Bhagavad-gītā 11.55
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
-
mat - karma - kṛt
—
who works for Me
Compound: mat (My) + karma (work) + kṛt (doer). The first of the verse's qualifications. Even karma is not abandoned — it is re-directed.
-
mat - paramaḥ
—
who makes Me supreme
Compound: mat + parama (supreme). The Lord is held as the highest value. Even good things become subordinate; only Kṛṣṇa is parama.
-
saṅga - varjitaḥ
—
free from attachment
Compound: saṅga (attachment) + varjita (forsaken). Saṅga — the same word from 2.47. The chapter's last verse circles back to the karma-yoga of the second chapter; the Gītā's geometry closes.
-
nirvairaḥ
—
free from enmity
Compound: nir (without) + vaira (enmity). One of the most beautiful single-word qualifications in the Gītā. The devotee is at war with no one — fitting that the chapter set on the battlefield ends on this word.
-
sarva - bhūteṣu
—
toward all beings
Compound locative: sarva (all) + bhūta (being). Universal — no being excluded. The friendliness has no boundary.
-
eti
—
he goes, attains
Third-person singular present of i — 'goes (to).' Paired with accusative mām, 'comes to Me.' The verb of arrival. After all the seeing, the chapter ends with going-to. Vision yields to journey; darśana opens into approach.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
| Sanskrit | IAST | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| मत्-कर्म-कृत् | mat-karma-kṛt | मद् (pron. (pronoun)) + कर्मन् (n.) + कृत् (suffix, agent) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) | doer of work for Me |
| मत्-परमः | mat-paramaḥ | मद् (pron. (pronoun)) + परम (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) | for whom I am the supreme |
| मद्-भक्तः | mad-bhaktaḥ | मद् (pron. (pronoun)) + भक्त (m.) nom.sg. (nominative singular), tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) | My devotee |
| सङ्ग-वर्जितः | saṅga-varjitaḥ | सङ्ग (m.) + वर्जित (p.p.p. (past passive participle)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) | free of attachment |
| निर्वैरः | nirvairaḥ | निर् (ind. (indeclinable)) + वैर (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m., bahuvrīhi cpd. (compound) | without enmity |
| सर्व-भूतेषु | sarva-bhūteṣu | सर्व (adj.) + भूत (n.) loc.pl. (locative plural), karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) | toward all beings |
| यः | yaḥ | rel. pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. | who |
| सः | saḥ | तद् (dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. | he |
| माम् | mām | अस्मद् (pron. (pronoun)) acc.sg. (accusative singular) | to Me |
| एति | eti | √इ pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) | comes, goes |
| पाण्डव | pāṇḍava | पाण्डव (m.) voc.sg. (vocative singular) | O son of Pāṇḍu |
Anyone who wants to approach the supreme of all the Personalities of Godhead, on the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky, and be intimately connected with the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, must take this formula, as stated by the Supreme Himself. Therefore, this verse is considered to be the essence of Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is a book directed to the conditioned souls, who are engaged in the material world with the purpose of lording it over nature and who do not know of the real, spiritual life. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant to show how one can understand his spiritual existence and his eternal relationship with the supreme spiritual personality and to teach one how to go back home, back to Godhead. Now here is the verse which clearly explains the process by which one can attain success in his spiritual activity: devotional service. As far as work is concerned, one should transfer his energy entirely to Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. As stated in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.255), anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate No work should be done by any man except in relationship to Kṛṣṇa. This is called kṛṣṇa-karma. One may be engaged in various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of his work; the result should be done only for Him. For example, one may be engaged in business, but to transform that activity into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to do business for Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the business, then Kṛṣṇa should enjoy the profit of the business. If a businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Kṛṣṇa, he can do it. This is work for Kṛṣṇa. Instead of constructing a big building for his sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, and he can install the Deity of Kṛṣṇa and arrange for the Deity’s service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional service. This is all kṛṣṇa-karma. One should not be attached to the result of his work, but the result should be offered to Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept as prasādam the remnants of offerings to Kṛṣṇa. If one constructs a very big building for Kṛṣṇa and installs the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, one is not prohibited from living there, but it is understood that the proprietor of the building is Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Kṛṣṇa, one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Kṛṣṇa; that is also kṛṣṇa-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has land – in India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of land – can utilize that for Kṛṣṇa by growing flowers to offer Him. One can sow tulasī plants, because tulasī leaves are very important and Kṛṣṇa has recommended this in Bhagavad-gītā. