Chapter 11 Shloka 9

संजय उवाच

एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरि:।

दर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम्।।९।।

Sanjay, speaking to Dhritrashtra, said:

O King, having spoken thus,

Sri Krishna, the supreme Lord of Yoga,

forthwith revealed to Arjuna

His supremely glorious, divine form.

Chapter 11 Shloka 9

संजय उवाच

एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजन्महायोगेश्वरो हरि:।

दर्शयामास पार्थाय परमं रूपमैश्वरम्।।९।।

Sanjay, speaking to Dhritrashtra, said:

O King, having spoken thus, Sri Krishna, the supreme Lord of Yoga, forthwith revealed to Arjuna His supremely glorious, divine form.

You ask how Arjuna could grasp the Lord’s explanation so quickly?

Arjuna’s state

Look Kamla:

a) Arjuna was extremely knowledgeable.

b) He had studied all the Scriptures.

c) He had already acquired knowledge from great sages.

d) He was extremely dutiful and conscientious.

e) He worshipped his mother and his brothers and had given proof of his devotion towards them.

f) He was a great warrior and immensely brave.

g) He was just.

h) He protected even his enemies.

i)  He adhered to dharma in life.

j)  At his elder brother’s behest, he even accepted the injustice meted out to him and consequently had to live in exile in the forest.

k) He was replete with divine attributes and respected his elders.

Seeing all this, it would be wrong on our part to consider Arjuna to be an ordinary person.

Consider the reason for Arjuna’s dilemma and sorrow:

a) Bhishma Pitamah, for whom Arjuna would have even given his life, stood opposed to him in battle.

b) Those whom Arjuna revered as his Gurus stood before him as his enemies.

c) Those relations, for whom he was prepared to do everything possible, stood before him as his enemies.

­­–  They were all siding with injustice.

­­–  They were all siding with the sinners.

­­–  They too, had chosen to sin along with the sinners whom they sided.

Yet Arjuna, who was virtuous, dutiful and respectful, was in doubt. He knew well that those who stood before him were sinners, yet he did not wish to commit any sin himself.

He said to the Lord, “I am filled with moha; I have forgotten my basic nature. I have forgotten the path of shreya or the path of virtue. I seek Thy refuge. I am Thy disciple. Pray grant me Thy guidance.” (Chp.2, shloka 7)

At that moment, Arjuna was devoid of:

a) his pride of courage;

b) pride of being a Kshatriya (a member of the warrior caste);

c) pride of intellect;

d) pride of fortitude;

e) pride of knowledge and its applied practice;

f) pride of action;

g) pride of his own greatness.

Devoid of all pride, he sought the refuge of the Lord:

1. He sought the Lord’s refuge in the name of dharma.

2. He sought the Lord’s refuge in the name of duty.

3. He sought the Lord’s refuge in order to tread the righteous path.

4. He sought the Lord’s refuge in order to establish the Truth in accordance with dharma.

Thus, it was comparatively easy for Arjuna to understand and follow the Lord’s injunctions. At this moment his own ego was also quelled, thus he could understand the Lord’s words. He could therefore renounce the body idea and perceive the point of view of the Lord; for, the veil of his personal body, mind and intellect along with the ego had been lifted and he could see things clearly.