Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 11, Verse 55
Verse 55
The Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form
My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being — he certainly comes to Me.
Context & Meaning
The final verse of the most dramatic chapter in the Gita, and it ends with five simple qualities: doing work as service to God, making God the supreme goal, practicing pure devotion, being free from attachment, and being without enmity toward any being. After the terrifying vision of cosmic destruction, after the overwhelming glory of the viśvarūpa — the path home is not austerity or fear. It is love, work, and kindness to all living beings.
Scholar Commentaries
2 commentaries · Public domainAdi Shankaracharya
AdvaitaFive qualities summarize the devotee who certainly reaches the Supreme: selfless work, supreme dedication, pure devotion, non-attachment, and universal friendliness. The last quality — nirvairaḥ sarvabhūteṣu — is remarkable: no enmity toward any creature. The devotee who has seen all beings in the cosmic form cannot hate any of them.
Ramanujacharya
VishishtadvaitaSa māmeti — "he comes to Me." After the most overwhelming revelation in the Gita, the conclusion is intimate: come to Me. The cosmic destroyer and the gentle friend are the same Being, and what that Being wants is not fearful worship but loving approach. The entire chapter ends in an invitation.