The Yoga of the Vision of the Universal Form

Arjuna acknowledges what he's learned. 'Bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānām'—the origin (bhava) and dissolution (apyayau) of all beings (bhūtānām). 'Śrutau vistaraśo mayā'—I have heard (śrutau) from You in detail (vistaraśaḥ). 'Tvattaḥ kamala-patra-akṣa'—from You, O lotus-eyed one, addressing Krishna with reverence. 'Māhātmyam api cāvyayam'—and also Your imperishable (avyayam) greatness (māhātmyam). Arjuna has understood the teachings intellectually—he knows about creation, dissolution, and Krishna's eternal nature. But knowing about something isn't the same as seeing it. This sets up his request: he wants to witness the cosmic form directly, not just understand it conceptually. The gap between understanding and direct vision is what leads to his request in the next verse.