Arjuna said: By the supremely confidential words concerning the Self that You have spoken out of compassion for me, my delusion is now dispelled.

O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the origin and dissolution of beings, and also about Your imperishable glory.

O Supreme Lord, as You have thus described Yourself, O Supreme Person, I wish to see Your divine form.

If You think it possible for me to see it, O Lord, then, O master of yoga, reveal to me Your imperishable Self.

The Supreme Lord said: Behold, O Partha, My forms by the hundreds and thousands, of various kinds, divine, of various colors and shapes.

Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Ashvins, and the Maruts. Behold many wonders never seen before, O Bharata.

Behold now the entire universe, with all moving and non-moving beings, united in My body, O Arjuna, and whatever else you wish to see.

But you cannot see Me with your physical eyes. Therefore, I give you divine eyes. Behold My supreme yoga!

Sanjaya said: O King, having spoken thus, the great Lord of yoga, Hari, then revealed to Arjuna His supreme divine form.

With many mouths and eyes, with many wondrous visions, with many divine ornaments, and with many upraised divine weapons—

Wearing divine garlands and garments, anointed with divine fragrances, all-wonderful, resplendent, unlimited, with faces everywhere.

If a thousand suns were to rise at once in the sky, that radiance might resemble the splendor of that great Being.

There, in the body of the God of gods, Arjuna then saw the entire universe, with its many divisions, united in one.

Then Arjuna, filled with wonder, his hair standing on end, bowed his head to the Lord and spoke with joined palms.

Arjuna said: O Lord, I see in Your body all the gods and various kinds of beings, Brahma seated on the lotus, Lord Shiva, all the sages, and the divine serpents.

I see You with countless arms, stomachs, mouths, and eyes, with infinite form on every side. I see no end, no middle, nor beginning in You, O Lord of the universe, O Universal Form.

I see You with crown, mace, and disc, a mass of radiance, shining everywhere, difficult to behold, blazing like fire and sun, immeasurable.

You are the imperishable, the supreme object of knowledge. You are the ultimate resting place of this universe. You are the eternal guardian of dharma. You are, I believe, the eternal Person.

I see You without beginning, middle, or end, with infinite power, with countless arms, with sun and moon as Your eyes, with mouths blazing like fire, heating the universe with Your radiance.

The space between heaven and earth and all the directions are pervaded by You alone. Seeing this wondrous and terrible form of Yours, the three worlds tremble, O great one.

Hosts of gods enter into You; some, frightened, praise You with joined palms. Hosts of great sages and perfected beings say 'Svasti!' and glorify You with abundant hymns.

The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sadhyas, Vishvas, Ashvins, Maruts, ancestors, hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas—all gaze at You in amazement.

Seeing Your great form with many faces and eyes, O mighty-armed one, with many arms, thighs, and feet, with many bellies, with many terrible fangs—the worlds are terrified, and so am I.

Seeing You touching the sky, blazing, many-colored, with gaping mouths and large fiery eyes, my inner self is trembling. I find neither courage nor peace, O Vishnu.

Seeing Your mouths with terrible fangs, blazing like the fires of cosmic dissolution, I lose my sense of direction and find no comfort. Be gracious, O Lord of gods, O refuge of the universe.

All the sons of Dhritarashtra, along with hosts of kings, Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and also our chief warriors—

—are rushing into Your fearful mouths with terrible fangs. Some are seen caught between the teeth, their heads crushed.

As many currents of rivers flow toward the ocean, so these heroes of the mortal world enter Your blazing mouths.

As moths rush with great speed into a blazing fire for destruction, so these beings rush into Your mouths for destruction with great speed.

You lick up and devour all the worlds on every side with Your flaming mouths. Your fierce radiance fills the entire universe and scorches it, O Vishnu.

Tell me who You are, O fierce-formed one. Salutations to You, O supreme Lord. Be gracious. I wish to know You, the primeval one, for I do not understand Your ways.

The Supreme Lord said: I am Time, the great destroyer of worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people. Even without your participation, all the warriors standing in the opposing armies will cease to exist.

Therefore arise and attain glory! Conquer your enemies and enjoy a prosperous kingdom. They have already been slain by Me; you be but an instrument, O Arjuna.

Drona, Bhishma, Jayadratha, Karna, and other brave warriors have already been killed by Me. Kill them without distress. Just fight, and you will conquer your enemies in battle.

Sanjaya said: Having heard these words of Keshava, the crowned one (Arjuna), trembling with joined palms, bowing again and again, spoke to Krishna in a faltering voice, very much afraid.

Arjuna said: It is fitting, O Hrishikesha, that the world rejoices and is devoted to Your glorification. The demons flee in fear in all directions, and all the hosts of perfected beings bow to You.

And why should they not bow to You, O great one, greater than Brahma, the original creator? O infinite one, Lord of gods, refuge of the universe, You are the imperishable, being, non-being, and that which is beyond both.

You are the original God, the ancient Person. You are the supreme refuge of this universe. You are the knower, that which is to be known, and the supreme abode. The universe is pervaded by You, O one of infinite forms.

You are Vayu, Yama, Agni, Varuna, the moon, Prajapati, and the great-grandfather. Salutations to You a thousand times, and again salutations, salutations to You.

Salutations to You from the front, from behind, and from all sides, O All. You are of infinite valor and boundless might. You pervade all; therefore, You are everything.

Thinking of You as a friend, I have rashly addressed You as 'O Krishna,' 'O Yadava,' 'O friend,' not knowing Your greatness, out of carelessness or affection.

And if I have disrespected You in jest while at play, resting, sitting, or eating, whether alone or in the presence of others, O infallible one, I beg Your forgiveness, O immeasurable one.

You are the father of this world, of all moving and non-moving beings. You are its worshipable teacher, the greatest. There is none equal to You—how then could there be one greater in the three worlds, O one of incomparable power?

Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I seek Your grace, O praiseworthy Lord. As a father to a son, as a friend to a friend, as a lover to a beloved, please bear with me, O God.

I am delighted to see what has never been seen before, yet my mind is disturbed with fear. Please show me that other form, O God. Be gracious, O Lord of gods, O refuge of the universe.

I wish to see You as before, with crown, mace, and disc in hand. Assume that four-armed form, O thousand-armed one, O universal form.

The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, by My grace, through My own yoga power, I have shown you this supreme, radiant, universal, infinite, primeval form, which no one has seen before you.

Not through Vedic study, sacrifices, charity, rituals, or severe austerities can this form of Mine be seen in the mortal world by anyone other than you, O best of the Kuru warriors.

Do not be distressed or bewildered by seeing this terrible form of Mine. Free from fear and with a joyful heart, behold again My former form.

Sanjaya said: Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vasudeva again showed His own form. The great soul, assuming His gentle form, consoled the frightened one.

Arjuna said: Seeing this gentle human form of Yours, O Janardana, I am now composed, my mind restored to its natural state.

The Supreme Lord said: This form of Mine that you have seen is very difficult to behold. Even the gods are ever longing to see this form.

Not through the Vedas, austerity, charity, or sacrifice can I be seen in this form, as you have seen Me.

But by single-minded devotion, O Arjuna, I can be known, seen in this way in truth, and even entered into, O scorcher of foes.

One who does work for Me, who regards Me as the supreme goal, who is devoted to Me, free from attachment, and without enmity toward any being—such a one comes to Me, O Pandava.