Slokam 2

Hiranyakshipu had requested the boon that he should not be killed by any man or beast.  So the Paramathma assumes the form of half man and half lion.  Since no one could have possibly visualized such a form, Hirnyakshipu is perplexed out of his wits.  The Paramathma emerges in this form from the pillar and grows to an enormous size.  He has white brilliant terrifying manes.

When our ignorance is broken,  we see the Paramathma everywhere and in every form that we perceive.  Not only do we see the Paramathma in the objects of perception, we also see Him as the perceiver of these objects, which is Himself. When this happens, we will be totally liberated.

Hiranyakshipu being tied down in his own perception of superiority,  does not realize that the Paramathma has infinite manifestations, each of which is unique and infinite.  He is not prepared to fight with a form that he does not understand.  Yet this form had to be taken by the Paramathma only because Hiranyakashipu had himself, unwittingly, requested it.  Hiranyakashipu assumed that the Paramathma was a man, like himself.  He did not realize that the Paramathma could assume limitless forms, shapes and sizes.  If he had known this, he would have tried to think of some more exclusions, in the boon that he received.

Like Hiranyakashipu we have created certain assumptions about the form,  size,  shape and attributes of the Paramathma,  which are infact infinite. We cannot possibly visualize the true form that the Paramathma displays to Arjuna on the Kurukshetra battlefield.  The form is immense and scares even Arjuna into pleading for restoration to the earlier “normal” form.  The Paramathma, shows that He isar greater than all of the armies combined.   He also shows Arjuna as to what is going to happen to the Kauravas,  and that the Paramathma has already destroyed them.  It is after realizing who Sri Krishna really is,  the Arjuna feels confidant to take on the battle with the Kauravas.

May we take inspiration from the scriptures and feel assured that the limitless capabilities of the Paramathma is there to protect those that pursue the spiritual path.