What is the difference between -- "Hypnotism" and "Divya Drushti" granted to Arjuna by Krishna?

Question

Currently, not much information is available about Hypnotism in Hinduism .SE.

Let's draw parallels between Krishna granting Divya Drushti to Arjuna [BG 11.8] and the typical Hypnotism (Vashikarana) performed on a subject:

• Both Divya Drushti and Hypnotism relates to Eyes
• The subject gets surrendered to the master -- Arjuna got surrendered to Krishna [BG 2.7]
• The subject senses something, which is not otherwise sensible to indifferent observers -- In the battlefield, none except Arjuna was able to witness Krishna's universal form with various complexities inside
• The subject sees hallucinatory visions, which is suppressed somewhere in their mind's corner -- Arjuna saw various hands & heads of Krishna, he saw getting several people getting killed including those who he didn't want to kill
• The subject listens to the command of master as a real prophecy, even though it may not turn out to be true -- Krishna was already pursuing Arjuna to take up the arms and fight; During Divya Drushti, Krishna was heard saying that, Arjuna would kill Drona, Bhishma, Karna, Jayadratha; However later Arjuna didn't kill Drona and Bhishma
• Often those who are observers, may also get partially or fully hypnotised just due to keen observation with faith; They may have full or part of sensibility of the subject; -- Sanjaya shared similar feelings of Arjuna and in the last he says that he got goosebumps [BG 18.76-78] witnessing the whole session of Gita and truly feels that the Dharma is on the side of Krishna
• The subject doesn't remember anything once the performance is over by the master -- Arjuna later forgot several events of Gita, especially the Vishwaroopa

"Hypnotism" itself is not bad and is used for many curing therapies in modern times. Possibly the outcomes of today's Hypnotism could be a small subset of the outcome of then Divya Drushti. However they have striking similarities.

Did Krishna giving "Divya Drushti" to Arjuna was equivalent to what we call "Hypnotism" today Or was it more than that?

Answer 1

We have to read the following utterances of Sri Krishna to understand whether Arjuna really made use of "divya drishti" given to him by the former.

I) at the beginning of showing Viswarupa:

इहैकस्थं जगत्कृत्स्नं पश्याद्य सचराचरम्।

मम देहे गुडाकेश यच्चान्यद्द्रष्टुमिच्छसि।।11.7।।

Now behold, O Arjuna, in this, My body, the whole universe centred in one including the moving and the unmoving and whatever else thou desirest to see.

The secret of the Vishwarupa lies in the above Sloka, wherein Sri Krishna said:

द्रष्टुमिच्छसि - whatever thou desirest to see.

Sri Krishna never said that I am showing the Vishwarupa to you and that these all comprise my Vishwarupa.

He simply said that "See whatever you want to see - द्रष्टुमिच्छसि".

So whatever Arjuna saw during Viswarupa Sandarsana, it was his own mind's projections and imaginations.

Sri Krishna did not show anything to Arjuna. He just allowed Arjuna's freewill to act.

II) At the end of Bhagawad Gita

इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया।

विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु।।18.63।।

To you has been imparted by Me this knowledge which is moe secret than any secret. Pondering over this as a whole, do as you like. .

Again Sri Krishna was saying do as you like. (यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु).

&&&&&&

Sri Krishna for that matter any realised soul like Sri Ramana Maharshi will never say do as I say. They will express their opinion and ask the questioner * to follow his/her free will.*

Then where is the question of Hypnotism/hallucination here?

If the questioner does not understand the concepts due to lack of practical experience, like Arjuna did, we cannot blame the Yogi/saint for that.

&&&&&&&&&

Sri Krishna giving "Divya Drushti" to Arjuna was equivalent to make him sit in a theatre, with multi-dimensional views, but not merely 2D.

Sri Krishna did not on his own give Viswarupa darshana to Arjuna. It was Arjuna , who asked for it, like a child asking for something which he cannot comprehend fully.

मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो।

योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयाऽत्मानमव्ययम्।।11.4।।

O Lord, if You think that it is possible to be seen by me, then, O Lord of Yoga, You show me Your eternal Self.

Unless one is competent to understand the multi-dimensional views, one cannot understand intricacies/depth of what one is viewing.

We should not ask the Jnani/saint, for what we cannot assimilate.