तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत |
तत्प्रसादात्परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम् || 62||
tam eva śharaṇaṁ gachchha sarva-bhāvena bhārata
tat-prasādāt parāṁ śhāntiṁ sthānaṁ prāpsyasi śhāśhvatam
tam—unto him; eva—only; śharaṇam gachchha—surrender; sarva-bhāvena—whole-heartedly; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat; tat-prasādāt—by his grace; parām—supreme; śhāntim—peace; sthānam—the abode; prāpsyasi—you will attain; śhāśhvatam—eternal
Translation:
O Arjuna! With your whole being, take refuge in the Lord; by His grace, you will obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode (i.e.) liberation.
Commentary:
It is said in the previous verse that man is bound to the wheel of Samsara by the power of Maya. What is the way to liberation? How can he attain supreme peace? The answer is given in this verse. To surrender with all his being, whole-heartedly to the Lord who dwells in all beings is the only way to attain freedom from the shackles of Samsara. If anybody wants to stop a machine he must seek the help of the mechanic. The Lord is the mechanic who holds and runs the tremendous machine of Samsara. Therefore Jiva has to take refuge in the Lord if he wants liberation. Without whole-hearted surrender to the Lord, the power of Maya will not give way. Only the power of the Lord is capable of terminating the power of Maya. To none else will Maya give way. Therefore the Lord advises Arjuna to surrender to Him with all his being. This exhortation is for all beings. It is the simplest and easiest path for everyone to follow. All physical powers are subject to the power of Maya and Maya is subject to the power of the Lord. Knowing this, man has to give up pride and egoism and take refuge in the Lord with humility and devotion. The same idea is expressed many times in many places in the Gita. This is one of the central ideas of the Scripture. That the idea of surrender is emphasised in the last verses of the scripture is sufficient proof that it is the major current of thought throughout. Arjuna surrendered to the Lord before the message of Gita is offered to him. The idea is once again brought into a focal point at the end.
Sarvabha-vena: With all his being (i.e.) body, mind and speech. It means that surrender should be complete and unconditional. The whole responsibility is given over to the Lord. The difficulty for the common man is that his surrender generally is conditioned by a secret and silent demand. It is not unreserved. Man’s faith is generally half-hearted. He doubts the mercy of the Lord. He partly wishes to do things by himself, although his life’s experience shows that he has not obtained any great advantage by his own effort. After many many births, man realises that the will of the Lord is supreme, and it is He who is a trustworthy friend and supporter for him in this life, here and now. The sooner man discovers it the better it is for him, for he will then obtain the peace which has been eluding him.
Tat prasadat: By the grace of the Lord. Divine Grace! He who has obtained it, unto him everything is possible. All crookedness shall be straightened for him by the Lord’s grace. He becomes a Dharmatma quickly, says the Lord. How can one obtain God’s Grace? By surrender, with a pure and clear heart, without any reservations, personal ambitions and plans for getting this or that material benefit. What does not man obtain by such surrender? Peace, bliss and liberation from the wheel of Samsara. All the highest aspirations of man are fulfilled by the Lord’s grace.
Param santim: Supreme Peace. The state of Moksha is the highest peace and bliss. It is peace that passeth understanding. It does not depend upon external circumstances. Kings cannot have it. Even emperors cannot hold that peace. It is not any of the different worlds. This peace is in the Atman, who is the real Seer behind all this phenomenal world. The phenomenal world is only an appearance, and attachment to the false, inert and sorrowful would destroy all happiness within. He who disassociates himself from this load of matter, and takes shelter within the Lord finds the treasure of true happiness and peace.
Sasvatam: The bliss of Moksha is eternal. It is changeless and deathless. All other forms of enjoyment in the material world are short-lived, termporary and subject to change. Do we not see from practical experience that pleasure and pain alternately, come down day after day, hour after hour? Of what use is it to cling to them foolishly? ‘Give it up’ is the Lord’s command. By giving up the temporary man attains the eternal state of liberation. It is given only to man to attain this highest state. The human birth is the greatest asset, for, in this manifestation only it is possible for man to attain Moksha. It is difficult for all other manifestations, higher and lower to attain liberation. So, whoever seeks his welfare should surrender to the Lord, obtain His grace, and thereby come up to the highest state of peace and bliss.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
If you are strong, take up the Vedanta philosophy and be independent. If you cannot do that, worship God; if not, worship some image. If you lack strength even to do that, do some good works without the idea of gain. Offer everything you have unto the service of the Lord. Fight on! “Leaves and water and one flower — whosoever lays anything on my altar, I receive it with equal delights.” If you cannot do anything, not a single good work, then take refuge [in the Lord]. “The Lord resides within the heart of the being, making them turn upon His wheel. Do thou with all thy soul and heart take refuge in Him.”[Source]
Question: What is the highest Divine State?
Answer: It is full of peace and eternal bliss.
Question: How can man obtain it?
Answer: By the Grace of the Lord.
Question: How can man obtain God’s grace?
Answer: By complete surrender to the Supreme Deity.
Question: What is the way to peace and the highest state?
Answer: By devotion, man obtains the grace of the Lord, and by such grace, he obtains the reward of eternal peace and liberation.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 18 🔻 (78 Verses)
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 |
| 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
| 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |
| 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 |
| 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 |
