Bhagavad Gita 18.55 — Through Devotion One Knows the Lord in Truth and Enters into Him
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः ।
ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥ १८.५५ ॥
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Through devotion, one comes to know Me in truth, as to how great I am and who I am. Then, having known Me in truth, one enters into Me immediately afterwards.
Transliteration (IAST)
Word Separation
The Sanskrit verse is separated into individual words (Padched) for easier study.
Word Meanings
| Line 1 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| bhaktyā | through devotion |
| mām | Me |
| abhijānāti | one comes to know |
| yāvān | how great, in extent |
| yaḥ | who, in essence |
| cha | and |
| asmi | I am |
| tattvataḥ | in truth |
| Line 2 | |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| tataḥ | then |
| mām | Me |
| tattvataḥ | in truth |
| jñātvā | having known |
| viśhate | enters |
| tat | that |
| anantaram | immediately after |
| Line 1 | Line 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanskrit Word | Meaning | Sanskrit Word | Meaning |
| bhaktyā | through devotion | tataḥ | then |
| mām | Me | mām | Me |
| abhijānāti | one comes to know | tattvataḥ | in truth |
| yāvān | how great, in extent | jñātvā | having known |
| yaḥ | who, in essence | viśhate | enters |
| cha | and | tat | that |
| asmi | I am | anantaram | immediately after |
| tattvataḥ | in truth | ||
Detailed Meaning
Introduction
Here Lord Krishna explains how devotion leads to knowledge of Him. Through devotion, one comes to know in truth what He is and who He is, and having thus known Him, one enters into Him.
Essence
Devotion as the doorway to truth
The previous verse spoke of supreme devotion as the fruit of realisation. This verse shows that devotion is also the very means by which the Lord's nature is understood. The two are intertwined.
Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (through devotion one truly knows Me): The Lord cannot be known fully through argument or information alone. Devotion opens the heart, and the heart, once opened, perceives what the intellect can only point toward. The word abhijānāti means to know thoroughly and directly.
Yāvān (how great, in extent): The word refers to the measure or magnitude of the Lord, His infinite vastness and all-pervading presence.
Yaś cāsmi (and who I am, in essence): This refers to the Lord's innermost nature, His divine qualities, His identity as the Supreme Self within all beings.
Tattvataḥ (in truth, in reality): The knowledge is not partial or imagined but real and complete.
Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā (then, having known Me in truth): Knowledge comes first, born of devotion.
Viśate tad-anantaram (one enters into Me thereafter): The word viśate means to enter or merge. Knowing the Lord truly is not different from entering into Him, because the knower and the known become one. The word anantaram indicates that this entry follows immediately upon knowledge. It is not a later reward, but the natural completion of understanding.
A subtle point
The verse reveals that devotion is not a lower stage that is left behind once knowledge arrives. Devotion produces true knowledge, and true knowledge deepens devotion. They work together as parts of one movement toward the Lord.
Message for Everyday Life (Knowing Through Love)
Even in ordinary life, we know people best through love and attention, not through facts about them. A parent knows a child, and a friend knows a friend, in a way that no biography could convey.
A reflection: If you wish to understand something deeply, whether a person, a craft, or the truth of your own life, give it your sincere and loving attention over time. Understanding grows from this kind of devotion.
Devotion as the doorway to truth
The previous verse spoke of supreme devotion as the fruit of realisation. This verse shows that devotion is also the very means by which the Lord's nature is understood. The two are intertwined.
Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (through devotion one truly knows Me): The Lord cannot be known fully through argument or information alone. Devotion opens the heart, and the heart, once opened, perceives what the intellect can only point toward. The word abhijānāti means to know thoroughly and directly.
Yāvān (how great, in extent): The word refers to the measure or magnitude of the Lord, His infinite vastness and all-pervading presence.
Yaś cāsmi (and who I am, in essence): This refers to the Lord's innermost nature, His divine qualities, His identity as the Supreme Self within all beings.
Tattvataḥ (in truth, in reality): The knowledge is not partial or imagined but real and complete.
Tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā (then, having known Me in truth): Knowledge comes first, born of devotion.
Viśate tad-anantaram (one enters into Me thereafter): The word viśate means to enter or merge. Knowing the Lord truly is not different from entering into Him, because the knower and the known become one. The word anantaram indicates that this entry follows immediately upon knowledge. It is not a later reward, but the natural completion of understanding.
A subtle point
The verse reveals that devotion is not a lower stage that is left behind once knowledge arrives. Devotion produces true knowledge, and true knowledge deepens devotion. They work together as parts of one movement toward the Lord.
Message for Everyday Life (Knowing Through Love)
Even in ordinary life, we know people best through love and attention, not through facts about them. A parent knows a child, and a friend knows a friend, in a way that no biography could convey.
A reflection: If you wish to understand something deeply, whether a person, a craft, or the truth of your own life, give it your sincere and loving attention over time. Understanding grows from this kind of devotion.
Next Topic
Lord Krishna has said that devotion leads to knowledge of Him and to entering into Him. In the next verse, He assures Arjuna that even those who remain engaged in all kinds of action can reach this goal, if they take refuge in Him.
Hidden Messages In This Shloka
Reflect on this verse from different perspectives and see which deeper message opens up for you.
Wisdom Nuggets
The heart knows what the mind can only describe.
To know truly is to be transformed.
Knowing the Divine is entering the Divine.
Love is the doorway to understanding.
Not what is said about Him, but what He is.
The vastness invites surrender.
Heart and mind unite in realisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'bhaktyā' (through devotion) emphasise in this verse?
What do 'yāvān' (how great) and 'yaḥ cha asmi' (who I am) mean?
What does 'tattvataḥ' (in truth) mean here?
What does 'viśhate tadanantaram' (enters immediately afterwards) mean?
What is the practical message of this verse in one sentence?
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