Three manthras-3.the charamasloka

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Charmasloka

 

Sarvadharmaan parithyjya maam ekam Saranam vraja

Aham thvaa sarvapaapebhyaH mokshayishyaami maa SuchaH

 

 

This is the sloka with which the discourse on Gita ends and hence it is known

as charamasloka ,

charama meaning the end. The meaning of the sloka is,

 

Completely relinquishing all dharmas, seek Me alone for refuge. I will release

you from all sins. Do not

grieve.

 

Sarvadharmaan parithyajya- relinquishing all dharmas

 

 

Relinquishing all dharmas means complete relinquishment of all sense of agency,

fruits etc., whatever may

be the path pursued, jnana, karma or bhakthi.

 

If one practices such abandonment, the Lord says that He will be released from

all sins, meaning the sins

which results from time immemorial due to past karma, because once a man becomes

a devotee giving up

agency and fruits of action no sin can accrue to him any more.

 

When one despairs over his inability to perform rites, as prescribed in

bhakthiyoga such as worship and

other rituals, the Lord ordains another means of attaining Him, namely,

prapatthi. It is said that prapatthi is

even superior to bhakthi yoga because the latter destroys all sins other than

prarabdha which has to be

experienced in order to exhaust it. But prapatthi destroys even those sins which

have begun to operate.

This is the real purport of the charamasloka.

 

What is intended by the word dharma here is the various methods of upasana

prescribed in the vedas like

sadvidhya, dhaharavisdya etc. and not the nithya naimitthika karma which have to

be done but as an

offering to the Lord. The rites need not be abandoned by a prapanna but should

be done as kainkarya.

 

Hence prapatthi or surrender may be adopted by :

1. Those who do not know any other upaya or means of attaining the Lord;

2. Those who have a clear undsrstanding of what should be done but lack the

ability to perform any

other upaya.

3. Those who have the knowledge and ability but cannot brook any delay and

cannot exist without

attaining Him. This is the meaning of `sarvadharmaan parithyajya.'

..

maam ekam SaraNam vraja- seek me alone as refuge.

 

This shows that the Lord is the sole upaaya or means of attaining Him. The word

maam shows that he is

the goal to be attained and the word ekam denotes that there is no other means

to attain Him except by

resorting to Him. Thus he both the upaaya, the means and upeya, the goal.

 

The phrase Saranam vraja means giving up the sense of agency and do everything

as an offering and

service to the Lord knowing that he is the Saranya, the one to resort to as he

possesses all the qualities

to be so, being the abode of mercy and grace.

 

 

 

Aham and thvaa

 

 

By the first half of the sloka , so far explained, the Lord has conveyed what

is to be done by one

seeking mukthi. The second half states what the Lord as the saviour, who has

accepted the responsibility

to protect, will perform and comforts the one who has done prapatthi. This is

what is denoted by the

words `aham=I ` and `thvaa=you.' It means " I have accepted the responsibility of

protecting you

who has given up all the other means and surrendered to Me alone. " .

 

sarvapaapebhyaH-from all sins

 

To attain the Lord one should be free from both good and bad deeds. Hence the

plural paapebhyah,

denoting their multitude.

 

Mokshayishyaami- will release you

 

This denotes the infinite mercy of he Lord as he has said in the Gita `api cheth

sudhuraacharo bhajathe

maam ananyabhaak; saadhureve cha manthvyaH,' meaning, " even a great sinner if

he resorts to Me he

is to be considered as good.

 

Maa SuchaH

 

These words reveal the certainty of what has been stated before, that is " I will

release you from all

sins, " and means the canceling of all causes of grief including the effects of

the karma which has

already begun to operate.

 

 

 

 

 

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