is the psychodrama that is being played out on the battlefield. As the Supreme Consciousness, He too is the energy of Śiva, the Rejuvenator. Śiva's aspect of Kālabhairava is the time that Kṛṣṇa refers to. He is the controller of past, present and future and all that happens in time.

When one surrenders to this Supreme Consciousness, one loses all fear of time. One completes and flows with time. Whatever one does is the right thing at the right time. When one loses fear of time, one also loses fear of death. All that dies is recreated.

Kṛṣṇa once again takes responsibility for this destruction. Now Kṛṣṇa consoles Arjuna. 'You have seen the truth of what happens. They have been destroyed already. Do not lose heart. Do what you have to do. Fight and destroy what remains, which is just the illusion of your fears.'

You Are Everything And Everywhere (11.35-11.44)

Arjuna is so overwhelmed by the fearsome sight of Kṛṣṇa as Mahākāla, devouring everything, that all Arjuna can do is to sing Kṛṣṇa's praises. He no longer has any self-doubt about the Universal consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, who till a while ago was his friend and charioteer. Whatever names and descriptions he is aware of to address this Supreme being, he uses now. Arjuna's devotion is at its peak. He salutes Kṛṣṇa as the source of all beings, the creator of Brahma. Since Kṛṣṇa extends everywhere and there is no place where He is not present, Arjuna salutes Him in all directions.

Having seen the infinity of Kṛṣṇa's form, Arjuna remembers that he had treated Kṛṣṇa like a friend, so casually. Remorse fills his being. Arjuna cries out, 'Please forgive me as a father would a son, a lover his beloved and a friend, his mate.'

Arjuna is demonstrating the power of completion with the Master, the ultimate relationship; in this case his incompletion is the guilt that seems to arise from the deepest of love. One of the important complications you carry in your life is doubt about yourself and doubt about your Master. You will project that self-doubt on your Master. Complete with that selfdoubt. Only then you will have complete relationship with the Master.

Arjuna completes with his guilt, his self-doubt and drops it in front of his Lord and Master saying, 'Forgive me.' One by one negativities pour out of Arjuna and he is getting cleansed and complete in the presence of the Master.

I tell you, completion with Master is Enlightenment! If you just have completion with the Master, nothing else is required! His space will just gush into you and just raise your inner space.

Arjuna is one of the greatest examples of sakha bhāva, friendship relationship between Master and disciple. Kṛṣṇa has revealed Himself as the Supreme God to him. Now Arjuna has moved from sakha bhāva, friendship, to mahā bhāva, enlightened relationship.

Your Familiar Form (11.45-11.46)

Arjuna now makes his final plea. 'Show me Your form that I am familiar with,' he says, 'I am grateful and overwhelmed by the Visions that You have shown me.

A Yogī is one who has passed beyond these turbulences. He understands that the Divine is without attributes, neither peaceful and comforting, nor fearful and terrifying. These manifestations are also illusions. Beyond these apparent manifestations, Divinity just is. Arjuna seeks the safety and comfort of the four-handed Divine Protector, Caturbhuja Viṣṇu, rather than the terrifying Mahākāla. When we realize that both are masks of the Divine, that neither is His true Self and that both are His true Self, then and only then are we rid of illusions, and are liberated.

Only You Have Seen This Form (11.47-11.55)

Kṛṣṇa consoles Arjuna. He is again His compassionate Self to His disturbed disciple. He tells Arjuna that no one has had this great privilege of seeing His Cosmic form. No penances, no rituals, no scriptural reading and no charities would gain this Vision for any one. 'You are terrified. That is OK. See Me now in My normal form that you are used to worshipping.'

It is Kṛṣṇa who decides how He reveals Himself to His devotees and disciples. It is a gift from the Master. Kṛṣṇa now appears first in His fourhanded beautiful Divine form that Arjuna is comfortable with, and finally as Vāsudeva Kṛṣṇa, gentle human form. Arjuna has now seen Kṛṣṇa in all His forms. The true Universal form of Virāṭa rūpa or Viśvarūpa, that Arjuna found fearsome; the beautiful, much gentler, adorable form with four hands, caturbhuja, and finally back to the human form that Arjuna has always known.

