टीका

Commentary

Here Arjuna takes a momentous step. He has accepted everything Krishna has taught — evam etat (“it is exactly so”) — and now asks to move beyond hearing to seeing. He desires direct darshan of Krishna’s divine form (aishwaram roopam), the cosmic manifestation that contains all of existence within itself.

The address Parameshwara — “O Supreme Lord” — and Purushottama — “O Supreme Person” — shows that Arjuna’s request is not casual curiosity. He fully accepts Krishna’s supreme position and addresses Him with the deepest reverence. This is not a skeptic demanding proof, but a devoted student who, having accepted the teaching, now yearns for the experience that corresponds to it.

The word aishwaram is key. It comes from aishwarya — divine opulence, sovereignty, and majesty. Arjuna is asking to see not just any form, but the form that embodies all of Krishna’s infinite power, the form through which He enters into and sustains the entire cosmos. This is what the tradition calls the Vishwaroopa — the Universal Form.

Krishna had described Himself as entering the material creation, as being the seed of all beings, as being the origin and dissolution of everything. Arjuna now says: “I believe every word — now let me see it with my own eyes.” This transition from faith based on hearing (shraddha) to desire for direct realization (sakshaat-kaara) is a natural progression on the spiritual path.

Faith and Vision

Arjuna’s request illustrates a principle: genuine faith does not fear verification. He already believes Krishna is the Supreme Lord, but he wants to see it — not to test Krishna, but to deepen his own experience. The spiritual path moves from hearing to reflection to direct realization. Arjuna stands at the threshold of the third stage, ready to behold what he has so far only understood through words.