More than meets the eye

avyaktaṃ vyaktimāpannaṃ manyante māmabuddhayaḥparaṃ bhāvamajānanto mamāvyayamanuttamam

The unwise think I, the unseen, have merely taken form, not knowing My higher being, unchanging and supreme.

What it means

Krishna says those without deep understanding see him only as a human form, a person who appeared on earth. They miss his higher nature, avyaya, unchanging, anuttama, supreme. He is the unmanifest infinite, who chose to take form. The form is real, but it's not the whole story.

The story

Many on this battlefield see Krishna as just a clever cowherd prince. Even Arjuna mostly did, until today. Krishna is gently showing him there's far more to his friend than anyone guessed.

In your life

Think of a quiet coworker who turns out to be a gifted painter or a war hero. You only saw the surface. Look deeper at someone you think you know well.