The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

chapter eleven
╭ The Cosmic Vision
T his is the most exalted chapter of the
entire Gita, for here Arjuna sees the divine vision of Krishna
in his full nature as God himself, Lord of the Universe. It is
difficult to see at first why the ultimate spiritual vision should
be granted to Arjuna at this point. We must remember that
Krishna and Arjuna have been companions for many lives.
Yet at the opening of the Gita, Arjuna is a warrior, little concerned
with mystic visions. Step by step Krishna has led him
to an understanding of the real purpose of his life – to know
who he is and to know also who Krishna is. In the last chapter,
Krishna had reached the point where he was willing to reveal
to Arjuna the manifestations of divine power. Arjuna had not
only asked about those powers, but had even wanted to know
in which forms he might meditate on Krishna – the first time
Arjuna had spoken of contemplation.
Now, in chapter 11, Arjuna asks to see Krishna as He really
is. His desire is granted, and in essence the rest of the chapter
describes Arjuna’s samadhi. Samadhi is the word used by
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