Bhagavad-gītā 11.54
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्यमहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन। ज्ञातुं दृष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परंतप।।11.54।।
bhaktyā tv ananyayā śhakya aham evaṁ-vidho ’rjuna jñātuṁ draṣhṭuṁ cha tattvena praveṣhṭuṁ cha parantapa
But by the single-minded devotion I may in this Form, be known, O Arjuna, and seen in reality, and also entered into, O scorcher of foes.
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 |
|---|---|
| bhaktyā | by devotion |
| tu | alone |
| ananyayā | unalloyed |
| śhakyaḥ | possible |
| aham | I |
| evam-vidhaḥ | like this |
| arjuna | Arjun |
| jñātum | to be known |
| draṣhṭum | to be seen |
| cha | and |
| tattvena | truly |
| praveṣhṭum | to enter into (union with me) |
| cha | and |
| parantapa | scorcher of foes |
Read the Sanskrit as a connected thought built from bhaktyā (by devotion), jñātum (to be known), and parantapa (scorcher of foes). 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 11.54.
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
But by the single-minded devotion I may in this Form, be known, O Arjuna
- 2
seen in reality
- 3
also entered into, O scorcher of foes
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the universal form.
Link
Use the line starts: bhaktyā tv / jñātuṁ draṣhṭuṁ.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.54, 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 11.54 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 11.54 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 11.54 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 11.54, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition