Chapter 11 · Verse 53·Spoken by Krishna
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया। शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा
nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na chejyayā śhakya evaṁ-vidho draṣhṭuṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi māṁ yathā
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Sanskrit recitation by Swami Brahmānanda
Audio from the Gītā Supersite, IIT Kanpur
Word by Word
Reading set · 5 translations · 3 commentaries
Translation · 5 voices
Not through the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor even by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as you have seen Me.
Swami Gambiranandaafter Śaṅkara's bhāṣya· paired with Śaṅkara
Sri Krishna says, "I cannot be seen in such a form as You have seen Me, not by the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice."
Swami Adidevanandaafter Rāmānuja's bhāṣya· paired with Rāmānuja
Neither by reciting the Vedas, nor by observing austerity, nor by giving gifts, nor by performing sacrifice, can I be seen in this way as you have seen Me now.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayanafter Madhva's bhāṣya· paired with Madhva
Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gift, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form as thou hast seen Me so easily.
Swami SivanandaThe Bhagavad Gita
It is not possible to see Me as you have done through studying the scriptures, performing austerities, giving gifts, or making sacrifices.
Shri Purohit SwamiThe Geeta
Not by the Vedas, the four, the Ṛk, Yajus, Sāman and Atharva; not by fierce austerity, the lunar fast and the rest; not by gift, of cows, land, gold and the like; nor by worship, by sacrifice or by honouring, can I be seen, of such a kind, in the manner shown, as you have seen Me. How then can I be seen? It is told.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.
By the Vedas, in their bearing as teaching, expounding, study, hearing, and muttered recitation, and by sacrifice, giving, oblation, and austerity, when these are bare, devoid of devotion to Me, I, abiding as I truly am, cannot be seen. But by undivided devotion I can be known truly through the scriptures, beheld directly truly, and entered into truly. And so the revealed text: 'this self is not gained by exposition, nor by wit, nor by much hearing; whom this one chooses, by him He is gained; to him this self reveals His own form'.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.
This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.
Madhvacharya does not comment on this verse.
Contemporary English rendering of the Sanskrit bhāṣya, pending scholar review.