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BG 11.54

भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्यः अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परंतप

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakyaḥ
aham evaṃvidho 'rjuna
jñātuṃ draṣṭuṃ ca tattvena
praveṣṭuṃ ca paraṃtapa

SYNONYMS

bhaktyā: by devotion | tu: But | ananyayā: single-minded | śakyaḥ: it is possible | aham: I | evaṃ-vidhaḥ: who am of this form | arjuna: O Arjuna | jñātum: to truly know | draṣṭum: to see | ca 1: and | tattvena: truly | praveṣṭum: to enter into | ca 2: and | paraṃtapa: O harasser of foes |

TRANSLATION

But by single-minded devotion, O Arjuna, it is possible to truly know, to see and to enter into Me, who am of this form, O harasser of foes.

PURPORT

By Vedas, i.e., by mere study, teaching etc., of these sacred texts, it is not possible to know Me truly. It is also not possible through meditation, sacrifices, gifts and austerities, destitute of devotion towards Me. But by single-minded devotion i.e., by devotion characterised by extreme ardour and intensity, it is possible to know Me in reality through scriptures, to behold Me directly in reality, and enter into Me in reality. So describes a Shruti passage: ‘This Self cannot be obtained by instruction, nor by intellect nor by much hearing. Whomsoever He chooses, by him alone is He obtained. To such a one He reveals His own form’ (Ka.U., 2.2.23) and (Mun.U., 3.2.3).