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Kṛṣṇa desires that one offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or fruit, or a little water – and by such an offering He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to the tulasī. So one can sow tulasī and pour water on the plant. Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. These are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for Kṛṣṇa. The word mat-paramaḥ refers to one who considers the association of Kṛṣṇa in His supreme abode to be the highest perfection of life. Such a person does not wish to be elevated to the higher planets such as the moon or sun or heavenly planets, or even the highest planet of this universe, Brahmaloka. He has no attraction for that. He is only attracted to being transferred to the spiritual sky. And even in the spiritual sky he is not satisfied with merging into the glowing brahma-jyotir effulgence, for he wants to enter the highest spiritual planet, namely Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana. He has full knowledge of that planet, and therefore he is not interested in any other. As indicated by the word mad-bhaktaḥ, he fully engages in devotional service, specifically in the nine processes of devotional engagement: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering prayers, carrying out the orders of the Lord, making friends with Him, and surrendering everything to Him. One can engage in all nine devotional processes, or eight, or seven, or at least in one, and that will surely make one perfect. The term saṅga-varjitaḥ is very significant. One should disassociate himself from persons who are against Kṛṣṇa. Not only are the atheistic persons against Kṛṣṇa, but so also are those who are attracted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. Therefore the pure form of devotional service is described in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11) as follows: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī clearly states that if anyone wants to execute unalloyed devotional service, he must be freed from all kinds of material contamination. He must be freed from the association of persons who are addicted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. When, freed from such unwanted association and from the contamination of material desires, one favorably cultivates knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, that is called pure devotional service. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam ( Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.676). One should think of Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably. Kaṁsa was an enemy of Kṛṣṇa’s. From the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa’s birth, Kaṁsa planned in so many ways to kill Him, and because he was always unsuccessful, he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Thus while working, while eating and while sleeping, he was always Kṛṣṇa conscious in every respect, but that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was not favorable, and therefore in spite of his always thinking of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, he was considered a demon, and Kṛṣṇa at last killed him. Of course anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa attains salvation immediately, but that is not the aim of the pure devotee. The pure devotee does not even want salvation. He does not want to be transferred even to the highest planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. His only objective is to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever he may be. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is friendly to everyone. Therefore it is said here that he has no enemy ( nirvairaḥ ). How is this? A devotee situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness knows that only devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can relieve a person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this, and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for spreading God consciousness. Of course, it would be superficial to understand that he was killed. Similarly, in India also there are many examples, such as Ṭhākura Haridāsa and Prahlāda Mahārāja. Why such risk? Because they wanted to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is difficult. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that if a man is suffering it is due to his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one’s neighbor from all material problems. In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Kṛṣṇa is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body. In summary, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time which devours everything, and even the form of Viṣṇu, four-handed, have all been exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Thus Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all these manifestations. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is a manifestation of the original viśva-rūpa, or Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Viṣṇus, but for a devotee no form of Kṛṣṇa is important but the original form, two-handed Śyāmasundara. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that those who are attached to the Śyāmasundara form of Kṛṣṇa in love and devotion can see Him always within the heart and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Kṛṣṇa is essential and supreme. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eleventh Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of the Universal Form.
