Gītā 10-12

04/14/2026 · Tue/Thu 10:30-11:45 AM · Brad Bannon · Boston College

📄 Synopsis

The class session focused on the concept of līlā (divine play) and the pivotal theophany in Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad-Gītā. Moving away from a traditional lecture format, the instructor engaged students in a creative 'play' session using clay to sculpt representations of key theological concepts, including the chariot allegory from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, the Narasiṃha Avatāra, and the concept of Iṣṭa-devatā. The discussion centered on the Viśvarūpa—Krishna’s revelation of his universal form to Arjuna. Brad emphasized that this revelation is an act of grace, requiring a 'divine eye' because the human eye cannot process the infinite nature of the divine. The session also touched upon the dual nature of grace: the grace of revelation and the grace of concealment, as Arjuna becomes overwhelmed by the vision and requests Krishna return to his familiar human form. Comparisons were briefly made to Christian theophany, specifically the Transfiguration in the Gospel of Mark, and other Hindu narratives like Krishna’s mother, Yaśodā, seeing the universe in his mouth.

⚡ Key Takeaways

Līlā, or divine play, is not merely a concept but a practice that can be integrated into the study of theology to foster engagement and creativity.
A theophany is a manifestation or self-revelation of God, such as Krishna's universal form in Chapter 11 or the Transfiguration of Jesus in Mark 9.
An Avatāra is defined as a 'descent' of the divine into bodily form, which differs from the concept of incarnation where a non-bodily entity enters a body.
In the Bhagavad-Gītā, Krishna grants Arjuna a 'divine eye' to perceive the Viśvarūpa, as human senses are insufficient to process the totality of the divine.
Grace is a free gift from the divine, manifesting both in the revelation of the universal form and in the subsequent concealment of that form when it becomes overwhelming.
The Viśvarūpa represents the divine as the form of the universe, including the infinite matter and energy of right now, but also infinite in terms of past, present, and future.
Iṣṭa-devatā refers to the form of the divine that is most conducive to an individual's reception, illustrating that God can appear in the specific form a person needs.
The chariot allegory from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad remains a foundational tool for understanding, used as a creative prompt in this session.
Theological understanding often requires moving beyond literal seeing to an internal or symbolic perception, often described as the 'divine eye.'
Advaita theology suggests that while God may manifest in every form, the divine is ultimately beyond all forms.

🎤 Transcript Tap any timestamp to jump the audio player

0:01

Opening Transition and Breath Meditation

Brad

Howdy.

Brad

Let's take a moment to transition.

Brad

Let's take a breath together. Go ahead and breathe in and out. Word? Word.

1:15

Administrative Notes and Registration Updates

Brad

I know Anna has a pick today for registration.

Brad

Anybody else have registration during this class? No problem. So just go for it. So just those two. Hi.

Brad

I just pulled all my hair out last night. It's that time of the semester.

1:34

Introduction to Līlā and Play-Based Learning

Brad

So I want to do something different today. I always like to do things different because I get bored really easily.

Brad

So, and you know, I've been trying to teach you about Līlā.

Brad

So I think one of the best ways to teach about Līlā is to practice it.

Brad

So let's have some play today. Yeah.

Brad

So I thought we'd have a little, I don't know, little competition.

Brad

I don't know, just a little fun stuff.

Brad

Yeah, let's go.

Brad

I know. And so we'll have a few rounds.

Brad

And all gonna be team-based teamwork.

Brad

So I think I haven't quite entirely planned out round 2, but I think I got enough to go on for round 1. So for round 1, we're gonna do some sculpting with some clay.

Brad

So I'm gonna use some Play-Doh and make some sculpting.

Brad

And as you know, I don't like to be the judge.

Brad

I'm not going to judge.

Brad

I'm not—

Brad

it's like, yeah, the whole grading thing is already way too much judging for me. So I'm not going to do the judging.

