Not by any ritual

nāhaṃ vedairna tapasā na dānena na cejyayāśakya evaṃvidho draṣṭuṃ dṛṣṭavānasi māṃ yathā

Not by the Vedas, not by austerity, not by giving, not by ritual, can I be seen as you have seen Me.

What it means

Krishna repeats, so Arjuna understands. Not by scripture. Not by tapas, discipline. Not by charity. Not by ritual. None of these alone shows God as Arjuna has seen him. They're good practices, but they aren't the key. The next verse names the key.

The story

Krishna is building suspense, like a teacher before the final answer. Everything Arjuna's culture taught him to do is good, and none of it is the secret. What is?

In your life

Maybe you know someone who went to every self-help seminar and still felt empty, until they found a community that truly loved them. Practices help. Love transforms. Keep both in your life.