Verse 11.54

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 11.54:

भक्त्या त्व् अनन्यया शक्य अहम् एवं-विधोऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्त्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप ॥ ५४ ॥

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya aham evaṃ-vidho'rjuna |
jñātuṃ draṣṭuṃ ca tattvena praveṣṭuṃ ca parantapa || 54 ||

bhaktyā–by devotional service; tu–only; ananyayā–by exclusive; śakyaḥ–possible; aham–I; evaṃ-vidhaḥ–in this way (in this unique human-like form); arjuna–O Arjuna; jñātum–to known; draṣṭum–to see; ca–and; tattvena–truly; praveṣṭum–to enter (into association with Me); ca–and; parantapa–O chastiser of the foe.

O Arjuna, conqueror of the foe, only by exclusive devotion can one actually know and see My exquisite human-like form and enter into association with Me in My abode.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

“Then by which means are You attainable?” Expecting this question from Arjuna, Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with bhaktyā.” Even if one has the desire to attain impersonal liberation, he can only enter into the impersonal brahma-svarūpa with the help of bhakti. There is no other way. After renouncing jñāna, or guṇi-bhūtā-bhakti (bhakti that is predominated by jñāna), the knowledge of the jñānīs finally develops to a slight degree. They achieve nothing more than this. By it, they attain impersonal liberation (sāyujya-mukti). Later they enter into Me, having known My svarūpa in truth.” This I will explain and establish later, in Gītā 18.55.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

The vision of this pleasing human form is possible only to one with exclusive devotion (ananyā-bhakti).

In this regard, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.12.8) states:

kevalena hi bhāvena gopyo gāvo nagā mṛgāḥ
ye’nye mūḍha-dhiyo nāgāḥ siddhā mām īyur añjasā

The residents of Vraja, such as the gopīs, the cows, the animals, the snakes such as Kāliya, the twin arjuna trees and other non-moving entities with covered consciousness, such as bushes and shrubs‚ all attained the perfection of life and came to Me simply because of their one-pointed devotion for Me.

And furthermore, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.14.21) states:

bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām
bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavāt

I can only be attained through bhakti performed with full faith. I am naturally dear to My devotees, who take Me as the exclusive goal of their bhajana. Even the dog-eaters can purify themselves of their lower birth by performing bhajana to Me.