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ARJUNA:
THIS, for my souls peace, have I heard from Thee, |
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The unfolding of the Mystery Supreme |
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Named Adhyâtman; comprehending which, |
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My darkness is dispelled; for now I know |
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O Lotus-eyed! 1whence is the birth of men, |
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And whence their death, and what the majesties |
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Of thine immortal rule. Fain would I see, |
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As thou Thyself declarst it, Sovereign Lord! |
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The likeness of that glory of Thy Form |
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Wholly revealed. O Thou Divinest One! |
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If this can be, if I may bear the sight, |
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Make Thyself visible, Lord of all prayers! |
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Show me Thy very self, the Eternal God! |
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KRISHNA:
Gaze, then, thou Son of Prithâ! I manifest for thee |
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Those hundred thousand thousand shapes that clothe my Mystery: |
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I show thee all my semblances, infinite, rich, divine, |
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My changeful hues, my countless forms. See! in this face of mine, |
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Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Aswins, and Maruts; see |
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Wonders unnumbered, Indian Prince! revealed to none save thee. |
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Behold! this is the Universe!Look! what is live and dead |
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I gather all in onein Me! Gaze, as thy lips have said, |
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On GOD ETERNAL, VERY GOD! See ME! see what thou prayest! |
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Thou canst not!nor, with human eyes, Arjuna! ever mayest |
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Therefore I give thee sense divine. Have other eyes, new light! |
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And, look! This is My glory, unveiled to mortal sight! |
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SANJAYA:
Then, O King! the God, so saying, |
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Stood, to Prithâs Son displaying |
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All the splendor, wonder, dread |
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Of His vast Almighty-head. |
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Out of countless eyes beholding, |
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Out of countless mouths commanding, |
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Countless mystic forms enfolding |
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In one Form: supremely standing |
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Countless radiant glories wearing, |
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Countless heavenly weapons bearing, |
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Crowned with garlands of star-clusters, |
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Robed in garb of woven lustres, |
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Breathing from His perfect Presence |
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Breaths of all delicious essence |
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Of all sweetest odors; shedding |
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Blinding brilliance, overspreading |
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Boundless, beautifulall spaces |
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From His all-regarding faces; |
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So He showed! If there should rise |
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Suddenly within the skies |
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Sunburst of a thousand suns |
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Flooding earth with rays undeemed-of, |
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Then might be that Holy Ones |
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Majesty and glory dreamed of! |
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So did Pandus Son behold |
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All this universe enfold |
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All its huge diversity |
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Into one great shape, and be |
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Visible, and viewed, and blended |
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In one Bodysubtle, splendid, |
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Namelessth All-comprehending |
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God of Gods, the Never-Ending |
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Deity! |
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But, sore amazed, |
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Thrilled, oerfilled, dazzled, and dazed, |
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Arjuna knelt, and bowed his head, |
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And clasped his palms, and cried, and said: |
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ARJUNA:
Yea! I have seen! I see! |
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Lord! all is wrapped in Thee! |
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The gods are in Thy glorious frame! the creatures |
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Of earth, and heaven, and hell |
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In Thy Divine form dwell, |
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And in Thy countenance show all the features |
