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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 18.66
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच: ॥ ६६ ॥
sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Kṛṣṇa says to give up all varieties of religion and surrender to Him alone. He promises freedom from all sinful reactions: do not fear.
Prabhupāda explains that we need not become free from sin before surrendering. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa itself frees us from sinful reactions.
Surrender to Kṛṣṇa with faith and love. Choose what supports devotional service and trust His protection.
If one simply thinks of Krishna at all times, what will happen to his duties. So Krishna says that:
Give up those duties and all varieties of religion
Our only duty is to exclusively surrender unto Him
Thus material reaction will not touch you – Do not hesitate or fear
What Krishna means by seeing “Abandon all varieties of religion”
Lord has described various kinds of knowledge and processes of religion
Now he recommends to give up all that and simple surrender
How surrender will save
Lord personally promises to protect from all kinds of sinful reaction
No need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reaction –
Just “process of surrender” will automatically free one from all reactions; although Bg. 7.28 demands freedom from all sin to understand Krishna
Process of surrender — Ref. Hari-bhakti Vilasa (6 points)
Simply accept such religious principles that are favorable to devotional service
Avoid anything unfavorable to devotional service
Confidence of Krishna’s protection in all circumstances
No need of thinking how to keep body and soul together. Krishna will see to that
Always think oneself helpless
Consider Krishna as the only basis of one’s progress in life
No need of other purificatory and religious processes (Srila Prabhupada thus explains uselessness of worry and hesitation)
Importance of “ma sucah” – Indicates “do not fear or hesitate”
One may be perplexed as to how one can give up all kinds of religious forms and simply surrender unto Krishna, but such worry is useless SUMMARISED THEME 18A SUMMARY OF 18.54 – 18.66 A) Confidential knowledge: Knowledge of Brahman (18.54)
BRAHMA-BHUTA platform: Joyful, never laments or desires to have anything, equally disposed to all living entities and attains pure devotional service B) More confidential knowledge: Knowledge of Paramatma (18.61)
Supreme Lord in everyone’s heart
Body is a machine or a vehicle
Living entity is seated in a machine
Paramatma directs the wanderings
Surrender to Him
Thus attin transcendental peace in this life
Attain eternal abode in the next life C) Most confidential knowledge: Devotional service to Bhagavan, Krishna
The process (18.65)
Always think of Me
Become My devotee
Worship Me
Offer homage unto Me
Essence of all religion: Surrender unto Krishna (18.66)
He will deliver one from all sinful reactions (18.66)
Texts 18.65 & 18.66
One may doubt that he is able to take advantage of Krishna’s
words and render the quality of pure devotional service that Krishna has requested. Should he first undergo renunciation, austerities and vows to purify his heart so that he will enhance his ability to surrender? Here is Krishna’s answer. In his purport to Text 18.66, Srila Prabhupada glorifies full and immediate surrender to Krishna’s service as the process that will qualify us for that service
Refuge and confidence
A pure devotee of Krishna
Always think of Krishna, become Krishna’s devotee, worship Krishna, offer all homage unto Krishna and thus come to Krishna.
Surrender to Krishna, do not fear sinful reactions
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Prescribed duty
Krishna calls for exclusive surrender beyond all other processes.
Surrender
Krishna offers deliverance to one who surrenders.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What am I still holding back from Krishna’s guidance and protection?
Identify one attachment to control and consciously offer it to Krishna in prayer.
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.