Chapter 11: Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga:: Verse 53
नाहं वेदैर्न तपसा न दानेन न चेज्यया ।
शक्य एवंविधो द्रष्टुं दृष्टवानसि मां यथा ॥
nāhaṃ vedair-na tapasā na dānena na cejyayā
śakya evaṃ-vidho draṣṭuṃ dṛṣṭavān-asi māṃ yathā – 11.53
I (the Supreme) cannot be seen in the manner you have seen, either by Vedic studies, or by austerities, charities or yajñas.
Chapter 11: Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga: - Verse 53
Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
Krishna repeats what he stated in verse 11.48, to emphasize the rarity of Arjuna’s Viśva-rūpa darśana. Yajna, dāna and tapas (sacrifice, charity and austerity) summarize the whole of religious life and pursuit, other practices being a mere extension of these three.
Krishna points again that what Arjuna has been graced with is exceedingly rare for anyone on earth or heaven. No ritualistic or ceremonial merit will entitle one to see the Self display its universal dimension.
Creation consists of material display of infinite variety, accessible to the senses. Self, accessible only within one’s own body, is the only medium to reveal universal dimension. To envision this is very rare. None is able to gain the Viśva-rūpa concept. In fact, to the discerning mind, the entire Universe, an objective display, is actually resting upon the Self alone.
