Re: Significance of BG 11:8
Arjuna needed a divine eye because the Lord's form is a suprasensory entity. But then again, Krishna was there and Arjuna could see him, so why didn't Arjuna need a divine eye for Krishna-darshan? I can think of several points:
1) The realization of Krishna as the vishva-rUpa is in fact, a higher realization than that required to merely interact with Krishna as friend, cousin, and charioteer. By seeing the vishva-rUpa, Arjuna was actually seeing (not merely being told about) the Lord's all-pervasiveness.
2) In addition to that, the verse cements the view of the Lord as an entity with infinite transcedental qualities, rather than a formless entity with no attributes. Obviously, seeing an entity with infinite qualities, countless arms, heads, legs, etc is an overwhelming experience. Hence, Arjuna needed Krishna's grace to do it. It follows from this that in other avatAras, the Lord conceals some of his glories so that He can interact with and be visualized by ordinary people.
3) It's interesting to note that both the puruSha-sukta and the svetAshvatara upaniShad describe a similar form with countless heads, legs, arms, etc This clearly identifies this vishva-rUpa with that puruSha who is upheld as Brahman.
Philosoraptor
"Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools speak because they have to say something." - Plato
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