Bhagavad Gita · 18.56 · Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender·56 of 78
सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः।मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ॥
sarva-karmāṇy api sadā kurvāṇo mad-vyapāśhrayaḥ
mat-prasādād avāpnoti śhāśhvataṁ padam avyayam
Sanskrit recitation
Surrender the weight · 18.56–18.66 · Teaching
Translation
Having taken refuge in Me and doing all actions, by My grace he obtains the eternal, indestructible state of being.
Meaning
Worshipping Me with the flowers of his good actions he reaches the imperishable Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour through My grace. He attains union with Me and enjoys the supreme bliss. If by chance he commits some prohibited actions, still, as in the Ganga (Indias most holy river) the waters of the drains and roads find union, so My devotee, becoming united with Me, is unaffected by these prohibited actions.Worship of the Lord through ones duties purifies the heart of the aspirant and prepares him for the devotion to knowledge which eventually leads him to the attainment of Selfrealisation. The Yoga of Devotion is eulogised here.All actions Good actions and even the prohibited actions. He who takes shelter in Me, Vaasudeva, the Lord, with his whole self centred in Me attains the eternal abode of Vishnu, by the grace of the Lord.
After Swami Sivananda
Surrender the weight· 18.56–18.66→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
18.56Having taken refuge in Me and doing all actions, by My grace he obtains the eternal, indestructible state of being.
- 18.57Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, and resorting to the yoga of discrimination, do thou ever fix thy mind on Me.
- 18.58Fixing your mind on Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles; but if you will not hear Me due to egoism, you shall perish.
- 18.59If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest, "I will not fight," then thy resolve is vain; nature will compel thee.
- 18.60O Arjuna, bound by your own Karma (action) born of your own nature, that which from delusion you wish not to do, even that you shall do helplessly.
- 18.61The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusory power, to revolve as if mounted on a machine.
- 18.62Fly to Him for refuge with all your being, O Arjuna; by His grace you will obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
- 18.63Thus, wisdom more secret than secrecy itself has been declared to you by me. Reflect on it fully, then act as you wish.
- 18.64Hear again My supreme word, most secret of all; for you are dearly beloved of Me, I will tell you what is good.
- 18.65Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. You will come to Me; I truly promise you this, for you are dear to Me.
- 18.66Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Word-by-word→
- api
- though
- padam
- abode
- sadā
- always
- sarva
- all
- avyayam
- imperishable
- avāpnoti
- attain
- karmāṇi
- actions
- kurvāṇaḥ
- performing
- śhāśhvatam
- the eternal
- mat-prasādāt
- by my grace
- mat-vyapāśhrayaḥ
- take full refuge in me
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