Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 47
न वेदयज्ञाध्ययनैर्न दानैर्न च क्रियाभिर्न तपोभिरुग्रैः | एवंरूपः शक्य अहं नृलोके द्रष्टुं त्वदन्येन कुरुप्रवीर ||
na veda-yajña-adhyayanair na dānair na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ evaṁ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛ-loke draṣṭuṁ tvad anyena kuru-pravīra
Krishna said: Neither by study of the Vedas, nor by sacrifices, nor by charity, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities can I be seen in this form in the human world by anyone other than you, O best of the Kurus.
Krishna explains that the cosmic form cannot be seen through ordinary means. 'Na veda-yajña-adhyayanair na dānair'—not (na) by study of the Vedas (veda-adhyayanaiḥ), not (na) by sacrifices (yajña), not (na) by charity (dānaiḥ). 'Na ca kriyābhir na tapobhir ugraiḥ'—not (na) by actions (kriyābhiḥ), not (na) by severe (ugraiḥ) austerities (tapobhiḥ). 'Evaṁ-rūpaḥ śakya ahaṁ nṛ-loke draṣṭuṁ tvad anyena'—in this form (evaṁ-rūpaḥ), I (aham) am not possible (na śakya) to see (draṣṭum) in the human world (nṛ-loke) by any other (tvad anyena) than you. Krishna emphasizes that the cosmic form cannot be achieved through study, sacrifices, charity, rituals, or even severe austerities—it can only be seen through grace, as Arjuna has experienced. This verse shows that the cosmic vision is not something that can be earned or achieved through effort—it's a gift of grace.