Experience You As Universe and Universe As You

Kṛṣṇa concludes this chapter with a clear direction of what a devotee should do to reach Him. It is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

'Work for Me,' He says, 'work for My mission, mat karma kṛn. Surrender to Me as the supreme with no reservations, mat paramo mad bhaktaḥ. Have no attachment to whatever you do, surrender the fruits of your action to Me, sanga varjitaḥ. Look upon everyone as your own Self, without dislike and hatred, nirvairaḥ sarva bhūteṣu (11.55).'

What Kṛṣṇa says here is very significant. 'Work for Me. Enrich for Me, mat karma kṛn,' He says. 'He who works for Me comes to Me, yah sa mām eti pāṇḍavaḥ.' All disciples and devotees must understand this. Devotion is not about keeping a statue or a photo and praying to it. What is really needed is authenticity in action and your effort to enrich others and yourself, which is in tune with what the Master teaches.

Please listen. Rūpa means the parts of you which you remember and associate yourself with, and make others experience as you, is rūpa**.** Usually, whatever you associate yourself with and show as you to others is rūpa.

Viśvarūpa means cognizing the whole viśva (universe) as you and making the the whole viśva cognize you as viśva**. Listen! Enriching is the direct process to cognize you as** viśva or viśva (universe) as you.

Enriching is directly successful in life because with more and more

enriching, you will less and less cognize yourself as this six-feet body and you will more and more cognize yourself with the people, who carry the completion space you are living. See, when you enrich others with the space you are living, they will feel your strength, you will feel their strength.

I tell you, take up enriching yourself and others as your cognition. Suddenly you will realize, not only you are rūpa, the center of your life, you are Viśvarūpa, the center of the Cosmic life. I am giving you practical tips from my personal life. You are not just center of your life, you are centre of the whole Cosmic life. Enriching is the direct process to transform you from rūpa to Viśvarūpa.

May the blessings of Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord be upon you all! Dissolve into the Universal consciousness. Be in Nityānanda, eternal bliss!

Love Is Your Very Life

In love, life comes to its ultimate peak. It is only in love that we find God. Krsna declares the experience of completion and the expression of enriching of His devotee, who is very dear to Him, and reaches Him without a doubt. ...

arjuna uvāca evaṁ satata-yuktā ye bhaktāstvāṁ paryupāsate I ye cā'py akṣaram avyaktaṁ teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāh II 12.1

12.1 Arjuna asked: Who are considered perfect, those who are always engaged sincerely in Your worship in form, or those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest formless You?

śrī Bhagavānuvāca mayyāveśya mano ye māṁ nityayuktā upāsate I śraddhayā parayo'petās te me yuktatamā matāḥ II 12.2

12.2 Lord Kṛṣṇa says: Those, who by fixing their mind on Me eternally, and those who are steadfast in worshipping Me with supreme faith, I consider them to be perfect in Yoga, ready to be united with Me.

ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam avyaktaṁ paryupāsate I sarvatragam acintyaṁ ca kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam II 12.3

sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ I te prāpnuvanti mām eva sarvabhūta-hite ratāḥ II 12.4

12.3,4 But those who worship with awareness the imperishable, the unmanifest, that which lies beyond the perception of senses, the all pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, the non-moving and permanent, those who worship by restraining their senses, and are working with even mind for the benefit of mankind, they too attain Me.

kleśo'dhikatarasteṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām I avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate II 12.5

12.5 For those whose minds are set on the unmanifest, the formless, it is more difficult to advance; attaining the formless unmanifest is difficult for the embodied.

ye tu sarvāṇi karmāṇi mayi sannyasya matparāḥ I ananyenaiva yogena māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate II 12.6

teṣām ahaṁ samuddhartā mṛtyu-saṁsāra-sāgarāt I bhavāmi na cirātpārtha mayy āveśita cetasām II 12.7

12.6,7 But those who worship me with single minded devotion, renouncing all activities unto Me, regarding Me as their supreme goal, whose minds are set in Me, I shall deliver them soon from their ocean of the birth and death cycle.

