Arjuna, overwhelmed by the divine vision granted to him, bowed before Krishna and spoke with deep reverence, his heart filled with awe. “O Great Soul,” he said, “why should the world not bow to You? You are greater even than Brahmā, the Creator, the original source of all. Infinite Lord of gods, abode of the universe, You are imperishable—the existent, the non-existent, and that which is beyond both.” He continued, his voice trembling with devotion, “You are the ancient God, the primal Person, and the supreme refuge of this universe. You are both the knower and the knowable, the highest abode; by You, O One of infinite forms, all this universe is pervaded. You are Vāyu, Yama, Agni, Varuṇa, the Moon, Prajāpati, and the great-grandfather as well. Salutations to You a thousand times over, again and again, from every direction.” Arjuna bowed low and offered salutations from before and behind, from all sides, acknowledging Krishna as the All, of infinite power and immeasurable valor, who encompasses and is all. With humility, he confessed, “Thinking of You as a friend, I have rashly addressed You as ‘O Krishna, O Yadava, O friend,’ not knowing Your true greatness—whether out of carelessness or affection. If I have ever treated You disrespectfully, in jest, in play, while resting, sitting, eating, alone or in the presence of others, O Infallible One, I beg Your forgiveness for all of it, O Immeasurable One.” Recognizing Krishna’s supreme position, Arjuna declared, “You are the father of this world, of all that moves and does not move. You are its worthy object of worship and the greatest teacher. None is equal to You—how then could there be anyone greater in all the three worlds, O One of incomparable power? Therefore, bowing down and prostrating my body, I seek Your grace, O Lord, worthy of praise. As a father bears with his son, a friend with his friend, or a beloved with the beloved, so should You, O God, bear with me.” Arjuna’s heart was torn between joy and fear. “I am delighted, having seen what was never seen before, yet my mind is troubled with fear. Show me once more Your familiar form, O God; be gracious, O Lord of gods, O abode of the universe. I wish to see You as before, crowned, bearing the mace and discus, in that very four-armed form. O Thousand-armed, O Universal Form, appear in that shape.” Hearing these words, the Blessed Lord Krishna replied with gentle compassion: “Out of grace for you, Arjuna, I have shown you this supreme, radiant, universal, infinite, and original form of Mine, by My own yoga power—a vision never before seen by anyone but you. Not by study of the Vedas, nor by sacrifices, nor by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form in the world of men by anyone but you, O best of the Kurus. Let there be no fear or confusion in you, having seen this terrible form of Mine. With your fear dispelled and your mind pleased, behold again My gentle, familiar form.” As Krishna spoke thus, He resumed His gentle, human-like form. Sanjaya, who witnessed these events, described, “Having thus spoken to Arjuna, Vāsudeva showed His own form again. The great-souled One, assuming His gentle form, comforted the frightened Arjuna.” Relieved, Arjuna said, “Having seen this human form of Yours, gentle, O Janārdana, I am now composed and have returned to my natural state.” Krishna then said, “This form of Mine which you have seen is very difficult to behold; even the gods constantly long to see it. Not by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by charity or sacrifice, can I be seen in this way as you have seen Me. But by undivided devotion alone, O Arjuna, can I be truly known and seen in this form, and entered into, O scorcher of foes. He who acts for Me, regards Me as supreme, is devoted to Me, free from attachment, and without enmity toward any being—he comes to Me, O Pāṇḍava.” With his heart full of questions, Arjuna then asked, “Those devotees who worship You with constant dedication, and those who worship the imperishable, the unmanifest—which of them are better versed in yoga?” The Blessed Lord replied, “Those who, fixing their minds on Me, worship Me ever steadfast, endowed with supreme faith—they are considered by Me to be most united with Me. But those who worship the imperishable, the indefinable, the unmanifest, the all-pervading, the inconceivable, the unchanging, the immovable, the eternal—restraining all the senses, even-minded everywhere, engaged in the welfare of all beings—they too come to Me. Yet, the path of the unmanifest is attained with difficulty by embodied beings.” He continued, “But those who, dedicating all actions to Me, regarding Me as supreme, meditate on Me with exclusive yoga—for them, whose minds are thus absorbed in Me, I swiftly become the deliverer from the ocean of death and rebirth, O Pārtha. Fix your mind on Me alone, place your intellect in Me; thereafter you will dwell in Me alone—of this there is no doubt. If you are unable to fix your mind steadily on Me, then seek to reach Me through the practice of repeated discipline. If you are incapable even of practice, then be one whose actions are dedicated to Me; performing actions for My sake, you will attain perfection. If you are unable to do even this, then, taking refuge in My yoga, renounce the fruits of all actions, being self-controlled.” Krishna then revealed the gradation of spiritual paths: “Knowledge is indeed better than mere practice; meditation is superior to knowledge; renunciation of the fruits of action is superior to meditation—after renunciation, peace follows immediately.” He then described the qualities of the dearest devotees: “He who bears no hatred toward any being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and ego, equal in pleasure and pain, and forgiving—content, ever self-controlled, firm in resolve, with mind and intellect dedicated to Me—such a devotee is dear to Me. He by whom the world is not disturbed and who is not disturbed by the world, who is free from joy, envy, fear, and anxiety—he too is dear to Me. He who expects nothing, is pure, skillful, impartial, free from distress, and who renounces all undertakings—such a devotee is dear to Me. He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who has renounced both good and evil, and is full of devotion—he is dear to Me. He is equal toward enemy and friend, and likewise in honor and dishonor; the same in cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and free from attachment. He is alike in praise and blame, silent, content with whatever comes, without a fixed dwelling, firm in mind, devoted—such a man is dear to Me. But those who worship this immortal dharma as described, with faith, regarding Me as supreme, devoted—they are exceedingly dear to Me.” Moved by Krishna’s words, Arjuna humbly asked, “O Keshava, I wish to know about nature and spirit, the field and the knower of the field, knowledge and what is to be known.