5 received English translations are available for this śloka. Each voice is labelled; no single rendering is presented as the Sanskrit itself.
Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 edition attribution in the received data
11.48 Not by study of the scriptures, not by sacrifice or gift, not by ritual or rigorous austerity, is it possible for man on earth to see what thou hast seen, O thou foremost hero of the Kuru-clan!
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
11.48 Neither by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, nor by gifts nor by rituals nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than thyself, O great hero of the Kurus (Arjuna).
11.48 Na veda-yajna-adhyayanaih, not by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, (i.e.) not by the methodical study of even the four Vedas and the study of the sacrifices-since the study of the sacrifices is achieved by the very study of the Vedas, the separate mention of the study of sacrifices is for suggesting detailed knowledge of sacrifices; [This separate mention of the study of sacrifices is necessary because the ancients understood the study of Vedas to mean learing them by rote.] so also, na danaih, not by gifts-in such forms as distributing wealth eal to the weight of the giver; na ca kriyabhih, not even by rituals-by Vedic and other rituals like Agnihotra etc.; nor even ugraih tapobhih, by severe austerities such a Candrayana [A religious observance or expiatory penance regulated by the moon's phases. In it the daily antity of food, which consists of fifteen mouthfuls at the full-moon, is curtailed by one mouthful during the dark fornight till it is reduced to nothing at the new moon; and it is increased in a like manner during the bright fortnight.-V.S.A.] etc. which are frightful; sakyah aham, can I; evam rupam, in this form-possessing the Cosmic form as was shown; drastum, be perceived; nrloke, in the human world; tvad-anyena, by anyone other than you; kuru-pravira, O most valiant among the Kurus.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
11.48 In this form, which represents My real nature, I cannot be realised by such means as study of the Vedas, sacrifices etc., by anyone who is bereft of exclusive Bhakti towards Me or by any one other than yourself who has complete devotion towards Me.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
11.48. Not by the knowledge of the Vedas and sacrifices, nor by making gifts, nor by the rituals, nor by severe austerities, can I be seen in this form in the world of men, by anybody other than yourself, O the great hero of the Kurus !
🪷 Hindi Translation · हिन्दी अनुवाद
Received Hindi rendering attributed in the source data to Swami Rāmsukhdās ji.
🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Hindi rendering · source-data attribution
।।11.48।। हे कुरुप्रवीर! मनुष्यलोकमें इस प्रकारके विश्वरूपवाला मैं न वेदोंके पढ़नेसे, न यज्ञोंके अनुष्ठानसे, न दानसे, न उग्र तपोंसे और न मात्र क्रियाओंसे तेरे (कृपापात्रके) सिवाय और किसीके द्वारा देखा जाना शक्य हूँ।
🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices
5 received English commentary layers are available for this śloka. Open only the voice you wish to study.
Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
11.48 न not? वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैः by the study of the Vedas and of Yajnas? न not? दानैः by gifts? न not? च and? क्रियाभिः by rituals? न not? तपोभिः by austerities? उग्रैः severe? एवंरूपः in such form? शक्यः (am) possible? अहम् I? नृलोके in the world of men? द्रष्टुम् to be seen? त्वत् than thee? अन्येन by another? कुरुप्रवीर O great hero of the Kurus.Commentary Mere cramming of the texts of the Vedas without knowing the meaning will not do. A study of the sacrifices also is necessary. One should know the meaning of these? also.Dana Charity such as a Tula Purusha (gift of gold eal in weight of a man) Kanyadana (gift of ones daughther in marriage)? gift of a cow? rice? etc.Kriya Rituals such as Agnihotra.Tapas Such as the Chandrayana Vrata. (This is a kind of Vrata or observance. The daily consumption of food is reduced by one mouthful every day for the dark half of the month beginning with the fullmoon. Then the food is increased by one mouthful every day during the bright fortnight during the increase of the moon. This Vrata (observance) is a great purifier of the mind. It destroys sins.)
11.48 Na veda-yajna-adhyayanaih, not by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, (i.e.) not by the methodical study of even the four Vedas and the study of the sacrifices-since the study of the sacrifices is achieved by the very study of the Vedas, the separate mention of the study of sacrifices is for suggesting detailed knowledge of sacrifices; [This separate mention of the study of sacrifices is necessary because the ancients understood the study of Vedas to mean learing them by rote.] so also, na danaih, not by gifts-in such forms as distributing wealth eal to the weight of the giver; na ca kriyabhih, not even by rituals-by Vedic and other rituals like Agnihotra etc.; nor even ugraih tapobhih, by severe austerities such a Candrayana [A religious observance or expiatory penance regulated by the moon's phases. In it the daily antity of food, which consists of fifteen mouthfuls at the full-moon, is curtailed by one mouthful during the dark fornight till it is reduced to nothing at the new moon; and it is increased in a like manner during the bright fortnight.-V.S.A.] etc. which are frightful; sakyah aham, can I; evam rupam, in this form-possessing the Cosmic form as was shown; drastum, be perceived; nrloke, in the human world; tvad-anyena, by anyone other than you; kuru-pravira, O most valiant among the Kurus.
