Verse 18.50
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
सिद्धिं प्राप्तो यथा ब्रह्म तथाप्नोति निबोध मे | समासेनैव कौन्तेय निष्ठा ज्ञानस्य या परा ||५०||
Transliteration (IAST)
siddhiṁ prāpto yathā brahma tathāpnoti nibodha me | samāsenaiva kaunteya niṣṭhā jñānasya yā parā ||50||
Word-by-Word Meanings
siddhim-perfection
prāptaḥ-having attained
yathā-how
brahma-Brahman/the Absolute
tathā-so
āpnoti-attains
nibodha-learn/understand
niṣṭhā jñānasya-the culmination of knowledge
Translation
Learn from Me in brief, O son of Kunti, how one who has attained perfection reaches Brahman, which is the supreme culmination of knowledge.
Commentary
Krishna introduces a summary of the path from karma yoga perfection to the highest knowledge of Brahman. Shankaracharya notes that this section (verses 50-55) provides a concise roadmap from purified action to direct realization. Madhva explains that Krishna uses 'samāsena' (in brief) because the detailed teachings have already been given in earlier chapters.
Themes
jnanamoksha