Brad

But I was thinking it might be fun if we had each team gets—

Brad

should it be each team or each person gets—

Brad

each team? Each team gets a vote.

Brad

And so each team gets a vote, but you cannot vote for your team.

Brad

So you got to put your—

Brad

my team number or our team number is and then we're voting for whatever this thing. Does that seem fair?

Brad

So then that way we should kind of survivor style.

Brad

And while we're doing that, I think we can probably multitask on multiple things.

Brad

So while we're doing that, we'll also do the—

Brad

Tumbling Tower game.

Student

Yeah.

Brad

So yeah. And then we'll do round 2 after that.

Brad

Anybody know the game Monikers?

Brad

Anybody played Monikers?

Brad

It's cool.

Brad

It's really easy.

Brad

So I'll finish planning that portion, and we'll dive into it.

Brad

I did have some other things to do. I mean, I think that the most important thing from this unit of chapters is a couple of things. One is, you know, you've got an opportunity to talk about these chapters in your podcast.

Brad

So, you know, that's why we won't do too much of it today. You know, I mean, we're not really going to talk about the Gītā explicitly today, not these chapters explicitly today. But, you know, if you're prepared for your discussion leader and that kind of stuff, then, you know, bring those things, bring those commentaries, bring the things that you found, bring that into your podcast discussion, right? So use that as extra prep for the podcast discussion. ⚠

Brad

The other thing is I already kind of gave my lecture on Chapter 11, so the main big important things— I mean, Chapter 11 is, I mean, it's definitely the most important chapter after Chapter 2.

4:53

Lecture on Theophany and Divine Manifestation

Brad

So Chapter 2 is kind of, you know, the summary of the entire thing. And then chapter 11, of course, is the big Theophany.

Brad

So that's, yeah, going to be one of the words of the day.

Brad

Theophany. Do you know what Theophany means? Have I given the word Theophany before?

Brad

So anybody?

Brad

So Theophany, theo meaning God, and like manifestation. So that phany means like appearance. ⚠

Brad

So the appearance of God or the Yeah, where God's self-revealing, right?

Brad

God revealing Godself. So we've seen this a few times.

Brad

We saw it in Mark chapter 9, right, with what's called the Transfiguration where, you know, Jesus reveals himself or manifests himself. That's usually referred to as a Theophany.

Brad

I mean, it's frequent.

Brad

It is usually referred to as a Theophany.

Brad

And we saw it in Yaśodā is Krishna's mom, right?

Brad

And so when Krishna ate the mud, right, and then Yaśodā looks inside of his mouth— I mean, all of them look inside of his mouth and see the entire universe there. So that's another Theophany.

Brad

So he was just a little kid, right, and then all of a sudden he's, right, got the universe in his mouth, including even Yaśodā and all those kind of folks, right?

Brad

So another Theophany. Here in chapter 11, we have a big Theophany, which I've shown lots of pictures of before, right?

Brad

So you've got Krishna reveals himself as the universe and the form of the universe.

Brad

And yeah, and I've got another one that I want to show you some pictures of today, but we'll do that a little later.

Brad

So let's start round 1.

6:45

Review of Avatāra, Grace, and Iṣṭa-devatā

Brad

So you'll grab some Play-Doh and let's do, let's do 3.

Brad

We're going to have 3 sculptures. And so I guess each team will have 3.

Brad

No, each team will have 3 votes.

Brad

Yeah, we'll vote for each category.

Brad

Right. The best one in this category. Best one in this category. Best one in this category.

Brad

And you can't vote for your own team. That'll work. Open to ideas about rules and things like that.

Brad

So the 3 things, one will be the category 1, the chariots allegory.

Brad

From the Kaṭha Upaniṣad.

Brad

I might have given you that one before, but worth doing again. Always worth reminding that one. The other one, sure. Let's do— ⚠

Brad

My lecture last Tuesday, Narasiṃha Avatāra.

Brad

And then lastly, from my lecture last Tuesday, Iṣṭa-devatā.

