Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 62 (BG 18.62) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 18.62 The essential meaning of the first mantra of the Isha Upanishad is that this entire universe is pervaded by the Divine. Therefore, withdraw your vision from the distinctions of name and form, and experience the bliss of the infinite Supreme Self. Covet not the wealth of another. The very essence of the Bhagavad Gita's teaching is also this: Renounce ego and perform your duty. This is, as it were, the fundamental mantra of the Gita itself. The sense of doership and pride arises from the false identification between the Self and the non-self. This individual being, caught in this delusion, continues to experience the sorrows of the world. Therefore, one must abandon ego for one's own liberation. A question may arise here: How does one renounce ego? In answer to this, the teaching of offering all actions to the Divine has been described. In the previous verse, the nature of the Divine was revealed. Therefore, now Lord Sri Krishna tells Arjun: Take refuge in that Divine dwelling in your heart. To take refuge means to abandon pride and attachment to results, and to perform action while constantly remembering the Divine—the witness of all action and the bestower of all fruits. Through this, the mind becomes purified, which aids in Self-knowledge. From the perspective of Self-knowledge, refuge means abandoning identification with all non-self limitations and experiencing unity with the Divine, which is one's true nature. This surrender must be with one's entire being (with all one's heart), not with a divided heart. Radha, Hanuman, and Prahlad are examples of such devotees. The purification of the mind and the realization of the Self constitute the grace or blessing of the Divine. To the extent that our identification with the non-self ceases, to that very extent shall we receive this grace of the Divine. Bharat: Arjun was called Bharat because he was born in the dynasty of Bharat. According to etymology, it means one who is absorbed in Bha—that is, light (knowledge). This land is called Bharat because of the sages who dwell in the radiance of spiritual knowledge. Concluding this discourse, the Lord speaks: