In this spectacular brass figure Lord Vishnu is manifested in his
Vishwarupa as was witnessed by Arjuna. In chapters 10 and 11 of Bhagwat
Gita, Lord Krishna reveals himself as the Supreme Being and finally
displays his Vishvarupa to Arjuna, who was reluctant to fight against
his brothers in the epic battle of Kurukshetra.
In Chapter 10 of Bhagwat Gita, Arjuna was curious to know about various
forms through which Lord is pervading all over. Lord Krishna replies
that, "Of lights He is the radiant sun; of immovable things, He is the
Himalayas; among the stars He is the moon; of purifiers He is the wind;
of the wielders of weapons He is Lord Rama etc. etc."
On Chapter - 11 of Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna to show him the Cosmic Form
of God. Lord Krishna bestows a special “vision” to Arjuna so that he
can see the Divine God in His universal form. Lord Krishna shows His
opulence, hundreds of thousands of varied divine and multicolored forms.
Lord Krishna shows Arjuna, different manifestations of Adityas, Vasus,
Rudras, Asvini-kumaras and all the other demigods. Lord Krishna also
shows in His Universal Form many wonderful things which no one has ever
seen or heard of before. Arjuna saw numerous mouths, eyes, wonderful
visions. The form was decorated with many celestial ornaments and bore
many divine upraised weapons.
He wore celestial garlands and garments,
and many divine scents were smeared over His body. All was wondrous,
brilliant, unlimited, all-expanding.
"If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky,
their radiance might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in
that Universal Form." On seeing such a fierce form, Arjuna was
awe-struck and asks God, “Who are you in this fearful form & what is
Your mission in this form?”
To this query of Arjuna "Lord Sri Krishna says: Time I am (Kala), the
great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all
people. With the exception of you (the Pandavas), all the soldiers here
on both sides will be slain." Arjuna asks Lord Sri Krishna to return to
his “intimate, beautiful form (saumya-rupa)." At Arjuna's request, Lord
Krishna, again displays His real four-armed form and at last shows His
two-armed form, thus encouraging the fearful Arjuna.