Brad

I have no freaking idea how you would do that in Plato.

Student

Zero idea. No idea at all.

Brad

These two, I mean, yeah.

Student

Do those, right?

Brad

Cool. You need a refresher on the chariot allegory? You remember the chariot allegory? And you may need a refresher on Narasiṃha, Avatāra.

Brad

A couple of people are saying yeah.

Brad

So that's the story I told last Tuesday. So what's an Avatāra?

Brad

What does Avatāra mean?

Brad

We were talking about chapter 3 of the Gita, yeah?

Brad

Isn't it like a reincarnation of Vishnu?

Brad

So I wouldn't use the word reincarnation, but it's not totally wrong.

Brad

But yeah, Avatāra means descent. So descent.

Brad

So the difference between incarnation— so the incarnation is something has to be in the body, right? So then you're referring to the thing that's not the body. Whereas an Avatāra is a descent in bodily form, right?

Brad

So the body and everything about it is divine, right? So does that make sense?

Brad

So yeah, so the descent of— but you're definitely right— of vishnu, right? So you've got these 10 avatars of vishnu. This is one of them. And nara means man or person.

Brad

And simha means lion.

Brad

That's right.

Brad

So the Narasiṃha. And then Iṣṭa-devatā, we remember? ⚠

Brad

What is Iṣṭa-devatā? Also one of the lectures last week.

Brad

Okay, so Iṣṭa-devatā means that— so the idea of Chapter 11 is the graceful Theophany or revelation of God.

Brad

So God reveals God's self to Arjuna here on the battlefield.

Brad

Arjuna says, hey, I know that you say that you're God, but you look like my cousin.

Brad

And we were born together, and we've been playing together, and we learned to do archery together, and all that kind of stuff.

Brad

And he's like, but I also know that on some level, you're God.

Brad

So can you show me that divine form?

Brad

And what does Krishna say?

Brad

This is from the chapter today. What does Krishna say?

Brad

I mean, he says yes, but more than that.

Student

Yeah, yeah.

Student

He's like, your human eyes could not— basically, I couldn't see this. So he gives him a divine eye.

Brad

Yep. So he gives him a divine eye so he can see it.

Brad

So it's not a literal seeing, but some sort of internal seeing or some sort of symbolic seeing or metaphor.

Brad

Requires a divine eye.

Student

Yeah.

Brad

And what else?

Brad

And it's an act of grace.

Brad

Right? So this is another thing that I emphasized last week. It's an act of grace.

Brad

What does grace mean? Grace is like, don't look at me.

Brad

What does grace mean?

Brad

I did give a lecture on this last Tuesday, right?

Brad

Sit up here with a whole written lecture and give you notes and all that kind of stuff. Yeah, I thought so. ⚠

Brad

They're saying we need to give more quizzes and tests at Boston College.

Brad

I'm starting to see their point.

Brad

So it's an act of grace, right? So grace is a gift. It's a free gift. You give it.

Brad

Free gift, right?

Brad

And so as an act of grace, as a— so Arjuna says, please let me see your divine form. And Krishna, as an act of grace, reveals his universal form, and for which he needs a divine eye, right? So he gives him the divine eye first, and then he reveals this universal form. So it's not visible to the other people on the battlefield. ⚠

Brad

It's something he's seeing in his head.

Brad

It's something he's seeing in his heart. It's something he's seeing or the divine eye, right? Whatever that means.

Student

But the other people don't have that divine eye, so they're not seeing it.

Brad

And it's an act of grace, right? So he's showing— Krishna is showing his universal form, his Viśvarūpa.

Brad

Viśvarūpa.

Brad

Rupa means form. We've studied this quite a bit, right?

