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Chapter 11
Appendix:—Arjuna being non-plussed, humbly sought the Lord's pardon for his past misbehaviour- `tatksamaye tvamahamaprameyam' (11/42), so here the Lord says, "I may appear either in My serene form or frightening form, after all I am your friend. You were terrified, it was your delusion, it was a lack in friendship. All that is seen is My pastime. What is there to be terrified? In friendship, who is the high and who is the low."
God has revealed Himself in the form of the universe, therefore this universe is said to be the first incarnation at the beginning of the creation-`adyo'vatarah purnsah paraaya' (Srimadbha. 216/41). As God has incarnated Himself as Rama and Krsna, so has He incarnated Himself as the universe. It has been called incarnation because in it God is objectively seen. At the time of incarnation though He seems to be worldly, yet He remains unworldly (divine) (Gita 4/6). But He seems to be earthly to the ignorant people because of their own attachment and aversion (Gita 7/24-25, 9/11).
It is God's will whether He reveals Himself in serene form or terrific form. If the scene is beautiful, where flowers are blooming and the atmosphere is full of fragrance, that is also the manifestation of God; and on the other hand if there is the scene where flesh, bones and waste matter are lying and that garbage is giving out stench—that is also the manifestation of God. There is nothing else besides God. God revealed Himself as Rama and Krsna and He also revealed Himself as a fish, a tortoise and a wild boar. He may assume any form but He is certainly God. Whatever person or object is seen, that is the form of God and whatever action takes place, that is His pastime. If any person commits a sin or does injustice to other, it means that He is staging the human drama of Kali age. He plays according to the semblance he assumes.[1] If He assumes the form of an idol (arcavatara), He like an idol, acts by remaining immovable. It is not befitting for Him to perform an action as an idol but it is proper for Him not to perform any action, otherwise how will He remain an incarnation in the form of an idol? While assuming the form of a wild boar, He acts like a wild boar and when He incarnates as a man, He acts (behaves) like a man.[2] He may assume any form and may act accordingly but it does not affect devotees' hearts because they hold that there neither is, nor was, nor will be nor can be any other entity besides God.
The universe which we (the worldly people) see is not the cosmic form of God because the cosmic form is divine and imperishable while the universe which we see is material and perishable. As we see the material Vrindavana but within it don't see the divine Vrindavana, similarly we see the material (physical) universe, but within it the divine universe (cosmic form) is not seen to us. It's reason is the desire for pleasure. It is because of this desire for pleasure that inertness, materialism and impurity have prevailed in the universe. It is because of the desire for pleasure that there is attraction for the world. If this attraction is wiped out, then the whole world is divine cosmic form only.
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