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Of Brahma, sitting lone |
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Upon His lotus-throne; |
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Of saints and sages, and the serpent races |
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Ananta, Vâsuki. |
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Yea! mightiest Lord! I see |
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Thy thousand thousand arms, and breasts, and faces, |
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And eyes,on every side |
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Perfect, diversified; |
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And nowhere end of Thee, nowhere beginning, |
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Nowhere a centre! Shifts |
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Wherever souls gaze lifts |
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Thy central Self, all-willing, and all-winning! |
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Infinite King! I see |
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The anadem on Thee, |
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The club, the shell, the discus; see Thee burning |
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In beams insufferable, |
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Lighting earth, heaven, and hell |
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With brilliance blinding, glorious, flashing, turning |
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Darkness to dazzling day, |
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Look I whichever way. |
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Ah, Lord! I worship Thee, the Undivided, |
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The Uttermost of thought, |
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The Treasure-Palace wrought |
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To hold the wealth of the worlds; the shield provided |
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To shelter Virtues laws; |
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The Fount whence Lifes stream draws |
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All waters of all rivers of all being: |
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The One Unborn, Unending: |
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Unchanging and unblending! |
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With might and majesty, past thought, past seeing! |
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Silver of moon and gold |
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Of sun are glances rolled |
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From Thy great eyes; Thy visage beaming tender |
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Over the stars and skies, |
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Doth to warm life surprise |
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Thy Universe. The worlds are filled with wonder |
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Of Thy perfections! Space |
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Star-sprinkled, and the place |
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From pole to pole of the heavens, from bound to bound, |
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Hath Thee in every spot, |
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Thee, Thee!Where Thou art not |
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O Holy, Marvellous Form! is nowhere found! |
110 |
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O Mystic, Awful One! |
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At sight of Thee, made known, |
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The Three Worlds quake; the lower gods draw nigh Thee; |
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They fold their palms, and bow |
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Body, and breast, and brow, |
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And, whispering worship, laud and magnify Thee! |
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Rishis and Siddhas cry |
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Hail! Highest Majesty! |
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From sage and singer breaks the hymn of glory |
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In holy melody, |
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Sounding the praise of Thee, |
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While countless companies take up the story, |
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Rudras, who rides the storms, |
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Th Adityas shining forms, |
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Vasus and Sâdhyas, Viswas, Ushmapas, |
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Maruts, and those great Twins, |
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The heavenly, fair, Aswins, |
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Gandharvas, Rakshasas, Siddhas, Asuras, |
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These see Thee, and revere |
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In silence-stricken fear; |
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Yea! the Worlds,seeing Thee with form stupendous, |
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With faces manifold, |
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With eyes which all behold, |
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Unnumbered eyes, vast arms, members tremendous, |
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Flanks, lit with sun and star, |
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Feet planted near and far, |
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Tushes of terror, mouths wrathful and tender; |
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The Three wide Worlds before Thee |
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Adore, as I adore Thee, |
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Quake, as I quake, to witness so much splendor! |
