A declaration · expansive in mood · builds on earlier teachings
“Ordinary sight cannot hold the infinite; grace must widen the eye.”
You cannot see me with these ordinary eyes. I give you divine sight, so you may behold my supreme power.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallybut not · me · you are able · to see · with this · only · with your own eyes · divine · I give · to you · eyesight · see · my · power · sovereign
Ordinary sight is not enough to see Krishna's true form. He gives Arjuna a divine way of seeing so he can witness that supreme power.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga" (The Universal Form).
Verse 8 sits in Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita — Vishvarupa Darshana Yoga, "The Universal Form". The chapter has 55 verses in total.
You can stare at the same problem for hours and still miss what matters. Sometimes clarity does not come from looking harder, but from receiving a wider way of seeing.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts the mind from forced inspection to receptive seeing.
What this verse means
Ordinary sight is not enough to see Krishna's true form. He gives Arjuna a divine way of seeing so he can witness that supreme power.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna has asked to see the cosmic form. Krishna has already shown that the universe rests within him, but ordinary eyesight still cannot take it in. So Krishna gives Arjuna divine sight, preparing him to witness the full majesty of the cosmic form.
Why this verse still matters
You can stare at the same problem for hours and still miss what matters. Sometimes clarity does not come from looking harder, but from receiving a wider way of seeing.
“Some things cannot be grasped by effort alone; they must be granted from beyond ordinary sight.”
Explore related themes: vishwarupa (50 verses)