मन्यसे यदि तच्छक्यं मया द्रष्टुमिति प्रभो | योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं दर्शयात्मानमव्ययम् ||४||
manyase yadi tac chakyaṃ mayā draṣṭum iti prabho | yogeśvara tato me tvaṃ darśayātmānam avyayam || 4 ||
If You think me capable of seeing it, O Lord of Yogins — show me Your imperishable, all-pervading Self.
Word by word (3)
- manyase yadi tac chakyaṃ mayā draṣṭum iti prabho
- — If You consider it possible for me to see it, O Lord · manyase = You think, You consider (second person present of √man = to think; manyase = 'you think, you consider, you deem'). yadi = if (conditional — 'if it be the case that'). tat = that (demonstrative — 'that [form]'). śakyaṃ = possible, capable of being (śakya = 'possible, feasible, capable of being done' — from √śak = to be capable; śakyaṃ = 'that which is possible/capable'). mayā = by me (instrumental of aham). draṣṭum = to be seen, to see (infinitive of √dṛś = to see). iti = thus, quotation marker. prabho = O Lord (vocative of prabhu = 'master, lord, powerful one' — from pra + √bhū = to become greatly; prabhu = 'the greatly powerful one'). 'If You consider it possible for me to see it, O Lord.' V11.4's conditional (manyase yadi = 'if You consider it possible') shows Arjuna's epistemic humility: he knows the vision may not be possible for a human being (V11.8 will confirm: 'with your natural eyes, thou canst not see Me'). He is not commanding but requesting — if it is possible, if You deem it appropriate, then show me.
- yogeśvara tataḥ me tvaṃ darśaya ātmānam avyayam
- — O Lord of Yogas — then show me Your imperishable Self · yogeśvara = O Lord of Yogas (yoga = union/discipline; īśvara = lord, ruler; yogeśvara = 'Lord of Yogas, Master of all yogic disciplines'; this is one of the highest epithets used by Arjuna — it acknowledges Krishna as the supreme master of ALL yogic paths: karma yoga, jñāna yoga, bhakti yoga, dhyāna yoga, vibhūti yoga; all yoga ultimately returns to its source in the yogeśvara). tataḥ = then (consequential — 'in that case, then'). me = to me (dative of aham = I; me = 'for me, to me'). tvaṃ = you (nominative — emphatic). darśaya = show (second person imperative causative of √dṛś = to see; darśaya = 'cause me to see, show me, reveal'); this is the imperative form — the direct command/request 'SHOW ME.' The darśana-request formalized: draṣṭum icchāmi (V11.3's desire) becomes darśaya (V11.4's request). ātmānam = Your Self (accusative of ātman = self; here: 'Your own nature, Your cosmic Self'). avyayam = imperishable (avyaya = 'not decaying, imperishable' — from a = not + vyaya = decay/expenditure; avyayam = 'the imperishable one'). 'O Lord of Yogas, show me Your imperishable Self.' The avyayam (imperishable) attribute: Arjuna is asking to see the eternal, imperishable form — not the transient historical forms of the world but the underlying avyaya nature that Ch.2's immortality teaching (V2.20's na jāyate mriyate) pointed to.
- [humility structure note]
- — V11.4's conditional humility as the model of right request-making · V11.4's structure is a model of appropriate petition: (1) manyase yadi (if you deem it appropriate) — placing the decision with the one being asked, not demanding; (2) prabho (O Lord) + yogeśvara (O Master of all yogas) — addressing with full recognition of the other's authority; (3) tataḥ me (then for me — conditional and personal, not universal) — the request is for oneself, not demanding a universal demonstration; (4) darśaya (show me) — direct and honest. The four elements: conditional humility + full-recognition epithet + personal-scope + honest request. This is the Gita's model of appropriate petitioning, applicable to any situation where one makes a significant request of someone with greater authority or capability.
