Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya 359

Srimad Bhagavad Gita -Ramanujacharya

Chapter-11 Viśvarūpa Darśana Yogaḥ

dyāvāpṛthivyor idam antaraṃ hi vyāptaṃ tvayaikena diśaśca sarvāḥ | dṛṣṭvādbhutaṃ rūpam idaṃ tavograṃ loka trayaṃ pravyathitaṃ mahātman || 20 || 20. The inter-space between heaven and earth, and all the directions are filled by You alone. Beholding Your spectacular and awesome form, O Mahatman, the three worlds are greatly overwhelmed with apprehension. Commentary The terms, ‘heaven and earth,’ imply all the higher and the lower realms as well. The ‘Antara’, or that which is between heaven and earth, denotes the infinite space in which all the worlds are located. You alone pervade all the space in all directions. ‘Beholding Your spectacular and awesome form,’ — seeing Your Manifestation of infinite length and extent, marvellous and terrible. ‘The three worlds are trembling’ — All the Devas headed by Brahma, the Asuras, the Manes (ancestors), the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, and Rakshasas have all come to see the battle;— all the ‘three realms’ consisting of all these friendly, antagonistic and neutral beings are extremely frightened. ‘Mahātman’ means one whose mind cannot be fathomed. It must be understood that like Arjuna, other celestial beings also were granted clairvoyance by the Lord for directly perceiving the Cosmic Theophany which supports the universe. If it be asked to what end, the reply is that it was for demonstrating to Arjuna His supreme majesty [and His power to affect the entire universe]. Hence it is stated here: ‘Beholding Your marvelous and terrible form, O Mahatman, the three worlds are greatly overwhelmed with fear.’