In order to summarize the subject of bhakti, in this verse the Lord speaks about the general characteristics of various types of devotees who were described starting in the seventh chapter. Saṅga-varjitaḥ means devoid of material attachment. Arjuna understood that his victory on the battle field was dependent on the great power of Kṛṣṇa alone. This is the meaning of this chapter. Here ends the commentaries on the eleventh chapter of the Gītā for the pleasure of the devotees’ minds, by the mercy of the ācāryas.
Having taught that exclusive bhakti is the means of attaining Himself, Kṛṣṇa now concludes. He who acts for Me (mat karma kṛt), doing such service as building and cleaning My temple, or cleaning the gardens containing My flowers and tulasī, who does not know as his goal (such as svarga) anything except Me (mat paramaḥ), who is engaged as My devotee by performing hearing and the rest of the nine processes of bhakti (mad bhaktaḥ), who does not tolerate associating with those opposed to Me (saṅga varjitaḥ), but who is devoid of enmity to even those opposed to Me (nirvairaḥ sarva bhūteṣu), since he considers that the suffering they cause is brought about by himself alone through his previous karmas –that person attains Me, Kṛsna, in My human form. No one else does. The eleventh chapter shows that Kṛsṇa is the complete form of God, because He is the source of all avatāras, and He is thus the cause of the victory for His devotees, the sons of Pāṇdu, on the battlefield in Bhārata. Chapter 12
'Mat‑karma‑krn mat‑paramo', "engaged in doing My work, considering Me the Supreme." Not that one serves Krsna and considers the impersonal as the Supreme. That will not reveal the Truth. Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "In summary, the universal form of Krsna, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time which devours everything, and even the form of Visnu, four‑handed, have all been exhibited by Krsna. Thus Krsna is the origin of all these manifestations. It is not that Krsna is a manifestation of the original visva‑rupa, or Visnu. Krsna is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Visnus, but for a devotee no form of Krsna is important but the original form, two‑handed Syamasundara. In the Brahma‑samhita it is stated that those who are attached to the Syamasundara form of Krsna in love and devotion can see Him always within the heart and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Krsna is essential and supreme." This also shows that Krsna's devotees will be always victorious.
REVIEW: In Chapter Seven, Krsna described how He is the Supreme Lord and how one can see Him. How one can see the all universe as just an expansion of His two different energies. Krsna said that. Then in Chapter Nine, Krsna, more or less said it again, and He explained that everything is coming from Him and everything should be seen in relationship to Him because He is the Supreme Lord. Then, He described in the end of Chapter Nine, how one should worship Him ‑ with devotion. And He will protect everyone, no matter what their birth is, if they surrender to Him they all will attain Krsna. Then, in Chapter Ten, Krsna explained all His opulences and described 'aham sarvasya prabhavo...', that everything is emanating from Me'. Then, He explained in the end of Chapter Ten, 'ekamsena sthito jagat...', 'the all universe is being supported, sustained and pervaded by Me'. Anyone could repeat all this and just bluff saying that he is God, that everything comes from him, etc, etc,,,. Therefore, after explaining all that confidential knowledge about Himself, Krsna displayed the actual universal form in front of witnesses, including Sanjaya and the demigods. To see the criterion, that anyone who claims to be God has to have the ability to show the universal form to everyone. Therefore Krsna displayed the universal form to show that He was not just talking cheap words, but actually He had the potency to back up those words. The three aspects of the universal form: 1. Everything was situated in one place. 2. The radiance, the effulgence. 3. 'Kala‑rupa', the form of time (the horrible aspect of it)
This Chapter Eleven is less important then Chapter Ten. In this Chapter it shows 'ekamsena sthito jagat', the form by which the Lord pervades the entire universe. Arjuna had no desire to see it for himself but for others he asked Krsna to display it to prove this point that Krsna is not just talking that He is the Supreme, but He is actually proving it.
