18.77 — Remembering the Viśvarūpa

तच्च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं हरेः ।
विस्मयो मे महान् राजन् हृष्यामि च पुनः पुनः ॥ १८.७७ ॥
tac ca saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya rūpam atyadbhutaṁ hareḥ |
vismayo me mahān rājan hṛṣyāmi ca punaḥ punaḥ || 18.77 ||

Notice the beautiful distinction.
18.76: saṁvādam saṁsmṛtya — remembering the teaching.
18.77: rūpam saṁsmṛtya — remembering the universal form.
The first naturally lends itself to jñāna-dṛṣṭi.
The second naturally lends itself to Īśvara-dṛṣṭi.

What is the Vision of Viśvarūpa?
The viśvarūpa is not merely a gigantic divine form appearing somewhere within the universe.
Its profound teaching value is: The universe itself is the manifestation of Īśvara.

Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa has already unfolded Himself as the source, sustenance and resolution of
the universe.

Vedānta speaks of Īśvara as:  abhinna-nimitta-upādāna-kāraṇam —
the intelligent and material cause of the universe, non-separate from the effect.
If the material cause is Īśvara, where can one find something outside Īśvara?
The wave cannot step outside water.
The ornament cannot step outside gold.
The pot cannot step outside clay.
Likewise, the jagat cannot stand independently outside its cause.
Therefore the contemplative vision becomes:
ईश्वरात् अन्यत् किञ्चिदपि नास्ति ।
īśvarāt anyat kiñcid api nāsti.
There is nothing whatsoever apart from Īśvara.

The Prepared Bhakta’s Open-Eyed Vision
This is where karma-yoga and upāsanā acquire extraordinary significance.

Karma-yoga → citta-śuddhi.
Upāsanā → citta-ekāgratā.

Upon such preparation, the understanding of Īśvara as abhinna-nimitta-upādāna-kāraṇa
transforms one’s relationship with the world.
Previously: jagat = objects available for rāga and dveṣa.
Now: jagat = Īśvara’s manifestation.
The same world remains.
The dṛṣṭi changes.
The sun is Īśvara.
The earth is Īśvara.
The body is Īśvara.
The senses are Īśvara.
The other person is within Īśvara.
Every law sustaining the universe is Īśvara.

There is nowhere outside the order of Īśvara from which the individual can stand apart and
confront Him.
Hence: īśvarāt anyat kiñcid api nāsti.
This is the extraordinary devotional value of viśvarūpa-darśanam.

“I Close My Eyes; I Open My Eyes”
We can now bring the two verses into one contemplative vision.
When the attention resolves from nāma-rūpa:
ātmanaḥ anyat kiñcid api nāsti.
There is nothing apart from Ātmā.
This is the direction of Brahma-vidyā.
When the eyes open upon nāma-rūpa:
īśvarāt anyat kiñcid api nāsti.
There is nothing in the manifest universe apart from Īśvara.
This is viśvarūpa-dṛṣṭi.
Thus, poetically:
Eyes closed — Ātmā alone.
Eyes open — Īśvara everywhere.
But Advaita takes us one decisive step further.
These cannot finally remain two visions of two realities.

From Īśvara-dṛṣṭi to Brahma-dṛṣṭi
If the open-eyed vision is: sarvam Īśvaraḥ — all this is Īśvara,
and the teaching reveals: Ātmā is Brahman,
then the culmination is not: Ātmā here; Īśvara there.

The very truth of jīva, jagat and Īśvara is one non-dual Brahman.

We can therefore see a beautiful progression:
jagat-dṛṣṭi
“I see an independently existing world.”
↓
Īśvara-dṛṣṭi
“I see the world as non-separate from its cause, Īśvara.”
↓
Brahma-dṛṣṭi
“Neither cause nor effect establishes a second reality apart from Brahman.”
This is where the two remembrances finally meet.

Dṛśyam and Brahman — One Important Refinement
The expression “When the dṛśyam ends, it is Brahman” is evocative, but Vedāntically it can
be sharpened.
Brahman does not become available only when dṛśyam disappears.
Even while dṛśyam is present:
Brahman alone is its satyam.
Therefore:
dṛśyam asti → Brahman alone is its reality.
dṛśyam nāsti → Brahman remains self-evident.
The presence of an appearance does not compromise Advaita.
Just as the presence of ornaments does not compromise the fact:
sarvam suvarṇam — all is gold.
Thus one need not wait for the world to disappear in order to discover Brahman.
This is the magnificence of the teaching.

Why Does Sañjaya Rejoice Again and Again?
Now saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya becomes extraordinarily meaningful.
In 18.76:
He remembers the saṁvāda.
The teaching that removes ignorance.
ātmanaḥ anyat kiñcid api nāsti.
And:
hṛṣyāmi muhur muhuḥ.
In 18.77:
He remembers the viśvarūpa.
The universe as the manifestation of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.
īśvarāt anyat kiñcid api nāsti.
And:
hṛṣyāmi punaḥ punaḥ.

Two Remembrances — One Culmination

And Advaita resolves even this apparent duality:
Ātmā is not other than Brahman.
Īśvara’s essential reality is not other than Brahman.
Jagat has no independent existence apart from Brahman.
Therefore the culmination is not merely: “When I close my eyes, Brahman.”
Nor merely: “When I open my eyes, Īśvara.”
It matures into: Whether the eyes are open or closed, there is no second reality.
The difference lies only in the standpoint.
With nāma-rūpa manifest: Īśvara-dṛṣṭi.
In the knowledge of their essential reality: Brahma-dṛṣṭi.