Bhagavad-gītā 11.53
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया। शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा।।11.53।।
nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na chejyayā śhakya evaṁ-vidho draṣhṭuṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi māṁ yathā
Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be seen as thou hast seen Me.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| na | never |
| aham | I |
| vedaiḥ | by study of the Vedas |
| na | never |
| tapasā | by serious penances |
| na | never |
| dānena | by charity |
| na | never |
| cha | also |
| ijyayā | by worship |
| śhakyaḥ | it is possible |
| evam-vidhaḥ | like this |
| draṣhṭum | to see |
| dṛiṣhṭavān | seeing |
| asi | you are |
| mām | me |
| yathā | as |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through na (never), cha (also), and yathā (as). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the universal form and personal refuge. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 11.53.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Sequence request, granted sight, description, response, revelation, fear, apology and return to the familiar form.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Neither by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be seen as thou hast seen Me
- 2
na: never
- 3
cha: also
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Look
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Link
Use the line starts: nāhaṁ vedair / śhakya evaṁ-vidho.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.53, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 11.53 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 11.53 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 11.53 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.53, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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