mayyeva mana ādhatsva mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya I nivasiṣyasi mayyeva ata ūrdhvaṁ na saṁśayaḥ II 12.8

12.8 You fix your mind on Me alone, establish your mind in Me. You will live in Me always. There is no doubt in it.

atha cittaṁ samādhātuṁ na śaknoṣi mayi sthiram I abhyāsayogena tato mām icchāptuṁ dhanañjaya II 12.9

12.9 If you are not able to fix your mind upon Me then Arjuna, with the constant practice of Yoga, you try to attain Me.

abhyāse'pyasamartho'si matkarmaparamo bhava I madarthamapi karmāṇi kurvan-siddhim avāpsyasi II 12.10

12.10 If you are not able to practice even this yoga then performing your duties and surrendering all your actions to Me, you will attain perfection.

athaitad apy aśakto'si kartuṁ madyogamāśritaḥ I sarva-karma-phalatyāgaṁ tataḥ kuru yatātmavān II 12.11

12.11 If you are not able to work even this way, surrendering unto Me, give up all the results of your actions to Me without ego.

Bhakti Yogaḥ Ch 12 verses 253

śreyo hi jñānamabhyāsāj jñānāddhyānaṁ viśiṣyate I dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas tyāgāc chāntir anantaram II 12.12

12.12 Knowledge is better than mere practice. Meditation is superior to knowledge. Renunciating the fruit of actions is better than meditation. After renouncing of fruits of actions, one immediately attains peace.

adveṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca I nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī II 12.13

santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛḍhaniścayaḥ I mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ II 12.14

12.13,14 One who has no dislike or envy for any being, who is friendly and compassionate to everyone, free from the sense of I and mine, the ego, maintains equanimity of mind both in joy and sorrow, forgiving, ever satisfied, united with Yoga, has a strong commitment to Me and has fixed his mind and intellect upon Me, such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

yasmānnodvijate loko lokānnodvijate ca yaḥ I harṣāmarṣabha-yodvegair mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ II 12.15

12.15 He, by whom the world is not affected adversely, and who in turn does not affect the world adversely, and he, who is free from joy, anger, and anxiety, he is dear to Me.

anapekṣaḥ śucirdakṣaḥ udāsīno gatavyathaḥ I sarvārambhaparityāgī yo madbhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ II 12.16

12.16 He, who is free from wants, who is pure and skilled, unconcerned, untroubled, who is selfless in whatever he does, he who is devoted to Me, he is dear to Me.

yo na hṛṣyati na dveṣṭi na śocati na kāṅkṣati I śubhāśubhaparityāgi bhaktimānyaḥ sa me priyaḥ II 12.17

12.17 He who does not rejoice or hate or grieve or desire, renounces both good and evil and who is full of devotion, he is dear to Me.

samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpamānayoḥ I śītoṣṇasukhaduḥkheṣu samaḥ saṅgavivarjitaḥ II 12.18

tulyanindāstutir maunī santuṣṭo yena kenacit I aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimānme priyo naraḥ II 12.19

12.18,19 One who treats friends and enemies the same, who faces in the same manner honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and sorrow, fame and infamy, one who is always free from attachment, always silent and satisfied with anything, without a fixed home, who is fixed in mind and who is devoted to Me, such a person is very dear to Me.

Bhakti Yogaḥ Ch 12 verses 255

ye tu dharmyāmṛtam idaṁ yathoktaṁ paryupāsate I śraddadhānā matparamā bhaktās te 'tīva me priyāḥ II 12.20

12.20 Those who truly follow this imperishable path of righteousness, dharma with great faith, making Me the Supreme goal, are very dear to Me.

iti śrīmad bhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyām yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjuna saṁvāde bhaktiyogo nāma dvādaśo'dhyāyaḥ II

In the Upaniṣad of Śrimad Bhagavad Gītā, the scripture of yoga dealing with Brahmavidyā Yogaśāstra, the science of Brahman, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇārjuna saṁvād, dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna, this is twelfth chapter named, Bhakti Yogaḥ**,** 'Union Through Devotional Love.'

