11.53
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया ।
शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा ॥
nāhaṃ vedair na tapasā na dānena na cejyayā
śakya evaṃvidho draṣṭuṃ dṛṣṭavān asi māṃ yathā
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking, to Arjuna (अर्जुन).
The verse
I am not to be seen in this way by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by a gift, nor by sacrifice, as you have seen me.
नेपालीमा
तिमीले मलाई देखेजस्तै यसरी म वेदले, तपले, दानले वा यज्ञले देखिने होइन।
Where it sits
The means fail again, so that the next verse can name the one that does not fail. He is not taking the vision back. He is saying what did not produce it.
Split: न + अहम् + वेदैः + न + तपसा + न + दानेन + न + च + इज्यया + शक्यः + एवम्-विधः + द्रष्टुम् + दृष्टवान् + असि + माम् + यथा
na + aham + vedaiḥ + na + tapasā + na + dānena + na + ca + ijyayā + śakyaḥ + evam-vidhaḥ + draṣṭum + dṛṣṭavān + asi + mām + yathā
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| अहम् | aham | nominative | I. |
| वेदैः | vedaiḥ | instrumental plural | by the Vedas. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| तपसा | tapasā | instrumental | by austerity. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| दानेन | dānena | instrumental | by a gift. |
| न | na | indeclinable | not. |
| च | ca | indeclinable | and. |
| इज्यया | ijyayā | instrumental | by sacrifice. ijyā (इज्या) is worship, the offering. |
| शक्यः | śakyaḥ | nominative | able to be seen. Possible. |
| एवम्-विधः | evam-vidhaḥ | nominative | of this kind. In the way you have seen. |
| द्रष्टुम् | draṣṭum | infinitive | to see. |
| दृष्टवान् | dṛṣṭavān | nominative | one who has seen. |
| असि | asi | present, 2nd singular | you are. |
| माम् | mām | accusative | me. |
| यथा | yathā | indeclinable | as. |
The phrases
na aham vedaiḥ na tapasā na dānena na ca ijyayā śakyaḥ evam-vidhaḥ draṣṭum (न अहम् वेदैः न तपसा न दानेन न च इज्यया शक्यः एवम्-विधः द्रष्टुम्) repeats the refusal of 11.48 in the short line. I am not to be seen in this way by the Vedas, nor by austerity, nor by a gift, nor by sacrifice.
दृष्टवान् असि माम् यथा dṛṣṭavān asi mām yathā points at the exception standing in front of him. As you have seen me. The yathā (यथा) looks back at दृष्टवान् असि dṛṣṭavān asi.
Sanskrit in this line
शक्यः + एवम् śakyaḥ + evam is śakya evam (शक्य एवम्). aḥ (अः) before e (ए) drops the visarga and leaves a (अ), as bhūya eva (भूय एव) did in 11.35. Then vidhaḥ (विधः) before draṣṭum (द्रष्टुम्) is vidho (विधो). Four instrumentals, each a means, each under na (न) except the last, which ca (च) still holds inside the refusal.
Say it back
The four means, and the yathā (यथा) that excepts him. If yathā (यथा) is dropped, he has not been allowed to have seen it.