V11.4: manyase yadi tac chakyaṃ mayā draṣṭum (if You consider it possible for me to see it — Arjuna's epistemic humility: acknowledging that this vision may not be possible for a human being) + prabho yogeśvara (epithets: O Lord, O Master of all Yogas — escalating to the highest titles) + darśayātmānam avyayam (show me Your imperishable Self — the direct request with avyayam = the eternal, non-decaying aspect). V11.4 closes Arjuna's four-verse request (V11.1-V11.4). The escalating epithets: lotus-eyed (V11.2) → Supreme Lord, Supreme Person (V11.3) → Lord, Lord of all Yogas (V11.4). The request formally made: 'Show me Your imperishable cosmic Self.'
A modern analogy
V11.4's manyase yadi (if you think it possible for me) parallels the right request in any high-stakes situation: 'If you think I'm ready, if you think it's appropriate, please show me/teach me/include me.' The conditional humility is not weakness — it places the decision with the one who knows best whether the student is ready for the next level. A surgery resident asking their attending: 'If you think I'm ready to perform this procedure, I'd like to try' — the conditional humility is accurate and appropriate.
What it does NOT mean
V11.4's manyase yadi (if you think it possible) is not self-doubt or insecurity on Arjuna's part. It is the epistemological acknowledgment that some experiences may require special preparation or capacity — not every vision is available to every state of readiness. Arjuna is acknowledging: 'I may not be capable of bearing or receiving this vision — You know better than I do.' V11.8 will confirm this: 'with natural eyes, thou canst not see me — I give thee divine eye.' V11.4's humility is accurately calibrated — the vision DOES require something beyond Arjuna's natural capacity.
Take with you
- V11.4's yogeśvara (Lord of all Yogas) as a comprehensive recognition: Arjuna acknowledges Krishna as master of ALL yogic disciplines, not just the one they have been discussing. Practice V11.4: when making a significant request of someone with expertise, acknowledge the full scope of their mastery — not just the specific domain relevant to your request but their overall depth. This full-recognition acknowledgment is the yogeśvara-epithet practice.
- V11.4's manyase yadi (if you deem me capable) as a capacity check before major requests: before requesting a significant experience or responsibility, explicitly check: 'Am I genuinely ready for this? Does the other person believe I am ready?' V11.4 teaches: the right question is not 'do I want this?' but 'is the time right, am I capable, does the other person deem it appropriate?' This three-part check is V11.4's request protocol.
- V11.4's darśaya (show me) as a request for direct teaching: the imperative darśaya = 'show me, cause me to see' — not 'tell me about' but 'show me directly.' V11.4 practice: in any learning relationship, identify where you are stuck in 'tell me about' mode and need to shift to 'show me' mode. Direct demonstration and direct practice are different from description. Make the darśaya request explicitly.
V11.4 closes Arjuna's four-verse request sequence (V11.1-V11.4) and formally initiates the cosmic vision event. It contains three philosophically significant elements: 1. The conditional humility (manyase yadi): Arjuna's acknowledgment that the vision may require capacity he doesn't naturally possess. This is validated by V11.8's 'thou canst not see Me with natural eyes — I give thee divine eye.' The vision of the cosmic form is not a natural human perception but a divinly-granted state (divyaṃ cakṣuḥ = divine eye). V11.4's manyase yadi is epistemologically accurate: the requester cannot fully assess their own readiness for the highest experiences — the teacher's judgment is necessary. 2. Yogeśvara — the highest epithet in the request sequence: V11.2 used kamala-patrākṣa (beauty, serenity); V11.3 used parameśvara (supreme authority) and puruṣottama (supreme personhood); V11.4 uses prabhu (sovereign power) and yogeśvara (master of ALL yogic disciplines). Yogeśvara = the culminating recognition: not just the master of one yoga (the bhakti yoga of Ch.9, the vibhūti yoga of Ch.10) but the master of all forms of yoga, the source from which all yogic paths flow. The request for darśana is appropriately addressed to the yogeśvara. 3. Ātmānam avyayam — the object of the request: not a spectacular visual experience but the avyaya (imperishable) ātman (Self) of the divine. Arjuna is not asking for a cosmic light-show — he is asking to see the divine's imperishable nature in its full expression. The avyayam attribute connects to V2.20's na jāyate mriyate (not born, not dying) — the imperishable quality of the ātman described in Ch.2 is now being requested in direct-vision form.