Usually people think a spiritual experience happens only after bhakti, devotional love. However, bhakti happens only after a spiritual experience. Only when a person experiences every being as part of the Cosmic Consciousness, can he radiate love. Only such a person knows what love is. Others think that they love, or act as if they love.

Love must flow from our being. Love happens when we experience Cosmic Consciousness, when we have a spiritual experience, when our ego disappears. Kṛṣṇa lays out the whole science for us, step-by-step.

Charity can never be organized. It just has to flow, not an external expression. Understand, in Vedic tradition, the concept of dāna is not charity. Charity is an ugly word. Our concept of dāna is totally different. Dhana, wealth becomes dāna, enriching with wealth. When we are filled with dhana, which means the wealth of completion, the overflowing dhana becomes dāna, the overflowing enriching expression of Love.

Listen. Dhana overflows as dāna when completion overflows as love. The greatest wealth is Completion and the greatest Enriching is love!

Our inner transformation, our completion must happen before we enrich others to transform. Unless we feel that we are part of the Whole, that every person is linked to us, it is impossible to enrich with true love. We will only be hypocrites.

Kṛṣṇa's Bhakti Yogaḥ starts after Viśvarūpa Darśan Yogaḥ. After the experience of completion, He reveals the expression of enriching, Bhakti Yogaḥ, devotional love.

Experience Or Expression? Completion Or Enriching? (12.1)

Arjuna's thought trend is totally different now. He asks, 'Which of these two types of people are better: those who are always engaged in your bhakti, devotional love or those who merge in the Brahman, the unmanifest, formless, Cosmic Consciousness?'

Arjuna is not asking for himself. His love for humanity, an expression

of his Divine experience, prompts him to record the answers from God Himself.

Arjuna asks, 'Is it good to be just established in the experience of the Divine consciousness, and enjoy the eternal bliss? Or is it better to express that love and gratitude towards the whole, every living being? Which one is preferred?'

See, when we have a spiritual experience, some people stay in that experience with closed eyes, that's all. They do not seek to use their senses, since the bliss within is so great and beautiful that absolutely no sensory input remotely matches that bliss. There are others who are impelled by the Existence to open their eyes, to transmit that blissful experience through their expression to enrich others.

Arjuna is choiceless now. Kṛṣṇa decides what he should do. Yet, he asks because he wants all to understand. Arjuna asks, 'What type of a person is greater? One who closes his eyes and sees God within himself or a person who opens his eyes and sees God in every being?'

Understand, he is not asking whether worshiping the form or worshiping the formless is greater. Expressing the gratitude that happens because of the experience is Devotion, bhakti. Having that experience and rejoicing, staying in that experience is knowledge, jñāna**; that's all.**

Kṛṣṇa's answer is that both paths are the same, each one leads to the other. Bliss leading to devotion and gratitude, devotion and gratitude leading to bliss: these two form the virtuous circle that lead us to higher consciousness.

Bliss means the experience of completion that leads us to the expression of gratitude and enriching. Again, the expression, the gratitude of enriching, leads us to bliss, and bliss leads us to deeper completion. One leads to the other and therefore it is a virtuous circle. Usually we are caught in the vicious circle. Fear leads to greed and greed leads to fear. Her, Kṛṣṇa introduces the virtuous circle, what He calls as dharma, righteousness, the path of truth.

Dharma means virtuous circle, that which leads us to live and express higher levels of Consciousness. That in turn leads us to higher levels of blissful experience.

Real Completion Expresses as Enriching with Love (12.2-12.5)

Bhagavān says, 'Those who are established in their Consciousness that expresses devotional gratitude, bhakti, are always engaged in Me, nitya yuktā upāsate. Those who focus on the transcendental faith, meaning the experience at the time of Cosmic experience, they are engaged in Me, te me yuktatamā matāḥ (12.2). Both are ultimate and united in Me.

Those who express their experience as devotion, see the world, upāsate. When we see the Divine in everybody, when we express the truth of the spiritual experience, whatever we do is upāssana. If we don't see the Divine in living beings, we cannot see the Divine in a God or a Guru.