Brad

With the name and form, and everything is just a transformation of name and form. Seen that numerous times, but we see it particularly in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, right, with Śvetaketu and his father Uddālaka, and he says, "Tat tvam asi," "Thou art that," right? So in the Mahabharata, where they play with Plato, the whole reason we've been playing with Plato. ⚠

Brad

So the form, but here the form is the form of the universe, right? So he reveals himself as the form of the universe and not just the temporal universe, not just the current universe, like the infinite matter and energy of right now, but also infinite in terms of past, present, and future, right?

Brad

And what happens to Arjuna when he sees this, when he receives this active, when he receives this Theophany?

Brad

Yeah, Logan?

Student

Is he almost overwhelmed?

Brad

Completely overwhelmed. I mean, at first he's like, well, this is pretty cool, but very quickly he gets overwhelmed and he's like, bro, please stop, right?

Brad

And then so what does Krishna do?

Student

Yeah.

Student

Well, he asked him to go back to his human form.

Brad

So then, and is that exactly right? So he asked him, please reveal your universal form, and then he does, and then he says, please stop, go back to your regular form. Form, right? Because I can't, I can't process it, I can't take it, it's overwhelming, right? And he starts to lose his balance, he starts to lose— ⚠

Brad

like, his knees get weak and all that kind of stuff, right?

Brad

So first, as an act of grace, he reveals the universal form, and then as an act of grace, he appears. Um, it's still a Theophany, but he appears, you know, again as his, you know, let's just say as his cousin. ⚠

Brad

Right?

Brad

So he appears as a— so both of these are acts of grace, right?

Brad

One is to reveal himself as the divine in this divine form, but then the second act of grace is to conceal that same divine form because it's too much, right?

Brad

So then if one of the points I tried to make last Tuesday was that if God has any form, then God has every form, right? But also, for Advaita, God is beyond all forms, right?

Brad

So, not just all forms, not just the universe, but beyond that, right? Beyond, more than that.

Brad

So, if God has any form, then God has every form, and therefore, what form, in an act of grace, what form would God reveal Godself to John Gere, whatever way is most right. ⚠

Brad

The most gracious way would be to reveal Godself to John Gere in the way, you know, you're most conducive to receive that.

Brad

That makes sense?

Student

Yeah?

Brad

So, you know, whether that's in the form of Sarasvatī, whether that's in the form of Gaṇeśa, that's form of whether that's in the form of Jesus, whether that's in the form of whatever, right? So as an act of grace, God reveals Godself.

Brad

So that's what Iṣṭa-devatā is, right?

Brad

And I showed that quote by Ramayana.

Brad

I told the story about how I wanted to curl up on the couch with him and listen to stories about the Gita.

Brad

You remember that part, right?

Brad

So he gives this definition of Iṣṭa-devatā that it's an act of grace that God reveals Godself in the way that most conducive to you receive that form. How are you going to represent that in clay and Play-Doh?

Brad

Well, that's, I guess, what will decide the winning team, right?

Student

Yeah.

Brad

So, good?

Brad

Go for it.

16:48

Interactive Sculpting Activity: Chariot Allegory and Narasiṃha

Brad

Grab some Play-Doh and let's go.

Brad

And then I guess I'll also set up the tumbling tower and we'll do that.

Student

That's a wheel.

Brad

I feel like this isn't a lot of Play-Doh.

Student

Someone like ate it.

Student

All three.

Student

Yes, but we can do them together.

Brad

What's our topic?

Student

I need a little hors d'oeuvre.

Brad

So can you make a mini chariot?

Student

Yeah, I'll try it.

Student

Wait, can I make it flat?

Student

That doesn't help the stand, right?

Student

I think we need to hold this. ⚠

Student

I want you to like actually push it on my— ⚠

Student

Yeah, make a—

Brad

I feel like this is more—

Student

Is that the cherry?

Student

The wheel?

Student

Bro, actually it's going to be like so hard to solve that.

Brad

Oh, I have them all.

Brad

I don't even know how I'm going to do that. All right. ⚠

Student

This is nice.

Brad

Alright, well that's my guy.