11.48 Not by any other means Krishna speaks
न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानै र्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः
एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair
na cha kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ
evaṁ-rūpaḥ śhakya ahaṁ nṛi-loke
draṣhṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra
Not by study of the Vedas, not by offerings, not by giving, not by rites, not by severe austerity can I be seen in this form in the world of men by anyone but you.
Explanation
Not by any other means.
Not by study, offerings, giving, rites, or severe austerity — by anyone but you.
Five practices ruled out. And 11.53 will repeat the list and add what does work, which makes this pair of verses the chapter's actual argument.
Word by word
- na
- not
- veda-yajña
- by performance of sacrifice
- adhyayanaiḥ
- by study of the Vedas
- na
- nor
- dānaiḥ
- by charity
- na
- nor
- cha
- and
- kriyābhiḥ
- by rituals
- na
- not
- tapobhiḥ
- by austerities
- ugraiḥ
- severe
- evam-rūpaḥ
- in this form
- śhakyaḥ
- possible
- aham
- I
- nṛi-loke
- in the world of the mortals
- draṣhṭum
- to be seen
- tvat
- than you
- anyena
- by another
- kuru-pravīra
- the best of the Kuru warriors
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