Being established in consciousness of completion or expressing it towards enriching the Universe is the same. When a person is merged, he automatically radiates. If the love, the expression is not happening, the person has not experienced. When the real experience of Completion happens, it automatically expresses as Enriching. Experience is not something we can possess. No! Experience will possess us and radiate as enriching through us. Any word that comes out will be a song. Our being will be so light. Our body language will radiate grace. All our expressions will be a great enriching service to humanity.

An Enlightened man never keeps quiet nor does he talk, he just sings. That is why the Gītā is given in the form of a song. The Gītā is not prose; it is poetry. Great truths can never be expressed in logic. They can only be expressed through poetry. It is love and it flows.

Kṛṣṇa says that a person established in the Consciousness of Completion is great; however, the person who expresses, who shares, who radiates the power of living by Enriching, is as great as the one established.

Formless or Form?

Kṛṣṇa is saguṅa brahman, the physical Cosmos, who showed Himself in this form to Arjuna, in His viśvarūpa, Cosmic form. Kṛṣṇa is nirguṇa brahman as well, the formless consciousness. In both the form

and the formless, He is Kṛṣṇa, the Divine consciousness who has all the attributes. The Divine is imperishable, akṣaram, It remains forever. The Divine resides everywhere and is omnipresent.

The true devotee sees his Lord everywhere. Kṛṣṇa does not create two groups. Arjuna presents two groups as the reality that He sees: those who are established and those who are radiating, or those who are complete and those who enrich. Kṛṣṇa says both are the same; He does not divide them. When one has realized the formless nature of the Divine, its imperishability and its unmanifest nature with controlled senses, one works for the enrichment of mankind.

Once the experience of the formless Divine happens, it is no different from the experience of the form. The expression of this realization is one of deep compassion. It is manifested as deep gratitude and surrender. One flows with the energy of this Universe.

When we surrender, Kṛṣṇa takes care. He is the Super conscious energy, the Cosmic Energy, Parāśakti.

Liberation From Birth And Death (12.6-8)

Kṛṣṇa makes a promise here, , 'I shall deliver them from their material existence, the ocean of saṁsāra, cycle of life and death, mṛtyu-saṁsārasāgarāt (12.7). All that the Lord asks is that the devotee be devoted to Him*.*

Kṛṣṇa declares, 'If you surrender to Me, surrender all your actions and the fruits to Me, mayi sannyasya mat-parāḥ (12.6), do my enriching service, meditate upon Me, remain single-minded in My consciousness, māṁ dhyāyanta upāsate, I shall then liberate you.' It is the roar of a Lion. It is the roar of the King of this Universe.

'Surrender to Me and I shall liberate you. Serve Me and I shall liberate you.'

Listen. Surrendering to the Divine is not conditional; it must be total. There can be no 'ifs', or 'buts'. To reach Him, our senses must be surrendered to Him, totally. Our entire consciousness must only be of Him and nothing else. Nothing else needs to be done. 'Surrender and I shall save you,' says the Master. 'I shall save you without delay, immediately bhavāmi na cirāt pārtha mayy āveśita cetasām (12.7).' The Lord has made it so simple.

Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Divine, mayy eva mana ādhatsva (12.8) and engage all your mind, body, senses in Me and you will thus live in Me always, without a doubt, na samśayaḥ, assures Kṛṣṇa.

Fix Your Mind, Intelligence On Me

Now, Kṛṣṇa gives techniques to start living the dharma, virtuous circle. 'Fix your mind on Me, mayy eva mana ādhatsva. Fix your intelligence in Me, mayi buddhiṁ niveśaya. In this way, after acquiring the boundary-less consciousness, you will live in Me always, nivasiṣyasi mayy eva (12.8).'

How should we establish our intelligence in Him? Continuously try to enrich yourself and others with these enriching thoughts and ideas that Kṛṣṇa teaches. I tell you: dharmo rakśati rakśitāḥ When you protect dharma, it protects you**.** When you enrich dharma, it enriches you. When you take responsibility for it, it takes responsibility for you. Dharma is an independent intelligence.

