Bhagavad Gita 11.2 · Arjuna
Heard it all, never seen it
भवाप्ययौ हि भूतानां श्रुतौ विस्तरशो मया।
त्वत्तः कमलपत्राक्ष माहात्म्यमपि चाव्ययम्॥
bhavāpyayau hi bhūtānāṃ śrutau vistaraśo mayātvattaḥ kamalapatrākṣa māhātmyamapi cāvyayam
Lotus-eyed one, I have heard from you in detail how beings arise and dissolve, and of your unending greatness.
What it means
Arjuna sums up what he has learned. Every creature comes into being and passes away, and Krishna stands behind both. Yet Krishna's own greatness never passes. Arjuna calls him lotus-eyed, an old word of tenderness and beauty. He has heard it all. Now hearing is starting to feel like not enough.
The story
Picture the scene through Sanjaya's eyes. He describes the battlefield to the blind king Dhritarashtra, who can only listen. On the field, Arjuna is in a similar place. He has heard about the infinite. He has never seen it.
In your life
You've read every article about the night sky. Then one winter, far from city lights, you lie in a frozen field and the stars pour out. Tonight, step outside and look up for one full minute.
Beings come and go. That greatness stays.