The universal form is a revelation, which essentially means it is something not normally accessible to us humans, but made accessible by divine intervention. How might that intervention happen? In many ways, all of which involve Krishna using his omnipotence to temporarily suspend the normal ways in which material nature functions. Let’s consider some possible ways. Why does Krishna give Arjuna special eyes to see the universal form?
First, Krishna may make himself visible in a form that our normal eyes can see. Second, he may empower our eyes to see something that they can’t normally see. Third, he may empower us to see something that we can’t normally see while suspending our normal vision of things around us — that could be figuratively called “giving a different set of eyes.” (Bhagavad-gita 11.08) And Krishna’s revelation of the universal form to Arjuna does seem to fall in this third category. While Arjuna was beholding the universal form, he couldn’t see any of the normal things present on the battlefield; he just saw the universal form everywhere (11.16).
In contrast, Krishna’s revelation of the universal form in the Kuru assembly seems to fall in the first category. That revelation was seen not just by Duryodhana but also by everyone in the Kuru assembly.
Why this difference in ways of revealing? Possibly because those revelations were meant for different purposes.
In the Kuru assembly, Krishna’s purpose was to avoid war. Through his fearsome revelation of the universal form, he wanted to warn not just Duryodhana but also his supporters; if they saw the might of who would be on the opposite side, maybe they would stop Duryodhana. Hence, Krishna’s revelation to everyone.
At Kurukshetra, while speaking the Gita, Krishna’s purpose was specific: to persuade Arjuna to fight. Hence, his revelation only to Arjuna.
One-sentence summary:
Krishna gives Arjuna special eyes to see his universal form because revelation requires some special divine intervention, and this revelation was meant only for Arjuna.
Think it over:
- How might divine intervention make a paranormal vision accessible to us?
- What does “giving a different set of eyes” mean?
- What was the difference in Krishna’s ways of revealing his universal form in the Kuru assembly and at Kurukshetra?
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11.08: But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give you divine eyes. Behold My mystic opulence!
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
Hare Krishna. Very interesting analysis, Prabhu. In what category would His revelation as Balkrishna to Mother Yashoda fall?
Good question: it could be first or second.