|| 18.55 ||
भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः। ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम्।।
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram
Word by Word
bhaktyā (by devotional service) mām (Me) abhijānāti (one can know) yāvān (as much as) yaḥ ca asmi (who and what I am) tattvataḥ (in truth) tataḥ (then) mām (Me) tattvataḥ (in truth) jñātvā (knowing) viśate (enters) tat-anantaram (thereafter).
Translation
One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa declares that devotion is the only tool that can actually measure God. Logic and meditation can show us God’s light or His power, but only ‘Bhakti’ can reveal His personality—who He is and what He likes. Once a soul knows Kṛṣṇa ‘tattvataḥ’ (in truth), they become qualified to enter His intimate spiritual kingdom.
Knowing someone’s power is different from knowing their heart. You might know the President’s policies, but only his family knows him as a person. Similarly, by loving service, Kṛṣṇa reveals His personal secrets to the devotee. This ‘jñātvā’ or knowing is not academic; it is experiential. It creates an intimacy that naturally pulls the soul out of the material world and into the Divine presence.
This verse emphasizes the personal nature of the Absolute. Kṛṣṇa is not a ‘void’ to be dissolved into; He is a Person to be ‘entered’ into relationship with. Devotion is the bridge that spans the gap between the finite human and the infinite Divine. It reminds us that our ultimate goal is not just peace, but a deep, eternal participation in the Lord’s life.