1 · Learn3 of 6 · 5 min
Study a Verse
Pick any verse to see what it means and how to use it in your life.
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 18.46
यत: प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।
स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानव: ॥ ४६ ॥
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya
siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ
By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own work.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
By doing your own work as worship of the Lord, the source of all beings who is present everywhere, you can attain perfection.
Prabhupāda explains that we are parts of the Lord and should serve Him in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Lord Himself delivers such devotees.
Whatever your occupation, use the results of your work to worship Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
One can become perfect by doing all the duties of his respective varna for the “Lord’s pleasure”
By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all pervading
Srila Prabhupada elaborates in this purport on how one’s work—although within the modes of material nature—can be practically turned into bhakti through niskama-karma-yoga
Supreme Lord is the beginning of all living entities — This is supported by the following references:
Bg. 15.7 – Living entities as fragmental parts and parcels
Vedanta-sutra – “janmady asya yatah…”
Bg. Chapter 7 – Lord is all pervading by His external and internal energies
Result of knowing the Lord as the source — This leads to “Worship of him”
Worship Supreme Lord with His energies
How Vaishnavas worship – Worship Lord especially with His internal energy
But what about external energy?
His external energy is a perverted reflection of internal energy
The external energy is a background, but the Supreme Lord by the expansion as Paramatma is situated everywhere, in all the demigods, human beings, animals etc.
Therefore recommendation given: Perform your duty to render service unto Him – Senses to be engaged in service of Hrsikesa, the master of the senses
Reciprocation of the Lord (Ref. Bg. 12.7) — Supreme Lord Himself takes charge of delivering such a devotee
Whatever occupation one may be engaged, if he serves the Lord, he will achieve the highest perfection
All work is controlled by the modes, yet one can become free from the reactions of work by acting as brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra in Niskama karma yoga while worshipping the Lord through that work
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 18.46 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?
Do one task today purely because it is right.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.