TEXT 2
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṁ
śrutau vistaraśo mayā
tvattaḥ kamala-patrākṣa
māhātmyam api cāvyayam
bhava – appearance; apyayau – disappearance; hi – certainly; bhūtānām – of all living entities; śrutau – have been heard; vistaraśaḥ – in detail; mayā – by me; tvattaḥ – from You; kamala-patra-akṣa – O lotus-eyed one; māhātmyam – glories; api – also; ca – and; avyayam – inexhaustible.
O lotus-eyed one, I have heard from You in detail about the appearance and disappearance of every living entity and have realized Your inexhaustible glories.
Arjuna addresses Lord Kṛṣṇa as “lotus-eyed” (Kṛṣṇa’s eyes appear just like the petals of a lotus flower) out of his joy, for Kṛṣṇa has assured him, in a previous chapter, ahaṁ kṛtsnasya jagataḥ prabhavaḥ pralayas tathā: “I am the source of the appearance and disappearance of this entire material manifestation.” Arjuna has heard of this from the Lord in detail. Arjuna further knows that in spite of His being the source of all appearances and disappearances, He is aloof from them. As the Lord has said in the Ninth Chapter, He is all-pervading, yet He is not personally present everywhere. That is the inconceivable opulence of Kṛṣṇa which Arjuna admits that he has thoroughly understood.