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I mark Thee strike the skies |
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With front in wondrous wise |
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Huge, rainbow-painted, glittering; and thy mouth |
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Opened, and orbs which see |
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All things, whatever be, |
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In all Thy worlds, east, west, and north and south. |
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O Eyes of God! O Head! |
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My strength of soul is fled, |
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Gone is hearts force, rebuked is minds desire! |
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When I behold Thee so, |
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With awful brows a-glow, |
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With burning glance, and lips lighted with fire, |
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Fierce as those flames which shall |
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Consume, at close of all, |
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Earth, Heaven! Ah me! I see no Earth and Heaven! |
155 |
Thee, Lord of Lords! I see, |
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Thee onlyonly Thee! |
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Ah! let Thy mercy unto me be given! |
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Thou Refuge of the World! |
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Lo! to the cavern hurled |
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Of Thy wide-opened throat, and lips white-tushed, |
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I see our noblest ones, |
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Great Dhritarashtras sons, |
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Bhishma, Drona, and Karna, caught and crushed! |
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The Kings and Chiefs drawn in, |
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That gaping gorge within; |
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The best of all both armies torn and riven! |
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Between Thy jaws they lie |
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Mangled fell bloodily, |
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Ground into dust and death! Like streams down driven |
170 |
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With helpless haste, which go |
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In headlong furious flow |
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Straight to the gulfing maw of th unfilled ocean, |
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So to that flaming cave |
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These heroes great and brave |
175 |
Pour, in unending streams, with helpless motion! |
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Like months which in the night |
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Flutter towards a light, |
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Drawn to their fiery doom, flying and dying, |
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So to their death still throng, |
180 |
Blind, dazzled, borne along |
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Ceaselessly, all these multitudes, wild flying! |
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Thou, that hast fashioned men, |
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Devourest them agen, |
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One with another, great and small, alike! |
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The creatures whom Thou makst, |
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With flaming jaws Thou takst, |
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Lapping them up! Lord God! Thy terrors strike |
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From end to end of earth, |
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Filling life full, from birth |
190 |
To death, with deadly, burning, lurid dread! |
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Ah, Vishnu! make me know |
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Why is Thy visage so? |
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Who art Thou, feasting thus upon Thy dead? |
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Who? awful Deity! |
195 |
I bow myself to Thee, |
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Nâmostu Tê Devavara! Prasîd! 2 |
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O Mightiest Lord! rehearse |
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Why hast Thou face so fierce? |
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Whence did this aspect horrible proceed? |
200 |
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KRISHNA:
Thou seest Me as Time who kills, Time who brings all to doom, |
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The Slayer Time, Ancient of Days, come hither to consume; |
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Excepting thee, of all these hosts of hostile chiefs arrayed, |
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There shines not one shall leave alive the battlefield! Dismayed |
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No longer be! Arise! obtain renown! destroy thy foes! |
205 |
Fight for the kingdom waiting thee when thou hast vanquished those. |
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By Me they fallnot thee! the stroke of death is dealt them now, |
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Even as they stand thus gallantly; My instrument art thou! |
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Strike, strong-armed Prince! at Drona! at Bhishma strike! deal death |
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To Karna, Jyadratha; stay all this warlike breath! |
210 |
Tis I who bid them perish! Thou wilt but slay the slain. |
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Fight! they must fall, and thou must live, victor upon this plain! |
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|
SANJAYA:
