Here we have the confession that it is not the privilege of all devotees to come to perceive this “Form-tremendous” and that Arjuna is enjoying It as a special favour due to His Infinite Grace. He also asserts that, “THIS SPLENDID, PRIMEVAL, INFINITE, UNIVERSAL-FORM OF MINE” has not been seen by anyone else.

It does not mean that Vyasa, the author of the Geeta, is propounding a new theory, and is making the Lord of his own creation testify to the veracity of it. It only means that this intellectual realisation of the Universal-Oneness has not been gained by anyone placed in the same circumstances as those of Arjuna in the war-front. Mentally shattered, physically worn-out, emotionally upset — the miserable condition of Arjuna and this Arjuna-state of utter despondency are, in fact, far removed from the favourable conditions for a single-pointed intellectual quest, without which the underlying Principle of Oneness in the multiplicity of the gross world, cannot easily be comprehended. But Krishna had, due to his tremendous powers, given the required ‘eye-of-wisdom’ to Arjuna and made him realise, in a chance moment of mental pause, the vision of the Cosmic Form.

WHAT WAS AT THE BACK OF THE MIND OF THE LORD, WHEN HE EXPRESSED THIS STANZA, IS CLEAR FROM THE FOLLOWING:

Prasannena, out of grace-grace means the intention of favouring you; O Arjuna, idam, this; param, supreme; tejomayam, abundantly radiant; visvam, Cosmic, all-comprehensive; anantam, infinite, limitless; adyam, primeval-that which existed in the beginning; rupam, form, the Cosmic form; yat which form; me, of Mine; na drsta-purvam, has not been seen before; tvat-anyena, by anyone other than you; daristam, has been shown; tava, to you; maya, by Me-who am racious, being possessed of that (intention of favouring you); atma-yogat, through the power of My own Yoga, through the power of My own Godhood. ‘You have certainly got all your ends accomplished by the vision of the form of Mine who am the Self [The word atmanah (who am the Self) does not occur in some editions.-Tr.] .’ Saying so, He eulogizes that (vision):