For Eternal Beginners
सर्व धर्मान् परित्यज्य माम् एकम् शरणम् व्रज ।
अहम् त्वा सर्व पापेभ्यः मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥ ६६ ॥
sarva dharmAn parityajya mAm ekam zaraNam vraja |
aham tvA sarva pApebhyaH mokSayiSyAmi mA zucaH || 66 ||
परित्यज्य [parityajya] Let go of सर्व धर्मान् [sarva dharmAn] all uplifting achievements and शरणम् व्रज [zaraNam vraja] make your surrender माम् एव [mAm eva] to Me alone. अहम् [aham] I मोक्षयिष्यामि [mokSayiSyAmi] shall free त्वा [tvA] you सर्व पापेभ्यः [sarva pApebhyaH] from all misfortune. मा शुचः [mA zucaH] Don’t worry.
This Shloka can be seen in two views. The first view is above and the second view is below.
परित्यज्य [parityajya] Let go of सर्व धर्मान् [sarva dharmAn] every regret and reparation that stands in the way of
devotion शरणम् व्रज [zaraNam vraja] and surrender माम् एव [mAm eva] to Me alone. अहम् [aham] I मोक्षयिष्यामि [mokSayiSyAmi] shall free त्वा [tvA] you सर्व पापेभ्यः [sarva pApebhyaH] from all misfortune that comes in the way of
devotion. मा शुचः [mA zucaH] Don’t worry.
Commentary on the first view:
The duties of activity , contemplation and devotion are methods to achieve the ultimate goal . Do them with affection towards Me, with My worship as the purpose. Leave the outcomes, possessiveness towards the action and the misconception that you make things happen.
Have Me and only Me as the Performer, as the One who is worshipped, as the Goal, and as the Method to achieve the goal. This is what’s meant by the phrase ‘letting go of everything that is to be achieved’, as mentioned in this Shloka and as described in the scriptures.
It was thoroughly described in this chapter, starting with 18-4: ‘Listen to My clarification of ‘ letting go ‘, which is done in three ways’. Then, 18-9 talked about ‘ letting go ‘ of attachment and outcomes. This is regarded as being in the quality of sattva .
It concluded in 18-11: ‘Indeed, it’s not possible for a person having a body to give up all activity without exception. On the other hand, a person who leaves the outcome of his action is the one who has let-go’.
I will free you from all misfortune. Misfortunes prevent you from being with Me. They come from missed duties and misdeeds, committed since beginning-less time. In this Shloka, The Lord says- You let-go in this way, and I shall free you from all misfortune.
Don’t worry.
Commentary on the second view:
Devotion to The Lord happens when we adore The Lord, free of all misfortune and its regrets.
However, our misfortunes are unending, having collected since beginning-less time. They will come in the way of our devotion .
In the limited time we have, it isn’t possible to do everything towards redeeming an infinite amount of misfortune. Hence, Arjuna feels sad that he isn’t qualified to begin devotion .
To remove Arjuna’s sorrow, the Lord tells him - ‘Let go of every regret and reparation that stands in the way of devotion . Surrender to Me alone’.
We have committed all kinds of deeds since beginning-less time. We accumulate misfortune when we commit misdeeds or when we miss our duties. In this way, all of us have accumulated a great variety of unlimited misfortune. All this comes in the way of devotion .
We need to make a lot of amends and reparations to get rid of all our misfortune. Since we have a limited lifespan, it isn’t possible to make enough reparations.
That’s why The Lord says - Let go of all these regrets that are impossible to repair, which stand in the way of devotion . Surrender to Me alone - I am ultimately compassionate, I don’t consider anyone to be peculiar, I am the refuge of everyone without exception, I am an ocean of affection to those who take refuge in Me. I shall free you from every misfortune that comes in the way of practicing devotion , as I’ve stated.
Don’t worry.