THUS ENDS THE STUDY OF CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Because anyone who wants to approach the Supreme, in Krishnaloka
in the spiritual sky, in intimate connection, must take this formula
THEME: Only most purified devotional service free from Jnana and Karma, executed without envy can bring
one to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead
PLEASE NOTE: Some points of the purports are included as the sub-points; under the characteristics motioned
below. The remaining points of the purport are covered in the ‘Focus of Learning’ box thereafter.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCH DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (ANANYA-BHAKTI) ARE:
1. ‘Mad-bhaktah’ – Engages in My pure devotional service (Nine processes)
2. ‘Sanga varjitah’ – Free from contaminations of fruitive acts and mental speculation
3. ‘Mat-karma Krt’ – Works for ‘Me’ – without attachment to the results (with mentality of Krishna as
proprietor) –
4. ‘Mat-paramo’ – Makes ‘Me’ the Supreme Goal of Life
5. ‘Nirvairah sarva-bhutesu’ – Friendly to all living beings
(a) About Bhagavad-gita
(b) The Lord is very merciful to a person engaged according to 11.55 – Such a person reaches the
highest planet
(c) Conclusion / Purport of Chapter 11 –
Bhagavad Gita Notes
Selected Texts extracted from “Surrender unto Me”
11.55 मत्कर्मकृत् does actions for Me? मत्परमः looks on Me as the Supreme? मद्भक्तः is devoted to Me? सङ्गवर्जितः is freed from attachment? निर्वैरः without enmity? सर्वभूतेषु towards all creatures? यः who? सः he? माम् to Me? एति goes? पाण्डव O Arjuna.Commentary This is the essence of the whole teaching of the Gita. He who practises this teaching will attain Supreme Bliss and Immortality. This verse contains the summary of the entire philosophy of the Gita.He who performs actions (duties) for the sake of the Lord? who consecrates all his actions to Him? who serves the Lord with his heart and soul? who regards the Lord as his supreme goal? who lives for Him alone? who works for Him alone? who sees the Lord in everything? who sees the whole world as the Cosmic Form of the Lord and therefore cherishes no feeling of hatred or enmity towards any creature even when great injury has been done by others to him? who has no attachment or love to wealth? children? wife? friends and relatives? and who seeks nothing else but the Lord? realises Him and enters into His Being. He becomes one with Him.Thus in the Upanishads of the glorious Bhagavad Gita? the science of the Eternal? the scripture of Yoga? the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna? ends the eleventh discourse entitledThe Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form.,
- BG 11 55 - Akuti Mataji - ISKCON Alachua 2013-07-28
- BG 11 55 - Jitamrita Prabhu Hindi (Part-01)
- BG 11 55 - Jitamrita Prabhu Hindi (Part-02)
- BG 11 55 - Madhavendra Puri - ISKCON Radhadesh 2012-12-13
- BG 11 55 - Mukundamala Prabhu - ISKCON Chowpatty 2009-11-05
- BG 11 55 - Naikatma Prabhu - ISKCON Los Angeles 2011-12-25
- BG 11 55 - Nirantara Prabhu - Kundan Loka 2012-07-28
- BG 11 55 - Radhanath Swami - Mumbai 1991-01-25
- BG 11 55 - Radhe Shyam Prabhu
