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Bhagavad-gītā 11.53
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 53
- नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया ।
- शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा ॥५३॥
- nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā
- na dānena na cejyayā
- śakya evaṁ-vidho draṣṭuṁ
- dṛṣṭavān asi māṁ yathā
nanever — never; ahamI — I; vedaiḥby study of the Vedas — by study of the Vedas; nanever — never; tapasāby serious penances — by serious penances; nanever — never; dānenaby charity — by charity; nanever — never; caalso — also; ijyayāby worship — by worship; śakyaḥit is possible — it is possible; evamlike this-vidhaḥlike this — like this; draṣṭumto see — to see; dṛṣṭavānseeing — seeing; asiyou are — you are; māmMe — Me; yathāas — as.
The form you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.
Kṛṣṇa first appeared before His parents Devakī and Vasudeva in a four-handed form, and then He transformed Himself into the two-handed form. This mystery is very difficult to understand for those who are atheists or who are devoid of devotional service. For scholars who have simply studied Vedic literature by way of grammatical knowledge or mere academic qualifications, Kṛṣṇa is not possible to understand. Nor is He to be understood by persons who officially go to the temple to offer worship. They make their visit, but they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through the path of devotional service, as explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the next verse.