Hearing mighty Keshavs word, |
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Tremblingly that helmèd Lord |
|
Clasped his lifted palms, andpraying |
215 |
Grace of Krishnastood there, saying, |
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With bowed brow and accents broken, |
|
These words, timorously spoken: |
|
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ARJUNA:
Worthily, Lord of Might! |
|
The whole world hath delight |
220 |
In Thy surpassing power, obeying Thee; |
|
The Rakshasas, in dread |
|
At sight of Thee, are sped |
|
To all four quarters; and the company |
|
|
Of Siddhas sound Thy name. |
225 |
How should they not proclaim |
|
Thy Majesties, Divinest, Mightiest? |
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Thou Brahm, than Brahma greater! |
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Thou Infinite Creator! |
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Thou God of gods, Lifes Dwelling-place and Rest! |
230 |
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Thou, of all souls the Soul! |
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The Comprehending Whole! |
|
Of Being formed, and formless Being the Framer; |
|
O Utmost One! O Lord! |
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Older than eld, Who stored |
235 |
The worlds with wealth of life. O Treasure-claimed. |
|
|
Who wottest all, and art |
|
Wisdom Thyself! O Part |
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In all, and all, for all from Thee have risen! |
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Numberless now I see |
240 |
The aspects are of Thee! |
|
Vayu 3 Thou art, and He who keeps the prison |
|
|
Of Narak, Yama dark, |
|
And Agnis shining spark. |
|
Varunas waves are Thy waves. Moon and star-light |
245 |
Are Thine! Prajâpati |
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Art Thou, and tis to Thee |
|
Men kneel in worshipping the old worlds far light, |
|
|
The first of mortal men. |
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Again, Thou God! again |
250 |
A thousand thousand times be magnified! |
|
Honor and worship be |
|
Glory and praise,to Thee |
|
Namô, Namastê, cried on every side. |
|
|
Cried here, above, below, |
255 |
Uttered when Thou dost go, |
|
Uttered when Thou dost come! Namô! we call. |
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Namôstu! God adored! |
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Namôstu! Nameless Lord! |
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Hail to Thee! Praise to Thee! Thou One in all. |
260 |
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For Thou art All! Yea, Thou! |
|
Ah! if in anger now |
|
Thou shouldst remember I did think Thee Friend, |
|
Speaking with easy speech, |
|
As men use each to each; |
265 |
Did call Thee Krishna, Prince, nor comprehend |
|
|
Thy hidden majesty, |
|
The might, the awe of Thee; |
|
Did, in my heedlessness, or in my love, |
|
On journey, or in jest, |
270 |
Or when we lay at rest, |
|
Sitting at council, straying in the grove, |
|
|
Alone, or in the throng, |
|
Do Thee, most Holy wrong, |
|
Be Thy grace granted for that witless sin! |
275 |
For Thou art now I know, |
|
Father of all below, |
|
Of all above, of all the worlds within, |
|
|
Guru of Gurus, more |
|
To reverence and adore |
280 |
Than all which is adorable and high! |
|
How, in the wide worlds three |
|
Should any equal be? |
|
Shall any other share Thy majesty? |
|
|
Therefore, with body bent |
285 |
And reverent intent, |
|
I praise, and serve, and seek Thee, asking grace. |
|
As father to a son, |
|
As friend to friend, as one |
|
Who loveth to his lover, turn Thy face |
290 |
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In gentleness on me! |
|
Good is it I did see |
|
This unknown marvel of Thy Form! But fear |
|
Mingles with joy! Retake, |
|
Dear Lord! for pitys sake |
295 |
Thine earthly shape, which earthly eyes may bear! |
|
|
Be merciful, and show |
|
The visage that I know; |
|
Let me regard Thee, as of yore, arrayed |
|
With disc and forehead-gem, |
300 |
With mace and anedem, |
|
Thou who sustainest all things! Undismayed |
|
|
Let me once more behold |
|
The form I loved of old, |
|
Thou of the thousand arms and countless eyes! |
305 |
My frightened heart is fain |
|
To see restored again |
|
The Charioteer, my Krishnas kind disguise. |
|
|
KRISHNA:
Yea! thou hast seen, Arjuna! because I loved thee well, |
|
The secret countenance of Me, revealed by mystic spell, |
310 |
Shining, and wonderful, and vast, majestic, manifold, |
|
Which none save thou in all the years had favor to behold: |
|
For not by Vedas cometh this, nor sacrifice, nor alms, |
|
Nor works well-done, nor penance long, nor prayers nor chaunted psalms, |
|
That mortal eyes should bear to view the Immortal Soul unclad, |
315 |
Prince of the Kurus! This was kept for thee alone! Be glad! |
|
Let no more trouble shake thy heart because thine eyes have seen |
|
My terror with My glory. As I before have been |
|
So will I be again for thee; with lightened heart behold! |
|
Once more I am thy Krishna, the form thou knewst of old! |
320 |
|
SANJAYA:
These words to Arjuna spake |
|
Vâsudev, and straight did take |
|
Back again the semblance dear |
|
Of the well-loved charioteer; |
|
Peace and joy it did restore |
325 |
When the Prince beheld once more |
|
Mighty BRAHMAs form and face |
|
Clothed in Krishnas gentle grace. |
|
|
ARJUNA:
Now that I see come back, Janardana! |
|
This friendly human frame, my mind can think |
330 |
Calm thoughts once more; my heart beats still again! |
|
|
KRISHNA:
Yea! it was wonderful and terrible |
|
To view me as thou didst, dear Prince! The gods |
|
Dread and desire continually to view! |
|
Yet not by Vedas, nor from sacrifice, |
335 |
Nor penance, nor gift-giving, nor with prayer |
|
Shall any so behold, as thou hast seen! |
|
Only by fullest service, perfect faith, |
|
And uttermost surrender am I known |
|
And seen, and entered into, Indian Prince! |
340 |
Who doeth all for Me; who findeth Me |
|
In all; adoreth always; loveth all |
|
Which I have made, and Me, for Loves sole end, |
|
That man, Arjuna! unto Me doth wend. |
|
|
Here endeth Chapter XI. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ,
|
345 |
entitled Viswarupdarsanam, or The Book
|
|
of the Manifesting of the One
|
|
and Manifold
|
|