The Death of Marcus Aurelius

The Death of Marcus Aurelius

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita 42


21. Verily, into You enter these hosts of Devas; some extol You in fear with joined palms; "May it be well!" thus saying, bands of great Rishis and Siddhas praise You with splendid hymns. 

22. The Rudras, Adityas, Vasus, Sâdhyas, Vishva-Devas, the two Ashvins, Maruts, Ushmapâs, and hosts of Gandharvas, Yakshas, Asuras, and Siddhas—all these are looking at You, all quite astounded. 

23. Having seen Your immeasurable Form—with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed, with many arms, thighs and feet, with many stomachs, and fearful with many tusks—the worlds are terrified, and so am I. 

24. On seeing You touching the sky, shining in many a color, with mouths wide open, with large fiery eyes, I am terrified at heart, and find no courage nor peace, O Vishnu. 

25. Having seen Your mouths, fearful with tusks, blazing like Pralaya-fires, I know not the four quarters, nor do I find peace; have mercy, O Lord of the Devas, O Abode of the Universe. 

26-27. All these sons of Dhritarâshtra, with hosts of monarchs, Bhishma, Drona, and Sutaputra, with the warrior chiefs of ours, enter precipitately into Your mouth, terrible with tusks and fearful to behold. Some are found sticking in the interstices of Your teeth, with their heads crushed to powder. 

28. Verily, as the many torrents of rivers flow towards the ocean, so do these heroes in the world of men enter Your fiercely flaming mouths. 

29. As moths precipitately rush into a blazing fire only to perish, even so do these creatures also precipitately rush into Your mouths only to perish. 

30. Swallowing all the worlds on every side with Your flaming mouths, You are licking Your lips. Your fierce rays, filling the whole world with radiance, are burning, O Vishnu! 

31. Tell me who You are, fierce in form. Salutation to You, O Deva Supreme; have mercy. I desire to know You, O Primeval One. I know not indeed Your purpose.

Bhagavad Gita, 11:21-31


 

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