- BG 11 55 - Sankarsana Prabhu - Kaliningrad Russia 2008-05-11
- BG 11 55 - Sankarsana Prabhu - Vrindavan 2013-04-15
- BG 11 55 - Sarvabhauma Prabhu - Balaramdesh 2009-03-19 Hindi.MP3
- BG 11 55 - Tamohara Prabhu - ISKCON Alachua 2011-07-03
- BG 11 55 - Trivikrama Swami - Poland
- BG 11 55 - Vijay Prabhu - Los Angeles 2012-08-12
- BG 11 55 - Vijaya Prabhu - ISKCON Los Angeles 2012-08-12
- Akuti Mataji BG 11-55 - Sunday Feast Lecture - 2013-07-28 ISKCON Alachua
- Priya Valabha Mataji BG 11-55 Hindi
- Balaram Shakti Pr BG 11-55 - Recap of Chapter
- Hari Lila Pr BG 11-55 Tamil - Part-03
- Hari Lila Pr BG 11-55 Tamil - Part-01
- Hari Lila Pr BG 11-55 Tamil - Part-02
- Jitamitra Pr Hindi BG 11-55 - Part-01
- Jitamitra Pr Hindi BG 11-55 - Part-02
- Jitamitra Pr Hindi BG 11-55 - 2015-02-17
- Nirantara Pr BG 11-55 - 2012-07-28 Kundan Loka
- Nirantara Pr BG 11-55 - Essence of Bhagavad Gita - 2016-06-12 Radha Raman
- Pariksit Pr BG 11-55 - Bhishma Pancaka Gopastami - 2024-11-10 Harrisburg
- Priya Govinda Pr BG 11-55 - Goloka is not possible in jeans - 2016-02-16 Bangaluru
- Radhe Shyam Pr BG 11-55
- Rasika Govinda Pr BG 11-55 Tamil - Part-02 - 2017-12-12
- Rasika Govinda Pr BG 11-55 Tamil - Part-01 - 2017-12-11
- Sanatan Krsna Pr BG 11-55 Hindi - Life of a Devotee
- SDAP BG 11-55 - 2008-05-11 Kaliningrad Russia
- SDAP BG 11-55 - 2014-10-12 Pune
- SDAP BG 11-55 - 2017-09-18 Helsinki Finland
- SDAP BG 11-55 - 2016-05-24 Helsinki Finland
- SDAP BG 11-55 - 2013-04-15 Vrindavan
- Sarvabhauma Pr Hindi BG 11-55 - Onward - 2020
- Sarvabhauma Pr Hindi BG 11-55 - 2009-03-19 Balaramdesh
- Satya Gopinath Pr BG 11-55 Telugu - ISKCON Tirupati
- Tamohara Pr BG 11-55 - Sunday Feast Lecture - 2011-07-03 ISKCON Alachua
- Vijaya Pr BG 11-55 - Sunday Feast Lecture - 2012-08-12 Los Angeles
- BRasamritaSw BG 11-55 - 2014-04-26 Kellyvelly
- RSP BG 11-55
- 2017-05-27 BG 11-55 - Devananda Pr ISKCON Vrindavan
- 2017-05-26 BG 11-55 - Bhuvaneshvar Pr ISKCON Vrindavan
- 2017-05-28 BG 11-55 - Pitambara Pr ISKCON Vrindavan
- Audit five qualities: act for Me, depend on Me, devotee, no attachment to others, no enmity.
- Note any of the five that's weak; address it.
- Trust the formula.
- Which of the five is weakest in me?
- What single discipline addresses it?
A river that has been narrowed and narrowed by gorges finally opens onto a single delta — every drop arrives at the same sea. The Gītā has narrowed action, knowledge, sacrifice, austerity into the single delta of mat-karma-kṛt mat-paramaḥ mat-bhaktaḥ — to work for Me, to depend on Me, to love Me — and at this delta the soul enters the ocean.
King Ambarīṣa (SB 9.4) embodied every quality of 11.55. He worked for the Lord (mat-karma-kṛt) — engaging his royal duties in service. He held the Lord as supreme (mat-paramaḥ) — refusing even the sage Durvāsā's siddhis. He was the Lord's devotee (mat-bhaktaḥ). He was free of fruitive attachment (saṅga-varjitaḥ) and friendly to all beings (sarva-bhūteṣu nirvairaḥ).
The Bhāgavatam's portrait of Ambarīṣa is, in effect, a commentary on BG 11.55. Kṛṣṇa's promise in this verse — sa mām eti pāṇḍava, he certainly comes to Me — is the very fruit Ambarīṣa attained, sheltered by the Sudarśana-cakra and welcomed home.
My note
Source: vedabase.io