Concept
Vishvarupa
Overview
Vishvarupa (Sanskrit: विश्वरूप, romanized: Viśvarūpa, lit. 'universal form'), also spelt as Vishwaroopa and known as Virāḍrūpa, is an iconographical form and theophany of Hindu deity Vishnu in contemporary Hinduism. Though there are multiple Vishvarupa theophanies, the most celebrated is in the Bhagavad Gita, given by Krishna in the epic Mahabharata, which was shown to Pandava prince Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the war between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Vishvarupa is considered the supreme form of Vishnu, where the whole universe is described as contained within him.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Seleucus, that the world knows no limits. Diogenes, that the universe is infinite, but this world is finite. The Stoics make a difference between that which is called the universe, and that which is called the whole world;--the universe is the infinite space considered with the vacuum, the vacuity being removed gives the right conception of the world; so that the universe and the world are not the same thing. The…
Plutarch, Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3
States what Vishvarupa is.
Then change and motion begin and all this evolution goes on. This state of things is going on cyclically, periodically; that is to say, there is a period of disturbance of the balance, when all these forces begin to combine and recombine, and this universe is projected; and…
Swami Vivekananda, Jnâna Yoga, Part II
States what Vishvarupa is.
On that account God is called, in the sacred language, ḥe ha-ʻolamim, “the life of the Universe,” as will be explained (chap. lxxii.). The same argument holds good in reference to all final causes. If you assign to a thing a certain purpose, you can find for that purpose another purpose.
Moses Maimonides, The guide for the perplexed
States what Vishvarupa is.
Related ideas
- Arjuna
- Bhagavata Purana
- Hinduism
- Vedas
- Mumbai
- Vishnu
- Rama
- Mahabharata
- Rūpa
- Brahman
- Brahma
- Bhagavad Gita
- Pandava
- Brahmin
- Purusha
- Shiva
- Universe
- Puranas
- The Buddha
- Yoga
- Rigveda
- Krishna
- Gujarat
- Maitrayaniya Upanishad
Place in the tradition
Part of Monotheism.