Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 57 (BG 18.57) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

18.57 चेतसा mentally? सर्वकर्माणि all actions? मयि in Me? संन्यस्य resigning? मत्परः having Me as the highest goal? बुद्धियोगम् the Yoga of discrimination? उपाश्रित्य resorting to? मच्चित्तः with the mind fixed on Me? सततम् always? भव be.Commentary Do thou? O Arjuna? surrender all thy actions to Me whilst at the same time fixing thy mind on discrimination. Then through that discrimination thou wilt see thy Self as separate from the body and activity and existing in My pure Being. Chetasa Mentally with the discriminative faith that knowledge finally leads to liberation when the heart is purified through selfless works done with the spirit of offering to God.Sarvakarmani All actions producing visible and invisible results.Me The Lord As taught in verse 27 of chapter IX Whatever thou doest? whatever thou eatest? etc.? do thou dedicate all thy actions to Me.Matparah Taking Me? Vaasudeva? as the supreme goal? and his whole self centred in Me.Resorting to Buddhi Yoga As thy sole refuge steadymindedness.

Renounce all actions to Me with your mind—that is, with full understanding and awareness. This means to perform all actions while abandoning the sense of doership and attachment to results, acting solely with the sentiment of offering to the Divine. This principle has been elaborated upon extensively before. Become devoted to Me: The person for whom I, the Supreme Self, am the ultimate goal is called devoted to Me. Without understanding the Divine as the very purpose of life, the sentiment of offering to the Divine cannot arise within us. Therefore, Lord Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna to become devoted to the Divine. Yoga of Understanding: In karma yoga, the offering of one's understanding—that is, one's sentiment and intention—holds supreme importance. Therefore, Lord Sri Krishna has named it the yoga of understanding. This too has been discussed. Let your mind be absorbed in Me: One whose mind is established in Me, the Supreme Self, is said to be absorbed in Me. By renouncing all actions to Me and becoming devoted to Me—these two statements successively point to karma yoga and jnana yoga. Now, through the word "absorbed in Me," the Lord indicates bhakti, devotion. This is the law of mental life: as we contemplate, so we become. According to this law, the devotee who constantly reflects upon the nature of Krishna becomes Krishna Himself, the Supreme Self embodied. This is the eternal nature of the atman. But if a person rejects this teaching of the Divine, what then shall be their fate? Listen.