Purify Your Senses, Without A Doubt Reach Me

Just take in this one truth that Kṛṣṇa speaks, 'Establishing your intelligence in Me.' Understand, whatever you take in as your inputs, you establish your mind only on that. So let your inputs be purified. Let purification of your sensory inputs, happen to you. Your Consciousness will automatically be established in the Divine.

Again and again, let these ideas penetrate you. I tell people that when the source of the words is Enlightened consciousness, the words simply penetrate you and automatically come into your mind whenever you need their help. Kṛṣṇa says, 'Immerse your mind completely in Me. Without a doubt you will reach the blissful state.'

Abhyāsa Yoga, Practice To Unite with Divine (12.9-10)

Now, Kṛṣṇa speaks on Abhyāsa Yoga. Abhyāsa Yoga is the practice

of yoga of holding the mind constantly in a state of union with Divinity.

After the the glimpse of the Universal consciousness, Viśvarūpa darśan, Arjuna is unable to stay in that state permanently, because of root patterns of past desires, fears. He slips from that state of Consciousness. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa speaks on Abhyāsa Yoga, the practice to establish oneself in that Consciousness.

Kṛṣṇa instructs continuously over the next four verses, giving various enriching options, step-by-step. He says: If we can't do this, do that. If we can't do that, do this.

The first thing He says is, 'Fix your mind upon Me. With constant practice, try to attain Me, abhyāsa-yogena tato (12.9). If you are not able to practice, then perform actions for Me. In this way, develop the desire to attain Me. '

Kṛṣṇa refers to completing with the mind through constant practice of meditation, which is part of the yogic path. Meditation is incessant focus upon the Divine. Since He knows that we may not be able to lose ourselves in devotion to Him, He offers this alternative. 'If the mind cannot be focused on Me,' says the Lord, 'try this. Practice again and again uniting with Me through meditation.'

When neither seems possible, Kṛṣṇa offers one more way. 'Do whatever you must. But then, surrender what you do to Me. Do what you do for My sake, mat-karma-paramo bhava (12.10).' By performing whatever we do with total faith, with a deep surrender to Him, we reach Him.

Kṛṣṇa implies two things through His statement. First, the results of whatever is done with an attitude of surrender to Him, belong to Him. Our responsibility is to do, and do it well. We have the right to 'doer-ship' not 'owner-ship'. The Lord is the owner of the fruits of actions that we perform on His behalf. What happens is in His hands, not ours. We then start focusing on the path, not the goal.

Second, Kṛṣṇa wants us to work on and enrich His mission. He says, 'Engage yourself in activities on My behalf, and you will attain Me, mad-artham api karmāṇi kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi. (12.10)' Working on the mission of the Divine is a sure guarantee to reach Divinity.

Work For Me, I will Liberate You (12.11-12.12)

Kṛṣṇa's compassion for Arjuna's spiritual evolution knows no limits. He never gives up on Arjuna. 'If you cannot do that, at least do this.' In the last four verses, He continuously gives enriching options to Arjuna. Masters give possibilities for everybody.

Kṛṣṇa continues, 'If you cannot do abhyāsa, practice, then work for My mission. Whatever you do, do it for Me.'

Kṛṣṇa now says, 'If you are unable to do even this, which is work for My sake, then just abandon your ego and turn over the results of your actions to Me, sarva-karma-phala tyāgaṁ (12.11).' Kṛṣṇa relents that Arjuna should work only on those activities that are Kṛṣṇa's.

Kṛṣṇa brings the core concept of Gītā, 'renunciation, tyāga'. He says, 'Do what you must do, surrendering to Me and sacrifice the results of your actions to Me, with complete control over your self.'

We just need to let the Universe, Kṛṣṇa decide what is best for humanity and us. Let us surrender the results of all that we do to this sacred power. Whatever then happens to us is for the good. We are surrendering to the Cosmic power that surrounds us. Say, 'Do what you think is best for me' with a deep completion and see what happens. Not only will the end goal manifest, but an immense spiritual relief will overtake you.

