The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form

Arjuna uses a powerful comparison to describe the cosmic form consuming warriors. 'Yathā nadīnāṁ bahavo 'mbu-vegāḥ'—just as (yathā) many (bahavaḥ) rivers (nadīnām) with fast currents (ambu-vegāḥ). 'Samudram evābhimukhā dravanti'—flow (dravanti) toward (abhimukhāḥ) the ocean (samudram), indeed (eva). 'Tathā tavāmī nara-loka-vīrāḥ'—so also (tathā), these (amī) heroes of the human world (nara-loka-vīrāḥ) of Yours (tava). 'Viśanti vaktrāṇy abhivijvalanti'—enter (viśanti) Your blazing (abhivijvalanti) mouths (vaktrāṇi). Arjuna compares warriors rushing into the cosmic form to rivers flowing into the ocean—inevitable, natural, unstoppable. The cosmic form is like an ocean consuming all rivers, its mouths blazing like fire. This comparison shows the inevitability and naturalness of the cosmic process—everything flows toward the cosmic form, just as rivers flow toward the ocean.