Verse 13.19

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 13.19:

इति क्षेत्रं तथा ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं चोक्तं समासतः ।
मद्-भक्त एतद् विज्ञाय मद्-भावायोपपद्यते ॥ १९ ॥

iti kṣetraṃ tathā jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ coktaṃ samāsataḥ |
mad-bhakta etad vijñāya mad-bhāvāyopapadyate || 19 ||

iti–in this manner; kṣetram–the field (body); tathā–and also; jñānam–knowledge; jñeyam–the object of knowledge; ca–and; uktam–have been spoken of;samāsataḥ–in summary; mat-bhaktaḥ–My devotee; etat–all of this; vijñāya–having fully comprehended; mat-bhāvāya– prema for Me; upapadyate–attains.

Thus I have briefly described the field of the body, knowledge and the object of knowledge. By understanding them, My devotee attains prema-bhakti, transcendental loving devotion, to Me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

Here, in the verse beginning with iti‚ Śrī Bhagavān is concluding His statements about knowledge of the field of the body, etc., with an explanation about who is qualified for this knowledge and its result. From the verse mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāro (Gītā 13.6) to adhyātma (Gītā 13.12), the word kṣetra has been explained. Jñāna has also been described from Gītā 13.8 to the word adhyātma in Gītā 13.12. Jñeyaḥ and jñāna-gamyam have been described from Gītā 13.13 beginning with the line anādi up to the verse ending with dhiṣṭhitam in Gītā 13.18. That same Absolute Reality has been called brahma, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. This has been briefly described.

The words mad-bhakta (My devotee) refers to a jñānī who is endowed with devotion. In such a case, mad-bhāvāya means that he attains sāyujya-mukti. Or, mad-bhakta means “My unalloyed servant, who knows ‘My Prabhu has so much opulence.’ In this case, such an unalloyed devotee becomes qualified to attain prema for Me”. In other words, he becomes eligible to attain prema-bhakti.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

In this verse, Śrī Bhagavān clearly states that karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs, tapasvīs and nirviśeṣa-māyāvādīs cannot understand the real truth of Bhagavad-gītā. Only devotees of Bhagavān can understand it. This is the deep meaning of the word mad-bhakta (My devotee). One should first become a bhakta to understand the tattva of the object of knowledge (jñeya), the knower (jñātā) and knowledge (jñāna), as described in the Gītā. For this reason, one must practise bhakti by taking shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “O Arjuna, I have briefly described the field of the body, knowledge and the object of knowledge. This is considered to be knowledge with realization, and devotees who achieve it attain My unalloyed prema-bhakti. Non-devotees, who merely accept the shelter of useless monistic disciplic lineages, are cheated of real knowledge. Jñāna is nothing but the sitting place of Bhakti-devī. It is the pure state of a soul who has taken shelter of bhakti.” This topic will be further clarified in Chapter Fifteen, wherein the fundamental Truth about the Supreme Person is described.