11.48 In this form, which represents My real nature, I cannot be realised by such means as study of the Vedas, sacrifices etc., by anyone who is bereft of exclusive Bhakti towards Me or by any one other than yourself who has complete devotion towards Me.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
11.48 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।11.48।। यहाँ भगवान् यह स्पष्ट करते हैं कि किस कारण से अर्जुन इस असाधारण अनुभव को प्राप्त करने में विशेष अभिनन्दन का पात्र है। वे कहते हैं कि केवल वेदों का अध्ययन या यज्ञादि के अनुष्ठान से ही किसी में इस विश्वरूप को देख सकते की पात्रता नहीं आती। उसी प्रकार? दान धर्म या तप के आचरण से प्राप्त पुण्य भी इस दर्शन का अधिकार नहीं प्राप्त करता है। संक्षेप में? कठिन? साधनाओं के अभ्यास से भी जिसे पाना दुर्लभ है? उसे अर्जुन ने प्राप्त कर लिया? और इस कारण वह विशेष अभिनन्दन का पात्र है।भगवान् द्वारा यहाँ कहे गये वचनों का विपरीत अर्थ करके कोई यह नहीं समझे कि उन्होंने वेदाध्ययनादि की निन्दा की है अथवा ये समस्त साधन अनुपयोगी होने के कारण त्याज्य हैं। तात्पर्य यह है कि अध्ययन? यज्ञ? दान और तप ये सब अन्तकरण की शुद्धि तथा एकाग्रता प्राप्ति के साधन हैं? जो अनेकता में एकता के दर्शन करने के लिए अत्यावश्यक है। परन्तु कोई यह भी नहीं समझे कि यज्ञदानादि साधन अपने आप में ही पूर्ण हैं या वे ही साध्य हैं। केवल वेदाध्ययन आदि से ही एकत्व का बोध और साक्षात् अनुभव नहीं हो सकता। जब साधन सम्पन्न मन वृत्तिशून्य हो जाता है केवल तभी उसकी उस अन्तर्मुखी स्थिति में यह दर्शन सम्भव होता है। तात्पर्य यह है कि भोजन पाक सिद्धि अपने आप में क्षुधा शान्ति नहीं कर सकती? किन्तु इसका अर्थ यह नहीं कि पाकसिद्धि अनावश्यक है। इस दृष्टि से हमें इस श्लोक का अर्थ समझना चाहिए।भगवान् आगे कहते हैं
🪷 Hindi Vyākhyā · हिन्दी व्याख्या
Received Hindi vyākhyā attributed in the source data to Swami Rāmsukhdās ji.
🪷 Swami Rāmsukhdās · Hindi vyākhyā · source-data attribution
।।11.48।। व्याख्या--'कुरुप्रवीर'--यहाँ अर्जुनके लिये 'कुरुप्रवीर' सम्बोधन देनेका अभिप्राय है कि सम्पूर्ण कुरुवंशियोंमें मेरेसे उपदेश सुननेकी, मेरे रूपको देखनेकी और जाननेकी तेरी जिज्ञासा हुई, तो यह,कुरुवंशियोंमें तुम्हारी श्रेष्ठता है। तात्पर्य यह हुआ कि भगवान्को देखनेकी, जाननेकी इच्छा होना ही वास्तवमें मनुष्यकी श्रेष्ठता है।
🪷 Place in the Bhagavad-Gītā
This is verse 48 of 55 in Chapter 11 · Viśvarūpa-Darśana-Yoga (The Yoga of the Universal-Form Vision)
Chapter theme: Krishna reveals His universal-form · BG 11.5 paśya me pārtha rūpāṇi
Canonical reading URL: https://vidhyamitra.com/bhagavad-gita/11/48. This citation identifies Vidhyamitra's received digital witness; consult a named scholarly or printed edition when edition-specific authority is required.
This page is rendered from the pinned 701-address witness documented on the Gītā index. Publication and search-indexing authorization for every bundled translation and commentary layer was confirmed on 4 August 2026; the exact received recension boundary remains disclosed separately.
🪷 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय 🪷
सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)