Chapter 18, Verse 55

भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः । ततो मां तत्त्वतो ज्ञात्वा विशते तदनन्तरम् ॥

Translation

Through devotion, one truly comes to know me as I am. Having known me in truth, one then enters into that reality.

Explanation

Knowledge is presented here as the outcome of devotion, not devotion's replacement — a sequence, not a substitute. It suggests that heartfelt engagement with something often opens up an understanding that detached study alone doesn't reach on its own.

Reflect

What have you come to understand only after genuinely caring about it, not just studying it from a distance?

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