'Renounce unto Me,' says Kṛṣṇa, 'surrender yourself to Me, and I shall liberate you.'

Surrender, The Best Enriching Option

Kṛṣṇa finally says, 'If you can't follow these practices to enrich yourself, engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge.'

First, He mentions that the path of meditation, dhyāna is better than knowledge, jñana—jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate. Better than meditation is offering everything at the feet of God, dhyānāt karma phala tyāgaḥ (12.12). He says that by renunciation, tyāga of the fruits of action, one can immediately achieve peace, tyāgāc chāntir anantaram (12.12). As long as we think that 'everything is mine,' we suffer. The moment we surrender to the Divine, inner healing and peace descend on us. Staying in the space of completion is peace, bliss, liberation, or mokṣa.

He Is Very Dear to Me (12.13-12.15)

Now, Kṛṣṇa says, 'Those who do all these things are very dear to Me. If you don't do these, that too is okay. If you do them, you will be very dear to Me—yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ (12.14).' In other words, it is emotional black mail, not directly but indirectly, but all for the ultimate enriching cause!

Understand here, He says, 'Who is not envious and a kind friend to every living entity.' These are important enriching qualities. Kṛṣṇa doesn't say 'Do or don't do.' He does not want to make more rules.' He is in a relaxed mood.

'One who has fixed his mind, intellect upon me, mayy arpita mano buddhir (12.14),' says Kṛṣṇa. When the Master says drop 'I and mine,' you keep resisting Him. It is difficult for the disciple to have this space of surrender to the Master. Once the Master turns serious and takes up his responsibility of spiritual surgery on the disciple, he wants to run away.

Here, Kṛṣṇa says, 'Such a devotee of Mine is dear to Me,' that's all. He is talking about the commitment that the devotee makes to Him. He says, 'One who makes that commitment to Me and fixes his mind and intellect upon Me, he is dear to Me and will be liberated.'

Kṛṣṇa is saying that those who express or enrich from their core, unaffected by the happening, are dear to Him because they are centered on Him—mukto yaḥ sa ca me priyaḥ (12.15).

When Kṛṣṇa says, 'He who is without anxiety will reach Me,' He means the one in the present moment of completion; then we can see the truth of our Existence, and we are one with Him.

This Is Whom I Love (12.15-12.20)

Kṛṣṇa now moves into higher gear. Kṛṣṇa counsels Arjuna, 'Become free from wants, be selfless and you shall be untroubled, liberated and you will reach Me.'

Kṛṣṇa now refers to one who does not love or hate—yo na haṛṣyati na dveṣṭi (12.15). He is not talking about not loving anyone. Hatred and love are opposites. Love can flip into hatred in a moment, the moment we feel that our expectations are threatened.

The only relationship that will work with the Master is total love out of completion. It is absolute surrender. Surrender transcends love and hate. When one is in a mood of total surrender to the Master or the Divine, both being one, the concept of good and evil, sin and merit disappear.

Kṛṣṇa breaks the mold. He tells us, 'Go beyond good and evil, *śubha-aśubha parītyāgī (*12.17).' When we understand this truth we are in His realm. That's His promise.

Again Kṛṣṇa says, 'Such a person, full of devotion is dear to Me *bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ (*12.19).' He is not ready to put down any more rules, which means He is almost ending His instructions, 'This is the way, if somebody is like this then I love him, that's all.'

He says, 'One who is neutral towards friends and enemies, who is the same in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, joy and pain, free from attachment to the fruits of action, who remains the same in criticism and praise; who is content with whatever he gets, such a man, full of devotion, is very dear to Me.'

Kṛṣṇa concludes Bhakti Yogaḥ, Union through Devotional Love, saying that one who lives this path of dharma is devoted to Him and is very dear to Him, bhaktās te 'tīva me priyāḥ (12.20).

Let us pray to Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, to make us all experience Bhakti Yogaḥ, that love is our very life. Let us pray to Him to give us the conscious experience of bhakti, devotional love, and make us experience and radiate eternal bliss, Nityānanda.