Last time we investigated two of the five theological principles I see expressed in the Gita: (1) God (Vishnu) is the active persona of Brahman, and (2) there is only one God, not only within Hinduism, but traversing all religions.
The third key tenet is that God can and does reappear in human form to restore order when righteousness declines and lawlessness abounds– and of course in the Gita, Krishna is one of these iterations.9 Each incarnation represents “the Supreme Person, the personified Absolute Being, who is the abode of all beings, yet he remains distinct from his creation in power and personality.”10 In brief all such incarnations are of the ‘Divine man.’
Next the Gita offers a vision of God (Krishna) not only in His corporeal form, but also in all His divine majesty.11. The display of Vishnu occurs at Arjuna’s pleading in the eleventh chapter, however, he is first told:
“But you are unable to see me with only this, your own eyes. I [therefore] give divine eyes to you- behold my supremely powerful yoga!”12
So enabled, Arjuna next experiences the diving image:
“Having spoken these words, Krishna, the master of yoga revealed to Arjuna his most exalted, lordly form.
He appeared with infinite number of faces, ornamented by heavenly jewels, displaying unending miracles and the countess weapons of his power. Clothed in the celestial garments and covered with garlands, sweet-smelling with heavenly fragrances, he showed himself as the infinite Lord, the source of all wonders, whose face is everywhere.
If a thousand suns were to rise in the heavens at the same time, the blaze of their light would resemble the splendor of that supreme spirit.
There within the body of the God of gods, Arjuna saw all the manifold forms of the universe united as one.”13
In brief, God is not only unitary, but infinite in dimension, power, and beauty while also everywhere at once seeing all. But He is not only the origin of cosmic creation, but also the source of “time’s deadly destructiveness.”14
The last key theological principle regarding ultimate reality is God’s personal interest in the life of every man and woman. In the Gita, Krishna is Arjuna’s companion, counselor, and teacher, but historically Hindus also see him as “a sweet, but mischievous child, the closest friend, or even as the ultimate lover.”15 Graham Schweig sums it up beautifully:
“Krishna’s call to love, the expression of his divine longing, is a more hidden feature of the text, though it carries the Gita’s most powerful message: the heart of God passionately desires to connect with the hearts of humans.”16
Here at last, we see God not as a distant object of awe and worship, but as our dearest friend.
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9Hindu literature apparently describes nine incarnations of God (or Vishnu) including of course Krishna in the Gita, but also the hero, Rama in the Ramayana, the second heroic epic of ancient India (the first being the Mahabharata). Some adherents add a tenth incarnation as Buddha, and an eleventh as Jesus.
10 Magill, Frank N. and McGreal, Ian P. (editors), Masterpieces of World Philosophy. HarperCollinsPublishers, 1990. ISBN 0-06-270051-0, page 9.
11Unlike the Bible or the Koran where God is only heard and never seen.
12Schweig, Graham M. (translator), Bhagavad Gita. HarperOne, New York, 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-199730-3, page 153 (Bhagavad Gita 11:8).
13Easwaran, Eknath (translator) The Bhagavad Gita. Nilgiri Press, California., 2007. ISBN 978-1-58638-019-9, page 195 (Bhagavad Gita 11: 9-13).
14Miller, Barbara Stoler (translator), The Bhagavad Gita, Quality Paperback Book Club, New York, 1998. Page 10.
15Schweig, Graham M. (translator), Bhagavad Gita. HarperOne, New York, 2007. ISBN 978-0-06-199730-3, page 5.
16Ibid., page 6.
