Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 11 - Shloka (Verse) 15

व्याख्या--पश्यामि देवांस्तव देव देहे सर्वांस्तथा भूतविशेषसङ्घान्--अर्जुनकी भगवत्प्रदत्त दिव्य दृष्टि इतनी विलक्षण है कि उनको देवलोक भी अपने सामने दीख रहे हैं। इतना ही नहीं, उनको सब-की-सब त्रिलोकी दिख रही है। केवल त्रिलोकी ही नहीं, प्रत्युत त्रिलोकीके उत्पादक (ब्रह्मा), पालक (विष्णु) और संहारक (महेश) भी प्रत्यक्ष दीख रहे हैं। अतः अर्जुन वर्णन करते हैं कि मैं सम्पूर्ण देवोंको, प्राणियोंके समुदायोंको और ब्रह्मा तथा शङ्करको देख रहा हूँ।

जो विश्वरूप आपने मुझे दिखलाया है उसे मैं किस प्रकार देख रहा हूँ -- ऐसा अपना अनुभव प्रकट करता हुआ अर्जुन बोला --, हे देव मैं आपके शरीरमें समस्त देवोंको तथा स्थावरजङ्गमरूप नाना प्रकारकी विभक्त आकृतिवाले समस्त भूतविशेषोंके समूहोंको एवं कमलासनपर विराजमान अर्थात् पृथ्वीरूप कमलमें सुमेरुरूप कर्णिकापर बैठे हुए प्रजाके शासनकर्ता चतुर्मुख ब्रह्माको? वसिष्ठादि ऋषियोंको और वासुकि प्रभृति समस्त दिव्य अर्थात् देवलोकमें होनेवाले सर्पोंको देख रहा हूँ।

"How did Arjuna speak to the Lord?"—thus he asks [implied question]. Fulfilling that expected question, he introduces [the verse]—'Yat tvaya' etc. [referring to context].

Although the gods are included in the hosts of specific beings, they are separated due to their superiority.

Although Brahma is the self of all deities, his mention as distinct from them is because he is their producer; thinking thus, he says—'Kincha' (Moreover).

The separate mention of Rishis and Uragas (serpents) is due to some specific distinction. 'Divyan' (Divine) is an adjective for both.

Manifesting his own experience, Arjuna spoke.

"O God! In Your body, I see all the gods, Indra and others. Also, I see the groups of specific beings. Moreover, Brahma, the controller of subjects, seated on the lotus-seat, and all the sages like Vasistha, and the divine serpents like Vasuki—I see them;" this [verb 'I see'] is to be connected everywhere.

Although the gods etc. are included within 'specific beings', they are mentioned separately due to their superiority.

Although Brahma is a god, he is mentioned separately because he is their progenitor.

'Devan' means the Adityas and others. 'Bhutavisheshah' means the four kinds of beings—womb-born etc.; their 'sanghan' means groups. 'Brahmanam' means the four-faced one. 'Isham' means the Ruler.

By 'Kamalasanastham' (seated on the lotus seat), seeing from a distance is implied.

'Uragan' means Ananta and others situated in Patala. 'Divyan' means Vasuki and others situated in Kailasa etc. By this, the vision of obstructed/hidden things is implied.

Arjuna said—"O God! In Your body I see all the gods; and all hosts of specific living beings;

and the four-faced Brahma, the Lord of the egg (universe); and 'Isham Kamalasanastham'—the Lord (Shiva) seated on the Lotus-seated one (Brahma), [or] situated in his doctrine;

and all the sages headed by the celestial sages; and the shining serpents like Vasuki, Takshaka, etc."

He describes the speech—with seventeen verses beginning with 'Pashyami'.

"O God! In Your body, I see the gods, Adityas and others. And all the hosts of specific beings, womb-born, egg-born, etc.; and the divine sages, Vasistha and others; and the serpents, Takshaka and others; and Brahma, the 'Isham' (Lord) of the gods."

Of what nature is he? 'Kamalasanastham'—situated on Meru, the pericarp of the earth-lotus; or situated on the seat of the lotus of Your navel.

