अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषा धर्मस्यास्य परन्तप । अप्राप्य मां निवर्तन्ते मृत्युसंसारवर्त्मनि ॥
aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa | aprāpya māṃ nivartante mṛtyusaṃsāravartmani ||
Translation
Those persons without faith in this dharma, O scorcher of foes, without reaching Me, return on the path of the mortal world of samsara.
Interpretation
The one essential prerequisite: shraddha — living faith. Not blind belief but a genuine, committed orientation toward the truth being taught. Those who lack this faith (ashraddadhanah) do not reach the Divine and continue on the path of samsara — the cycle of death and rebirth (mrityusamsara-vartmani — the path of the mortal samsara). Faith is the open door; without it, the teacher can speak but nothing enters. This is why Krishna first checks that Arjuna is anasuyave (non-envious) before sharing the deepest teaching.