BG Chap 11 – A godless display of opulences

A pure devotee does not like to see Kṛṣṇa in any form except His form with two hands; a devotee must see His universal form by His grace, not with the mind but with divine eyes. To see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is told not to change his mind but his vision. The universal form of Kṛṣṇa is not very important; that will be clear in subsequent verses. The universal form is not the Supreme whereas Kṛṣṇa is because at the end of the tenth chapter Kṛṣṇa says the form with which He maintains this universe is but one of His aṁśa.

A pure devotee does not like to see Kṛṣṇa in any form except His form with two hands; a devotee must see His universal form by His grace, not with the mind but with divine eyes. To see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is told not to change his mind but his vision. The universal form of Kṛṣṇa is not very important; that will be clear in subsequent verses. The universal form is not the Supreme whereas Kṛṣṇa is because at the end of the tenth chapter Kṛṣṇa says the form with which He maintains this universe is but one of His aṁśa. Yet because Arjuna wanted to see it, the Lord gives him the particular vision required to see that universal form. Devotees who are correctly situated in a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa are attracted by loving features, not by a godless display of opulences. The playmates of Kṛṣṇa, the friends of Kṛṣṇa and the parents of Kṛṣṇa never want Kṛṣṇa to show His opulences. They are so immersed in pure love that they do not even know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In their loving exchange they forget that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.