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सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।18.66।।

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣhayiṣhyāmi mā śhuchaḥ

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 18, Verse 66
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: abandoning all duties, take refuge in Krishna alone, do not grieve, I shall liberate you from all sins, delivering the single most direct, almost startling instruction in the entire text, more radical than anything said before it.

In life: sometimes, at the very end of a long process of guidance and growth, the actual final instruction turns out to be simpler and more radical than everything that came before it, a full, trusting release rather than one more layered technique.

Teaching: after working through a long, layered process of your own growth, be open to the possibility that the actual final step is simpler and more radical than anything before it, full trust and release, rather than one more technique to master.

sarva-dharmānall varieties of dharmas
parityajyaabandoning
māmunto me
ekamonly
śharaṇamtake refuge
vrajatake
ahamI
tvāmyou
sarvaall
pāpebhyaḥfrom sinful reactions
mokṣhayiṣhyāmishall liberate
mādo not
śhuchaḥfear

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
18.66 सर्वधर्मान् all duties? परित्यज्य having abandoned? माम् to Me? एकम् alone? शरणम् refuge? व्रज take? अहम् I? त्वा thee? सर्वपापेभ्यः from all sins? मोक्षयिष्यामि will liberate? मा dont? शुचः grieve.Commentary This is the answer given by the Lord to the estion put by Arjuna in chapter II? verse 7 I ask Thee which may be the better tell me that decidedly. I am Thy disciple? suppliant to Thee teach me.All Dharmas Righteous deeds? including Adharma all actions? righteous or unrighteous? as absolute freedom from all actions is intended to be taught here.Taking refuge in Me alone implies the knowledge of unity without any thought of duality knowing that there is nothing else except Me? the Self of all? dwelling the same in all. If thou art established in this faith? I shall liberate thee from all sins? from all bonds of Dharma and Adharma by manifesting Myself as thy own Self.To behold forms is the Dharma of the eye. The support or substratum of all forms is Brahman. When you look at an object behold Brahman Which is the one essence and abandon the form as it is illusory and unreal. Have the same attitude towards the other objects which pertain to the other senses.Give up the JivaDharma (the notions I am the doer o actions? I enjoy. I am a Brahmana. I am a Brahmachari. I am endowed with a little knowledge and power? etc. and get yourself established in BrahmaBhavana (the understanding or knowledge I am Brahman). This is what is meant by taking refuge in Lord Krishna? according to the Vedantins.Work ceaselessly for the Lord but surrender the fruits of all actions to the Lord. Take the Lord as your sole refuge. Live for Him. Work for Him. Serve Him in all forms. Think of Him only. Meditate on Him alone. See Him in all forms. Think of Him only. Meditate on Him alone. See Him everywhere. Worship Him in your heart. Consecrate your life? all actions? feelings and thoughts to the Lord. You will rest in Him. You will attain union with Him. You will attain immortal supreme peace and eternal bliss. This is the view of another school of thought.Sri Sankara very strongly refutes the idea that knowledge in conjunction with Karma (action) produces or leads to liberation. He says that Karma and knowledge may not go together in the same man? that karma helps the man to get purification of the heart? and that right knowledge of the Self alone will give him absolute freedom from Samsara. He says that work and knowledge are like darkness and light? that action is possible only in this universe of illusory phenomena which is the projection of ignorance and knowledge dispels this ignorance. (Cf.III.30IX.22)