For Eternal Beginners
भक्त्या माम् अभिजानाति यावान् यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः ।
ततो माम् तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥ ५५ ॥
bhaktyA mAm abhijAnAti yAvAn yazcAsmi tattvataH |
tato mAm tattvato jJAtvA vizate tadanantaram || 55 ||
माम् अभिजानाति [mAm abhijAnAti] This person knows Me भक्त्या [bhaktyA] with devotion, यावान् च [yAvAn ca] right up to तत्त्वतः [tattvataH] the essence यः अस्मि [yaH asmi] of who I am. ततः [tataH] From there, ज्ञात्वा [jJAtvA] knowing माम् [mAm] Me तत्त्वतः [tattvataH] in true form, विशते [vizate] he enters Me तदनन्तरम् [tadanantaram] without delay.
With devotion , this person knows Me in essence - who I am, along with My form, My characteristics, all My qualities and My powers. Knowing Me in this way through devotion , he enters Me without delay.
In short – A person enters the Lord the moment he recognizes the Lord in His true form, with devotion .
Unbroken, unbounded devotion comes by knowing My essence along with My form and characteristics, seeing My qualities and My powers. With this devotion , he achieves Me - that’s what is meant here.
This Shloka re-stated that achieving the Lord comes through such devotion . This was stated in 11-54: ‘Only by single-minded devotion , it is possible to know Me as I am, to see Me and to be one with Me’.
In this way, devotion alone makes it possible to enter the Lord in His essence.
Up until now, the performance of routine and prescribed actions was emphasized. When we leave our attachment towards their outcomes, we leave possessiveness and the misconception that we make things happen.
When free of these misconceptions, our activity is a method to worship the Lord. These activities mature into devotion and we enter the Lord - that was also described.
Next, The Lord states that even when actions driven by desire are performed as described, they mature in the same way -