BG 18.66

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Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste all.

 

'sarva dharmAn parityajya

mAmekaM zaraNaM vraja,

ahaM tvA sarva pApebhyo

mokSayiSyAmi mA zucaH'

 

(Gita 18.66)

 

"O Arjuna! Abandon all thoughts of religion and

irreligion and come to ME ALONE FOR SHELTER.

It is then, that I, Who am a Judge to all,

will cease to judge in your case, and will instead

pardon your countless past sins of past lives,

THROUGH MY GRACE."

 

Isn't the GRACE OF GOD IMMEASURABLE?

 

Now let us consider WHAT HAS TO BE SURRENDERED.

We possess a body, sense organs,

mind, intellect, ego etc.,

 

It is stated that -

 

"mana yeva manuSyAnAM karaNaM bandha mokshayaH"

 

(Pancadazi-Sri Vidyaranya Swami)

 

MIND ALONE IS THE CAUSE OF BONDAGE AND LIBERATION.

 

'cetaH khalvasya bandhAya muktaye cAtmano matam,

guNeSu saktaM bandhAya rataM vA puMsi muktaye"

 

(Bhagavatam 3.25.15)

 

The cause of bondage and freedom is the MIND.

Hence the MIND alone that HAS TO BE SURRENDERED TO GOD.

 

SURRENDER OF THE MIND AMOUNTS TO SURRENDER OF EVERYTHING.

 

WHAT usually happens is that we worship GOD PHYSICALLY and SURRENDER

THE MIND TO THE MATERIAL WORLD.

Our attainments are always in accordance to the ATTACHMENT OF THE

MIND.

If we perform just physical actions with the body, but DO NOTHING

WITH THE MIND, EXCEPT SURRENDER TO GOD, then we will not be rewarded

for our PHYSICAL ACTIONS, but will instead attain SPIRITUAL BENEFIT.

 

SURRENDER OF THE HEART AND MIND IS ACTUAL SURRENDER.

 

(Prema Rasa Siddhant-Jagadguru Sri Kripaluji Maharaj)

 

In 'Gudartha Dipika', the great Adavaitacarya Sri Madhusudana

Sarasvati further explains on this verse -

 

'PARITYAJYA'- abandoning, ignoring as something to be PERFORMED

'SARVADHARMAN'- all forms of RITES, RITUALS and DUTIES without

EXCEPTION - some which are caste duties, some duties of the stages of

life, and some general duties- whether or not being performed ,

'SARANAM VRAJA'- take REFUGE;

'MAMEKAM'- in ME, GOD, ALONE Who am WITHOUT a second,

Who am the BASIS of and DISPENSER of the fruits of ALL RITES and

DUTIES.

 

I SHALL BECOME SELF-FULFILLED MERELY THROUGH GOD'S GRACE

WHICH on the other hand, DOES NOT DEPEND ON ANY THING ELSE

BUT SURRENDER',

adore through CONSTANT THOUGHT the Blessed Vaasudeva ALONE

Who is the embodiment of Supreme Bliss.

 

Constantly CONTEMPLATE on the Lord with INTENSE LOVE that is preceded

by such deliberation as 'This ITSELF is the HIGHEST REALITY; thereis

NOTHING surpassing this', which is a MENTAL MODIFICATION devoid of

ALL thoughts of the non-Self and which is UNROKEN like a LINE of

POURING OIL.

This is the idea.

 

Though abandonment of taking shelter under all forms of rites and

duties stands UNDERSTOOD here from this much alone-

'TAKE REFUGE IN ME ALONE', still the REITERATION of the PROHIBITION

thus-'ABANDONING all forms of rites and duties', is to HIGHLIGHT the

EFFECTIVENESS of that SURRENDER to GOD.

 

'This being so, since I MYSELF AM the FULFILLMENT of ALL the rites

and duties, THEREFORE, there is NO NEED of RITES and DUTIES for the

ONE WHO HAS TAKEN REFUGE IN ME ALONE.'

 

Since the supreme SECRET of ALL Scriptures is VERILY SURRENDER to

God, therefore Lord has CONCLUDED the Scripture of Gita at that

ITSELF.

For without that SURRENDER even monasticism DOES NOT LEAD to the

YIELDING of its own FRUIT.

Therefore the Lord's concern is ONLY with taking REFUGE IN GOD by

IGNORING even the duties of monosticism.

 

Since you have TAKEN REFUGE in ME ALONE, ignoring ALL the rites,

rituals and duties, therefore I, Who am the fulfiller of rites and

duties,

'MOKSHA ISHYAMI'- shall free,

'TVA'- you, even without expiation;

'SARVA PAPEBHYAH'- from ALL sins resulting from SUCH causes as

killing relatives, etc.,

'MA SUCAH'- DO NOT lament.

 

Do not be sorrowful under the idea,

'How can I who have set out for battle be SAVED from the SIN arising

from KILLING relatives, etc., ?'

 

With the MATURITY of Spiritual Pactice THREE TYPES of SURRENDER to

GOD come about-

 

1. I BELONG to Him indeed.

2. HE BELONGS to me indeed and

3. I am He indeed.

 

All the distinctions among these have been described by us in

the 'BHAKTI-RASAYANA'.

 

Among them the first one is MILD, as in,

 

satyapi bhedApaga me nAtha

tavAham na mAmakI na stvaM,

sAmudrohi taraGgaH kva ca na

samudro na tAraGgaH. (3)

 

'Even the difference vanishes, O Lord, I am YOURS and NOT YOU MINE.

For, the WAVE belongs to the SEA, NEVER the SEA to the WAVE.

 

(Vishnu Shatpdi Stotra. 3, Sri Adi Shankaracarya)

 

The second is MEDIUM, as in,

 

hastamAkSipyayAtosi balAtkRSTa kim adbhutaM

hRdayAd api nirvAsi pauruSaM gaNayAmi te

 

 

'O Krishna, HOW strange is that You are GOING AWAY by FORCIBLY

FLINGING ASIDE my arms!

I shall consider it MANLY IF You CAN GO AWAY from my HEART!!

 

(Sri Krishna Karnamritam 3.96, Rasik Saint Sri Lilasuka Bilva

Mangala)

 

The third is INTENSE, as in,

 

'Those Who regard to the Infinite One Who has ENTERED the HEART,

have the FIRM conviction,

'All this and MYSELF are VASUDEVA; That Supreme Person,

the Supreme Lord, IS ONE',- GO AWAY leaving THEM at a distance.'

 

(Vishnu Purana 3.7.32)

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!