Gita 18.55
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः | ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ||५५||
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ | tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram ||55||
In essence: Through devotion alone one truly knows Me—who I am and how great I am. Having known Me in truth, one immediately enters into My being.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Why does Krishna say only bhakti can truly know Him? What about jnana, meditation, yoga?"
Guru: "All paths lead to bhakti. Jnana reveals Brahman; bhakti reveals Krishna as Brahman with infinite qualities. Meditation stills the mind; bhakti fills the still mind with divine presence. Yoga unites; bhakti specifies with whom. Bhakti isn't one path among many—it's the flowering of all paths. The previous verse showed even Brahman-realization culminates in 'mad-bhaktim param.'"
Sadhak: "'Yavan yash chasmi'—how great and who I am. What's the difference?"
Guru: "'Yavan' is magnitude, extent, glory—Krishna's cosmic dimensions, His infinite vibhutis. 'Yah' is identity, essence, nature—who Krishna really is in His intimate being. Through bhakti you know both: the unimaginable greatness and the accessible sweetness. You know the Lord of the universe is also the friend of the heart."
Sadhak: "'Enters into Me'—does this mean losing one's individuality?"
Guru: "Not loss but fulfillment. The river doesn't lose itself entering the ocean—it becomes the ocean. Your limited identity doesn't disappear; it expands to embrace the infinite. Or better: you discover you were never separate. 'Entering' is realizing you were always within."
Sadhak: "'Tad-anantaram'—immediately. But we hear of gradual spiritual progress?"
Guru: "The preparation may be gradual; the realization is immediate. You walk toward a cliff for years; falling is instantaneous. You heat water gradually; boiling happens at a threshold. When bhakti ripens into complete surrender, the 'entering' is instant. All the gradual practice leads to a moment of recognition."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Cultivate bhakti's knowing quality: don't just pray TO Krishna but seek to KNOW Krishna—His nature, His qualities, His ways. Ask: 'Lord, reveal Yourself to me—not information about You but experience of You.' This transforms devotion from duty to discovery.
When you encounter the divine in any form—beauty, kindness, truth, wonder—recognize: 'This is You, Lord. Through this I know You a little more.' Each recognition deepens 'abhijanati'—true knowing. The world becomes a constant revelation.
Before sleep, offer your desire to truly know: 'I have studied scriptures, practiced disciplines, followed paths—but I want to KNOW You, not just know ABOUT You. May my bhakti ripen into direct realization. May I enter into Your being as You have entered into mine.'