Advaita lens
Shankaracharya: darśayātmānam avyayam — the request for the vision of the avyaya (imperishable) ātman is the Advaita goal stated as a petition. In Advaita, ātman = Brahman = avyaya (not subject to modification). V11.4's request is: 'Show me the imperishable Self directly.' This is exactly what the Advaita teacher aims to give: not information about the imperishable Self but direct recognition (svānubhava = self-experience). V11.4 marks the moment when the Gita's teaching method shifts from words to direct vision — the shift from śravaṇa to the nididhyāsana outcome.
Bhakti lens
For bhakti, V11.4's yogeśvara (Master of all Yogas) is the bhakti recognition at its deepest: the divine is not only the object of bhakti-yoga but the very source and master of all yogic paths. This places bhakti in the broadest possible context: not one path among many but the path whose source is the yogeśvara himself. Arjuna addresses Krishna as yogeśvara when making the most intimate request of the entire Gita — showing that the deepest intimacy (direct vision of the cosmic Self) is addressed through the highest recognition (yogeśvara).
Karma-Yoga lens
V11.4 for karma yoga: darśayātmānam avyayam (show me Your imperishable Self) = the karma yogi's final request. Understanding that all action occurs within the divine's sustaining (V10.42's ekāṃśena) and that all results belong to the divine (V2.47's mā phaleṣu), the karma yogi still needs to SEE this clearly — not just intellectually accept it. The avyaya-ātman vision = the direct perception of the imperishable ground within which all karma-action occurs. After this vision (V11.9-V11.55), Arjuna's karma yoga will be grounded in direct seeing, not just intellectual acceptance.
Modern parallels
V11.4's structure (conditional + recognition of authority + personal scope + direct request) parallels the ideal structure of consent and collaboration in high-stakes professional contexts: 'If you think it's appropriate [placing decision with the authority], [recognizing their expertise and judgment], I would like to [specific, direct, honest request] for my own [learning/development/understanding].' V11.4 is the Gita's model of appropriate petitioning under authority.
Practice
V11.4 readiness meditation (10 minutes): sit quietly. Bring to mind your most important current learning or spiritual question. Ask yourself: 'If the teacher or the divine were to ask: Are you ready for the direct experience of this truth? What is your honest answer?' Sit with that question for 5 minutes — not trying to answer it intellectually but feeling into your actual readiness. Then: 'What preparation or development would make me more genuinely ready for the avyayam (lasting, deep) version of this?' This is V11.4 as a readiness self-assessment practice.
Public-domain translations (3) compare all →
If, O Lord, Thou thinkest me capable of seeing it, then, O Lord of Yogis, show me Thy immutable Self. [4]
Wherefore, O Lord, if thou thinkest it may be beheld by me, show me, O Master of devotion, thine inexhaustible Self. [6]
O Thou Divinest One! / If this can be, if I may bear the sight, / Make Thyself visible, Lord of all prayers! / Show me Thy very self, the Eternal God! [7]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Your natural eyes cannot see Me — I give you the divine eye; behold My supreme Yoga-power.
Where yogeśvara Kṛṣṇa is, where archer Pārtha stands — there abide fortune, victory, flourishing, and steadfast dharma.
I am Vaiśvānara — the digestive fire in every living body — digesting all four kinds of food with prāṇa and apāna.
Your own mind is your best friend when mastered; your worst enemy when not.
The self-conquered yogi finds the Supreme Self equally present through cold, heat, joy, pain, honour and dishonour.
Satisfied by knowledge and realisation, senses mastered, gold and mud equally seen — this is the true steadfast yogi.