nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā na dānena na chejyayā
śhakya evaṁ-vidho draṣhṭuṁ dṛiṣhṭavān asi māṁ yathā
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
In this verse, Krishna is explaining to Arjuna that the incredible form he is seeing cannot be fully understood just by studying holy texts, doing deep meditation or penance, giving money to help others, or performing religious rituals. These actions, while good, are not enough to grasp the true nature of Krishna.
Krishna reveals Himself in many forms, and He first showed His parents a form with four arms, but then He took on a form with two arms, which is often easier for people to relate to. This change in form can be hard for those who don’t believe in or practice devotion to truly understand. Similarly, for those who study religious texts without a genuine desire to understand Krishna, or who attend temple just to perform rituals without a real connection or devotion, this deeper understanding remains out of reach.
What Krishna is saying is that the only way to really understand Him—who He truly is, beyond the rituals and studies—is through genuine devotion. This means being sincere in one’s love and commitment to Him. He emphasizes that only with true devotion can someone begin to see and appreciate Him for who He really is. This is a very important message in the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, highlighting that knowledge and practices alone, without a heart that is open to devotion, fall short in knowing the divine.