Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
mayaa prasannena tavaarjunedam roopam param darshitamaatmayogaat |
tejomayam vishvamanantamaadyam yanme tvadanyena na drishtapoorvam || 47 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Being pleased, I have shown this supreme form to you, O Arjuna, with my power. My form is luminous, universal, infinite and primal, which no one except you has seen before.
 
mayaa : I have
prasannena : being pleased
tava : to you
arjuna : Arjuna
idam : this
roopam : form
param : supreme
darshitama : have shown
atmayogaat : with my power
tejomayam : luminous
vishvam : universal
anantam : infinite
aadyam : primal
yat : which
me : I
tvadanyena : except you
na : not
drishtapoorvam : seen before
 
Previously, Shri Krishna had displayed his “soumya roopa”, the pleasant cosmic form, which was replaced by his “raudra roopa” his terror-inspiring form. Arjuna was extremely frightened when he saw it. Later, he acknowledged that he could not see it any more and begged Shri Krishna to stop showing it. In this shloka, Shri Krishna reassured Arjuna that there was no intent to scare Arjuna through the fearful form. It was only out of his compassion that the fearful cosmic form, a result of Ishvara’s power of maaya, was displayed.
 
Like Arjuna, we may also want to know why this terrible form was displayed. From a practical standpoint, it is an illustrative reminder to view creation and destruction with equanimity in our lives. Most of us tend to get attached to pleasant and favourable circumstances, and reject or run away from unpleasant circumstances. Ishvara’s universal form has room for both, and gives equal validity to both these aspects. Through this form. Shri Krishna wants us to view the same Ishvara in all aspects of life, pleasant and unpleasant.
 
Furthermore, Shri Krishna wanted to again caution us against objectifying this universal form, in other words, to think of ourselves as unique and distinct from it. We are part and parcel of that universal form, it is not outside us. To drive home this point, he summarizes the key aspects of this form. It is full of luster (tejomaya), it is that which is all pervading (vishwam), it is infinite (anantam), it is primal and beginningless (aadyam). He also points out the exclusivity of this form to Arjuna, which is elaborated in the next shloka.