Next, what is the characteristic of that knowledge which is said to be nisthā?
bhaktyā māmabhijānāti yāvān yaścāsmi tattvataḥ । tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tadanantaram ॥ 18-55॥ By bhakti (knowledge), he knows me properly as to how much I am and who I am in reality. Thereafter, knowing Me in reality, he enters (Me) soon after that (knowing).
Lord Krsna says, “he knows me through bhakti.” This bhakti is knowledge, because there is no way of knowing anything except by knowledge. He knows how much I am - yāvān yaścāsmi. This is with reference to the varieties of upādhi, because of which, there seems to be differences. And he knows me essentially - abhijānāti asmi tattvataḥ, he knows Īśvara as the one who is totally free from all upādhi. Therefore abhijānāti - he knows totally, all the mithyā is not separated from satyam.
Then Lord Krsna says, knowing me in reality - tattvato jñātvā, after that - tadanantaram, he enters into me - māṁ viśate. He enters in the sense that, once he knows Parameśvara, he is no longer separate. The entering is like the wave entering the ocean, in reality there is no difference, but separation only in name and form. This expression “enter” has to be properly understood. Similarly, after that - tadanantaram, and having known - jñātvā, are words expressing the conditions necessary to become one with the Lord. That alone is pointed out, two periods of time are not involved here. Just like after cutting a log, it becomes two pieces. In the cutting itself it has become two pieces, there is no time gap between the completion of the act of cutting and the division into two pieces. Similarly here, when we say, “after knowing he enters,” knowing itself is the entry.
And that knowing is a necessary condition for entering because you stand isolated from the whole without owning the truth. It means we were never away from the Lord. Śankarācarya makes a point by saying that there are not two different actions involved here. After knowing, there is no other result called moksa. Knowledge itself is moksa. Because from the standpoint of sādhana-sādhya - means and ends, while knowledge is the means for freedom, it is said that tadanantaram - after. Here, however, the means happens to be identical to the end, so “after” is not in terms of time.
After talking about sannyāsī, Lord Krsna again comes to the topic of karma-yoga, because without living through a life of karma-yoga, the life of sannyāsī will not be fruitful.
sarvakarmāṇyapi sadā kurvāṇo madvyapāśrayaḥ । matprasādādavāpnoti śāśvataṁ padamavyayam ॥ 18-56॥
The one who is always doing all (proper) actions, whose basis (for all actions and results) is myself, gains the end, which is eternal and imperishable, because of my grace.
Here Lord Krsna shows that a karma-yogī reaches the same end as a formal sannyāsī whose lifestyle is only committed to jñāna. Because a karma-yogī is one whose actions and results are having the basis in Īśvara - sarvakarmāṇyapi sadā kurvāṇo madvyapāśrayaḥ. Because he knows Īśvara is the one who governs actions and their results. As the result of living a prayerful life, āvāpnoti śāśvataṁ padamavyayam - he gains an end, which happiness does not come to an end, matprasād - because of Īśvara’s grace. Because he has taken refuge in Īśvara, he gains purity of the mind, then there is chance for him to expose to proper teaching which is necessary for clear knowledge. The body and mind must also be conducive for his pursuit as well as surrounding conditions. All these are due to the grace of the Lord - Īśvara-prasāda. If you really look into it, you will find the whole pursuit is nothing but grace.
cetasā sarvakarmāṇi mayi sannyasya matparaḥ । buddhiyogamupāśritya maccittaḥ satataṁ bhava ॥ 18-57॥
Being one whose (only) end is myself, mentally renouncing all actions unto me, resorting to a life of karma-yoga, may you become one whose mind is always in Me.
cetasā sarvakarmāṇi mayi sannyasya - mentally renouncing all actions unto me. Seeing karma is not will by me, but presents itself to be done as Īśvara’s order. The very fact that I am placed in a given situation which called for an action on my part, means I am caught in this law of Īśvara. This has to be understood properly. It is not that Īśvara goes about desiring something to happen to me. Īśvara’s will implies my own past karma which brings about a given result for the present. Since the law itself is the manifestation of Īśvara, therefore it is called Īśvarecchā - Īśvara’s will. And when I understand that, I do whatever the situation calls for. When the called for actions are done with a mind that has this appreciation, it is an offering to Īśvara.
When I think that I am fully responsible for every accomplishment without including Īśvara, I create a lot of unnecessary pressure because I am taking charge of things that I am not capable of controlling. In karma-yoga, efficiency is natural because I am free from anxiety. When there is no pressure, all our faculties are available to us because we do not spend time worrying about what will happen and there is no pressure of likes and dislikes that limit my action. Therefore buddhiyogamupāśritya - resorting to the life of karma-yoga. matparaḥ - the one for whom Īśvara is paramount, when Īśvara is the only end for him, nothing else. He doesn’t use Īśvara as name accomplice for gaining smaller end, but he wants Īśvara alone. As we saw in Gītā 2.41, the one who has discovered that moksa is the only goal, has a mind that is resolute, while the one who has not properly ascertained this end, has a mind that is fragmented. If the end is not clear, the ends are endless, and if the end is clear, everything is for that purpose and therefore, everything has a purpose. The commitment is moksa, therefore karma becomes yoga.
maccittaḥ satataṁ bhava - one whose mind is always with Īśvara. What does this mean? Should we never have any other thought, other than Īśvara? It is possible only when he appreciates that everything is Īśvara alone. If one’s mind is always resolved in Īśvara, then what happens?