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Spectacular Explosion on the Sun - Vishwarūpa - the Lord's Cosmic Form

June 16, 2011

The Popular Science website had an amazing video a few days ago. This reminded me of Geeta 11-12, Sañjaya's description of the Lord's vishwaroopa darṣanam - vision of the Lord's cosmic form.

दिवि सूर्यसहस्रस्य भवेद्युगपदुत्थिता
यदि भाः सदृशी सा स्याद्भासस्तस्य महात्मनः ||११-१२||

divi suuryasahasrasya bhavedyugapadutthitaa .
yadi bhaaH sadR^ishii saa syaadbhaasastasya mahaatmanaH .. 11-12..


If the splendour of a thousand Suns was to blaze all at once (simultaneously) in the sky, that would be like the splendour of that Mighty Being (great soul)..11-12

The splendour of the Lord being described in this manner is a common motif in hindu prayer. It occurs in the common invocation Gaṇeṣā, वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटी समप्रभ (vakratuNDa mahaakaaya sUryakoTI samaprabha), referring to Gaṇeṣā's brilliance being equivalent to a million suns; likewise, we praise Lord Ṣiva in the Lingaśṭakaṁ as दिनकर कोटी प्रभाकर लिंगं (dinakara koTI prabhaakara lingam), again one whose brilliance is equivalent to that of a million suns.

The video below will quite spectacularly demonstrate the aptness of the metaphor. See it in HD if you have the bandwidth and a good monitor.



How much more splendorous must be the Lord behind all this. I am aware that to the scientist, God doesn't enter the picture, this is simply a natural phenomenon. Of course, the Geeta itself makes clear that you cannot separate the Lord from His (or Her) Creation. The Lord is Creation. So, indeed you can easily say, Behold the Lord as the Sun!

Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post.

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