The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

The Cosmic Vision ╯
the battlefield are mortals, and Arjuna sees them slain, burning
in the universal fire. All creatures rush to destruction like
moths into a flame. God’s radiance is both a great light and a
burning fire.
Terrified, Arjuna wants to know the identity of this awesome
God, who bears no resemblance now to the Krishna he
had known as his teacher and friend. In answer to the question,
“Who are you?” Krishna’s reply is the verse (11:32) that burst
into Robert Oppenheimer’s mind when he saw the atomic
bomb explode over Trinity in the summer of 1945: “I am
become Death, the shatterer of worlds. . . .” But the word kala
means not just death but time, which eventually devours all.
Arjuna is brave, and worthy of this vision, for he does not
lose consciousness or completely break down. He praises
Krishna and then asks for forgiveness if during their long
friendship he has ever said or done anything to offend the
Lord through mistaking him for a mere human being. Finally,
the vision is too much for Arjuna. Though he experiences the
deep peace and joy of samadhi, he is terrified at the same time.
He wishes to see the more human face of God.
Krishna grants his desire and returns to his gentle, normal
aspect. He tells Arjuna how very difficult it is to see him in
his exalted form as the Lord of Yoga, the God of gods. Only
pure devotion attains this vision. This theme dominates the
remaining chapters of the Gita: it is devotion that is all-important
on the spiritual quest.
– d.m.
193 ╯