न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानैर्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः ।एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर ॥
na veda-yajñādhyayanair na dānair na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ |evaṃ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṃ nṛ-loke draṣṭuṃ tvad-anyena kuru-pravīra ||
- वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैः · veda-yajñādhyayanaiḥ
- by Vedic study or sacrifice
- दानैः · dānaiḥ
- by gifts, charity
- क्रियाभिः · kriyābhiḥ
- by rites, ceremonies
- तपोभिः उग्रैः · tapobhiḥ ugraiḥ
- by fierce austerities
- एवंरूपः · evaṃ-rūpaḥ
- in such a form
- शक्यः · śakyaḥ
- possible
- नृलोके · nṛ-loke
- in the world of men
- कुरुप्रवीर · kuru-pravīra
- O hero of the Kurus
“Not by Vedic study or sacrifice, not by gifts, rites, or fierce austerities can I be seen in such a form in the world of men by any but you, O hero of the Kurus.”
— Original plain-language translation
Ritual and austerity alone cannot compel this vision — a claim that relativizes every technique beside devotion. The next verse names the one exception: single-hearted love, previewing Chapter 12's teaching.
— Reader's notes (original)