śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaṁ
rūpaṁ paraṁ darśhitam ātma-yogāt
tejo-mayaṁ viśhvam anantam ādyaṁ
yan me tvad anyena na dṛiṣhṭa-pūrvam
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha — the Blessed Lord said;
mayā — by me;
prasannena — being pleased;
tava — with you;
arjuna — Arjun;
idam — this;
rūpam — form;
param — divine;
darśhitam — shown;
ātma-yogāt — by my Yogmaya power;
tejaḥ-mayam — resplendent;
viśhwam — cosmic;
anantam — unlimited;
ādyam — primeval;
yat — which;
me — my;
tvat anyena — other than you;
na dṛiṣhṭa-pūrvam — no one has ever seen
In this verse, Lord Krishna is speaking to Arjuna, telling him how special and unique the form He is about to show is. Arjuna had a strong desire to see the universal form of Krishna, which is a representation of the whole universe and all its divine aspects. Lord Krishna, being a kind and loving friend, decided to grant Arjuna this wish as a sign of His mercy.
The universal form that Krishna showed was filled with brilliant light and glory. It looked like the sun shining brightly, and it was so vast that it had many faces and eyes, changing rapidly to display the enormous power of the universe. This form was not just a physical appearance; it was a representation of the divine energy and essence of creation itself.
What’s truly amazing is that this form of Krishna had never been seen before by anyone else. It was a special gift to Arjuna at that moment, and this was only made possible through Krishna's own internal power, known as 'Yogmaya.' This means that the ability to see this form was beyond what ordinary people could experience through normal human senses.
Therefore, by showing this universal form to Arjuna, it opened up a way for other devotees of Krishna, even those far away in heavenly planets or distant galaxies, to experience and see this magnificent sight. Arjuna was like the key that unlocked this divine vision for many others. They might not have seen this form themselves, but because Arjuna was given this glimpse, they could share in that experience thanks to his association with Krishna.
There’s also an interesting side note: when Krishna tried to make peace with Duryodhana, He also showed some forms of His greater power, but they were not as comprehensive or glorious as the form revealed to Arjuna. So, while Duryodhana got a taste of Krishna's universal forms, what Arjuna saw was unique and unparalleled.
In summary, this verse emphasizes the kindness of Lord Krishna, the extraordinary nature of the universal form, and how special the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna is. It highlights Arjuna's unique opportunity to witness something that no one else had seen before, which underlines the powerful bond between a devotee and the divine.