Chapter 11 | Bhagavad Gita Class

BHAGAVAD GITA CHAPTER 11

Vishvaroop Darshan Yog (The Yoga of the Vision of the Lord's Universal Form)

The chapter 11 study classes will cover:

•How can we see God? A study of the life of Swami Vivekananda and how Ramakrishna Parahams taught Him how to see God.

•There are five main subjects in this chapter. First, in the first four verses of this chapter, Arjuna makes a request to the Supreme Soul to show him the Supreme Soul’s Universal Form. Second, the Supreme Soul gives Arjuna a Divine Vision in the eighth verse of this chapter. Third is the Vishvaoop Darshan (Divine Vision of the Supreme Soul’s Universal Form). Fourth is the description of the Vishvaroop (Universal Form) and a stuti (hymn of praise) of it. And then at the very end there is the Phala shruti (closing prayers).

•The greatest mystery in the field of spirituality: "The Supreme Soul cannot be found without efforts. When the individual does not make efforts then the individual does not find the Supreme Soul. However the moment when the individual finds the Supreme Soul then the individual says that "it is the Lord's grace that I have seen the Lord. I have not done anything" Yet one still cannot go without efforts".

•Why Arjuna’s bewilderment went away in the first verse of this chapter.

•A study of the 33 main forms of the Supreme Soul that are the 12 Ādityas, the 8 Vāsus, the 11 Rudras and the 2 Ashvins.

•How to see God with the Divine Eye: the difference between seeing physically and seeing with the intellect.

•A study of three people who attained the Supreme Experience in the last 2500 years: Lord Māhāvir, Lord Buddha and Shrimad Adi Shankrāchārya.

•The five things that are there in the Vishvaroop (Universal Form) of God: Aishwarya (glory), Anekatā (endlessness), Prakāsh (radiance), Ektā (oneness) and Vismay (wonder).

•Why Indians have been worshippers of light from the beginning. Why light is a form of the Supreme Soul. A study of the Navras mantra in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad.

•Why the Supreme Soul is described as Shaashvadharmagoptā (“the guardian of the eternal law”). The Sanathan Vedic Dharma that has been running for an infinite amount of time and will keep running for an infinite amount of time. A study of a Saint who protected hundreds of thousands of cows.

•The two forms of the Supreme Soul described in all religions: the ugrasvaroop (the terrible form) and the somyasvaroop (the beautiful form). A study of the Pushti Mārg (the Path of Grace) and the beautiful form of Bal Krushna (the child form of Shree Krushna). A study of the form of Māhākāli (the Supreme Mother Goddess of power).

•A study of the different fears people have. If you look at the majority of people in this world then the majority of people are scared. Fear is a basic instinct. Each and every one of us has one type of fear or the other. Who is that fear of? It is of this world.

•The different perspectives with which to view the world: charma drashti (the physical eye), bhog drashti (the material eye), vivek drashti (the discretion eye), bhāv drashti (feeling eye).

•Why God is time and that is why people should not criticise time nor should they make wrong use of time. A study of the Charpat Panjārikā Stotra and Bhaja Govindam of Shrimad Adi Shankracharya.

•There are some verses in the Gita on whose support Saints are living and these are guiding forces in their lives. One of them is the 33rd verse of the 11th chapter. God has already finished the work a long time ago. Everything that had been done has already been done by the Supreme Soul a long time ago. Now Arjuna only has to become the occasion.

•The stuti (prayer in praise) chanted by Arjuna to the Supreme Soul that has become a mantra to give one courage. Why a person who is feeling scared is recommended to chant this mantra. If there is any type of fear, difficult circumstances arise at any time, it feels as if all the circumstances are against us, we feel alone that the whole world is on one side and you alone are on the other side and your courage is breaking then if you have faith in Shree Krushna's words then is recommended to perform jap (name chanting) of this mantra. You will not be alone; the Supreme Soul is blessings will be with you.

•The sense of gratitude of Arjuna, his feelings of intense love and his appeal for forgiveness.

•Why Great Saints are completely transparent and it feels like they are one of you. Maybe at some point walls have been created from the perspective of the ordinary person because the ordinary person has an inferiority complex such that "we are ordinary and He is such a wise and knowledgeable great personality" but when the great personality finds out that this is in our mind then He makes efforts Himself and breaks those walls. He makes the other person very comfortable. This is His uniqueness.

•Who is a Guru? One who gives human beings wisdom of both daily-life and spirituality is a Guru. One who makes people empty is not a Guru. One who just teaches people to chant mantras and leave their work and their homes is not a Guru. One who teaches people how to fulfil their daily activities and how to live their lives, and at the same time teaches them spirituality, how they can achieve the grace of their soul and true Dharma is a Guru. And Dharma is “That which gives grace to one in this world and also in the world beyond”.

•The sutra (formula) for bhakti (devotion) in the 55th verse of the 11th chapter.

You can watch all of the chapter 11 videos by clicking on the below links next to the verse numbers.

Chapter 11 introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOgaJ88JwwM

Chapter 11 verse 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ74qIyq4X4

Chapter 11 verse 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPnzFtjS2gM

Chapter 11 verse 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iQ7JZeW2gc

Chapter 11 verses 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGphOZGtGLE

Chapter 11 verse 5: http://youtu.be/o2E1BYdKQew

Chapter 11 verse 6: http://youtu.be/cD0-Cx0BEa8

Chapter 11 verse 7: http://youtu.be/3Lg6vH-Z2po

Chapter 11 verse 8: http://youtu.be/y5UAv7Nry60

Chapter 11 verse 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU6VgjS8KZ0