जब अर्जुन भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण को देव (प्रकाशस्वरूप) शब्द से सम्बोधित करता है? तब वह संजय की दी हुयी उपमा की ही पुष्टि करता है? जिसमें कहा गया था कि सहस्र सूर्यों के प्रकाश के समान विराट् पुरुष का तेज है। विश्वरूप में दृष्ट वस्तुओं को गिनाते हुये अर्जुन कहता है? मैं आपके शरीर में समस्त देवताओं और अनेक भूतविशेषों के समुदायों को देख रहा हूँ। इन सबका उल्लेख संजय भी पहले कर चुका है।दोनों के किये गये वर्णनों से ज्ञात होता है कि उस विराट् रूप में न केवल लौकिक वस्तुयें? वरन् अलौकिक दिव्य देवताओं को भी पहचाना जा सकता था। अर्जुन को उसमें ब्रह्मा? विष्णु महेश के भी दर्शन होते हैं। और इन सबके साथ अनेक ऋषिगण भी हैं।अर्जुन अनेक दिव्य सर्पों को भी देखता है। काव्य की यह एक शैली है कि प्राय श्रेष्ठ महान् कविजन सर्वोत्कृष्ठ का वर्णन करते समय अचानक किसी विद्रूप व उपहासास्पद के स्तर की वस्तुओं का वर्णन करने लगते हैं। इसका एकमात्र प्रयोजन यह होता है कि पाठकों को कुछ चौंकाकर उनका ध्यान विषय वस्तु की ओर आकर्षित किया जाय। इस विश्वरूप में ब्रह्माजी से लेकर सर्पों तक को प्रतिनिधित्व मिला है। वेदान्त का सिद्धान्त है कि जो पिण्ड में है? वही ब्रह्माण्ड में है? अथवा व्यष्टि ही समष्टि है। विश्व के महान् तत्त्वचिन्तकों ने इसी का वर्णन किया और अनुभव भी किया है। परन्तु इसके पूर्व किसी ने भी इस दार्शनिक सिद्धान्त का स्पष्ट एवं वस्तुनिष्ट प्रदर्शन नहीं किया था। इस कला के अग्रणी व्यासजी थे और अब तक इस कठिन कार्य में उनका अनुकरण करने का साहस किसी को नहीं हुआ है।अर्जुन? अब ऐसे रूप का वर्णन करता है जिसके विवरण से अत्यन्त साहसी पुरुष को भी अपना साहस खोते हुए अनुभव होगा

"The Universal Form shown by the Lord, which is invisible to all worlds, I see with the divine eye given by the Lord—Oh, the excellence of my fortune!"—manifesting this experience of his, Arjuna said—'Pashyami'.

'Pashyami'—I make it an object of visual knowledge. "O God! In Your Universal Form body, [I see] all the gods, Vasus etc.

And the hosts of specific beings, stationary and moving, of various forms.

And the four-faced Brahma, the 'Isham'—ruler of all; 'Kamalasanastham'—seated on the pericarp of Meru in the center of the earth-lotus, or seated on the lotus of the Lord's navel.

And all the sages, Vasistha and others, the sons of Brahma. And the divine, supernatural serpents, Vasuki and others—I see them;" this is the connection everywhere.

He states that speech—with seventeen verses beginning with 'Pashyami'.

"O God—Worshipable One! In Your body—the expanded form; [I see] the gods—Indra and others, who are full of play; and the hosts of all 'specific beings'—of four kinds—who are also of the nature of play.

The 'divine' sages—Narada and others, manifested for the sake of play; again, the tamasic serpents—Shesha and others; and their root cause 'Kamalasanastham'—situated on the navel-lotus—Brahma; and 'Isham'—Mahadeva; thus, I see all of them."

'Pashyami'—I perceive, O God! In Your body, all the gods. And 'Bhutavisheshasanghan'—the groups of specific beings, i.e., the groups of various moving and non-moving entities of diverse forms; them.

Moreover—Brahma, the four-faced one; 'Isham'—the ruler of subjects; 'Kamalasanastham'—seated on the lotus seat, meaning seated on the pericarp of Meru in the center of the earth-lotus;

and all the sages, Vasistha and others; and the serpents, Vasuki and others, 'Divyan'—born in the heavens.

He states that with seventeen verses beginning with 'Pashyami'—corresponding to the sixteen Kalas (parts) and one prayer.

"O God, O Moon-like Sri Krishna! In Your body, in this Universal Form, I see everyone.

'Bhutavisheshasanghan'—the specific groups distinguished as womb-born etc."

पश्यामि (I) see? देवान् the gods? तव Thy? देव O God? देहे in the body? सर्वान् all? तथा also? भूतविशेषसङ्घान् hosts of various classes of beings? ब्रह्माणम् Brahma? ईशम् the Lord? कमलासनस्थम् seated on the lotus? ऋषीन् sages? च and? सर्वान् all? उरगान् serpents? च and? दिव्यान् divine.Commentary Arjuna describes his own experience of the Cosmic Form in this and the following verses? 15 to 31.Bhutaviseshasanghan Hosts of various classes of beings? both animate and inanimate. These numerous entities are in Thy Cosmic Form? like hairs on the human body.Brahma? the fourfaced? the Lord of all creatures? is seated in the centre of the earthlotus on the Meru which forms the thalamus as it were of the earthlotus.Sages? such as Vasishtha. Serpents? such as Vasuki.Moreover --

Deva, O God; pasyami, I see, perceive; tava dehe, in Your body; sarvan, all; the devan, gods; tatha, as also; bhuta-visesa-sanghan, hosts of (various) classes of beings, groups of moving and non-moving living things having different shapes; and besides, brahmanam, Brahma, with four faces; isam, the Ruler of creatures; kamalasana-stham, sitting on a lotus seat, i.e. sitting on Mount Meru which forms the pericarp of the lotus that is the earth; and sarvan, all; the divyan, heavenly; rsin, sages-Vasistha and others; and (the heavenly) uragan, serpents-Vasuki and others.

Arjuna said O Lord! I behold in Your body all gods and all classes of living beings as also Brahma, the four-faced ruler of the cosmic egg. So too Siva (Isa) who is seated in the lotus-seated Brahma, meaning that Siva abides by the directions of Brahma. So also all the seers of whom the divine seers are the foremost; and lustrous snakes like Vasuki, Taksaka etc.