Thus far, the Bhagavad-gītā has been predominantly constituted of bhagavān Śrī Krishna’s discourses on yoga, prompted by the pertinent questions of his dear friend, Arjuna. And in these discourses, it becomes increasingly obvious that comprehending the identity of Krishna himself is crucial to the successful practice of yoga. Indeed, in the present chapter, he will be referred to explicitly as the master, or lord, of yoga (yogeśvara).

But now comes a striking shift in the Gītā’s tone, from a more discursive to a highly dramatic register. Arjuna has heard and accepted what Krishna has said about himself; but now he wants to see directly—not only for himself but also as a demonstration to the world—the cosmic form of the primordial yoga master. Krishna obliges his request immediately, revealing a vision far beyond anything Arjuna might have expected, throwing him into an intensely venerative attitude that prompts Krishna to speak in a way that is earth-shaking in its implications.

After Arjuna submits his request for Krishna to reveal his cosmic form, as Krishna begins to manifest this form he simultaneously grants Arjuna a special power of vision that enables him to fully see it (11.5-8). A brief narrative interlude follows, in which Sañjaya—the secretary to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the blind sovereign and father of the Kauravas now arrayed to fight against their cousins Arjuna and his brothers (the Pāṇḍavas)—reports what is happening to his master. And what he sees is so amazing that he compares the brilliance of this cosmic form to a thousand suns rising simultaneously in the sky. Arjuna, Sañjaya says, sees all this with such astonishment that his bodily hair stands on end, as he (Arjuna) begins to offer praises to this form, while describing as best he can what he sees (11.9-14).

Despite the overwhelming brilliance of this cosmic form, Arjuna is able to discern wondrous details and features therein. In this one form, which comprehends the entire universe, and which enables him to see everything in the universe, there are countless human-like and god-like identities, with distinctive faces and other features. But this is a fearsome form, with the several divinities seeming to be consumed by it, entering into its mouths which have terrible teeth. Even more frightening, Arjuna sees the great Kaurava warriors arrayed on the battlefield against him and his brothers, all being consumed in the several mouths of this form, some being crushed between rows of teeth—all like so many moths entering into and being consumed by fire. Arjuna finds himself quite disoriented, and he begs Krishna to be merciful (11.15-30).

And then Arjuna beseeches Krishna to tell who he really is. Krishna’s momentous reply marks the dramatic high point of the entire Gītā: “Time I am, the great destroyer of worlds, here to withdraw the world; even without you, all the warriors on this battlefield shall not be!” (11.32). And then, as he has done in several verses in previous chapters, Krishna exhorts Arjuna to take up his weapon and fight in the ensuing battle, assuring him this time that he need only act as an instrument, or agent, of bhagavān, and he is assured of victory (11.33).

But Arjuna is not at all pacified; rather, in a frenzied state of emotion he bows down again and again to Krishna, and begs him for forgiveness. Now that he sees Krishna’s unbounded majesty, Arjuna frets deeply over the fact that in the past he had behaved with such familiarity toward Krishna, interacting with him as one friend would act toward another friend (including joking and teasing) (11.41-42). And whereas in the beginning of the chapter Arjuna expressed desire to see this majestic form, now, at the end of the chapter, he begs Krishna to again show him his charming form as Vishnu, with four arms, bearing his two famous weapons, the mace and the razor-like disc (11.45-46).

As this chapter comes to an end, Krishna resumes his human-like form and reassures Arjuna that there is no need for fear, that he can be joyful in mind beholding Krishna as he has always known him (11.49).

One’s reading and remembering of this wonderful cosmic vision of the primordial master of yoga becomes itself a yoga practice, enhancing all the other aspects of yoga described in the Gītā, by affording one a profound sense of wonder, so essential for the cultivation of a humble attitude that is, in turn, essential for progress along the yoga path. As the yoga of seeing the cosmic form, this chapter continues the theme of seeing, vision, and comprehension, that was introduced in Chapter 1.