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Bhagavad-gītā 18.56

సర్వకర్మాణ్యపి సదా కుర్వాణో మద్‍వ్యపాశ్రయ: । మత్ప్రసాదాదవాప్‍నోతి శాశ్వతం పదమవ్యయమ్ ॥ ౫౬ ॥
sarva-karmāṇy api sadā
[sarva-karmaany api sadaa]
kurvāṇo mad-vyapāśrayaḥ
[kurvaano mad-vyapaashrayah]
mat-prasādād avāpnoti
[mat-prasaadaad avaapnoti]
śāśvataṁ padam avyayam
[shaashvatam padam avyayam]
Word-for-word
sarva — all karmāṇi — activities api — although sadā — always kurvāṇaḥ — performing mat - vyapāśrayaḥ — under My protection mat - prasādāt — by My mercy avāpnoti — one achieves śāśvatam — the eternal padam — abode avyayam — imperishable .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarva-karmāṇy api sadā
sarva
all
karmāṇi
activities
api
although
sadā
always
kurvāṇo mad-vyapāśrayaḥ
kurvāṇaḥ
performing
mat - vyapāśrayaḥ
under My protection
mat-prasādād avāpnoti
mat - prasādāt
by My mercy
avāpnoti
one achieves
śāśvataṁ padam avyayam
śāśvatam
the eternal
padam
abode
avyayam
imperishable .
Important Words
  • karmāṇi — activities
    Plural. With sarva — *all* activities. The verse refuses to limit the bhakta to specifically 'religious' work. Every kind — kingly, domestic, professional — is compatible with the promised destination.
  • kurvāṇaḥ — performing
    Present participle. With sadā: continually performing. Not occasional engagement — *always* working. The bhakta is not inert. The verse cleanly answers the worry that bhakti means withdrawal.
  • mat - vyapāśrayaḥ — under My protection
    Compound — vi-apa-āśrita: thoroughly taken shelter. Stronger than ordinary śaraṇa. The bhakta is *enveloped* by the Lord's shelter throughout every activity.
  • mat - prasādāt — by My mercy
    Ablative compound. The destination is not attained by the bhakta's effort alone — *by My mercy*. Bhakti reaches the goal because Kṛṣṇa Himself reaches down.
  • śāśvatam — the eternal
    Adjective. With padam avyayam — the eternal imperishable abode. The Vaikuṇṭha-destination, not a temporary heavenly station. Śāśvata is the verse's promise: forever, not for an age.
Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.
Purport

The word mad-vyapāśrayaḥ means under the protection of the Supreme Lord. To be free from material contamination, a pure devotee acts under the direction of the Supreme Lord or His representative, the spiritual master. There is no time limitation for a pure devotee. He is always, twenty-four hours a day, one hundred percent engaged in activities under the direction of the Supreme Lord. To a devotee who is thus engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness the Lord is very, very kind. In spite of all difficulties, he is eventually placed in the transcendental abode, or Kṛṣṇaloka. He is guaranteed entrance there; there is no doubt about it. In that supreme abode, there is no change; everything is eternal, imperishable and full of knowledge.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
56. But that person, who, though performing all types of actions, also takes shelter of Me predominantly, attains My indestructible, eternal abode, by My mercy.
Commentary

It has thus been said that the jṣānī step by step giving up the results of work, work itself and then jṣāna, attains sāyujya. Now hear from Me how My devotee attains Me. That devotee takes shelter of Me, even with evident material desires (vi apa āśrayaḥ). Vi stands for viśeṣataḥ, meaning “particularly,” and apa stands for apakṛṣṭa, meaning “low.” He is not even a niṣkāma-bhakta, for he performs all actions even material ones such as protecting wife and children as well as nitya, naimittika and kāmya-karmas. What is the question of his giving up karma, yoga, jṣāna, worship of devatās, or other desires? The word āśrayate means he completely serves. The prefix “ā” emphasizes the predominance of service. The use of the word api indicates inferiority of these other actions. Thus he performs these other activities, but as secondary actions. Thus, he has bhakti mixed with karma, rather than karma mixed with bhakti, which was already described in the first six chapters. There is no overlapping of actions with the previous descriptions. That bhakta attains My eternal dhāmas (padam), such as Vaikuṇṭha, Mathurā, Dvārakā, and Ayodhyā. [Note: The karma miśra bhakta gets sālokya.] “But will those dhāmas remain after the pralaya?” “They are indestructible (avyayam). At the time of mahāpralaya, My dhāmas will not disappear, because of My inconceivable power.” “The jṣānī, after many births, having undergone much suffering and austerities, having stopped the action of senses for sense objects, attains naiṣkarmya, and then sāyujya. How does this devotee, performing actions and having desires, attain Your eternal dhāmas just by taking shelter of You?” “He attains it by My mercy (mat-prasādāt). Know that My mercy is inconceivable and most powerful.”

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
56. But that person, who takes shelter of Me as his main work, though performing all his prescribed duties, attains My indestructible, eternal abode, by My rmercy.
Commentary

Now the Lord describes the process for the pariniṣṭha bhakta in two and half verses. He who performs all his prescribed actions as a secondary interest, as much as he feels convenient (indicated by api), and who takes shelter of Me alone (mad vyapāśrayaḥ) as his main interest, by My extreme mercy (mat prasādāt) attains the eternal (śāśvatam) spiritual world (padam) composed of unchanging pure knowledge and bliss (avyayam). The author of Vedānta explains sarvathāpi tatra vobhaya-liṅgāt: the pariniṣṭha devotee in all cases performs service to the Lord as a primary duty, because of indications to that effect in śruit and smṛti. (Vedānta Sūtra 3.4.34)

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Lord’s protection described

THEME: “I personally protect My devotee from all reactions and lead him directly to My Supreme abode”

Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee is always under My protection and
He reaches the eternal abode by My grace

PLEASE NOTE:

Similar themes are mentioned in Texts 8.14, 9.30 – 9.31, 12.7

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 18.56 & 18.57:

What is the practical application of Krishna’s instructions for Arjuna?

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.56 Sada, ever; kurvanah api, engaging even in; sarva-karmani, all actions, even the prohibited ones; madvyapasrayah, one to whom I am the refuge, to whom I, Vasudeva the Lord, am the refuge, i.e. one who has totally surrendered himself to Me; even he, apnoti, attains; the sasvatam, eternal; avyayam, immutable; padam, State of Visnu; mat-prasadat, through My, i.e. God's, grace. Since this is so, therefore,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.56 'Taking refuge in Me' means leaving agency etc., to Me. He who performs 'all works constantly' means works that are not only obligatory and occasional acts but even those meant to fulfil desires (Kamya Karmas) - he attains, by My grace, the eternal realm which is immutable. 'Pada' means that which is attained. The meaning is that he attains Me. [The idea is that the performance of even those ritualistic actions enjoined for those having the fulfilment of certain desires in view, even these actions, if done without any such desire but only as the worship of the Supreme Person - the have the same effect as the performance of the enjoined daily and occasional rituals to which no effect except the purification of the self is offered by the Sastras.] Since it is so, therefore:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.56 See Comment under 18.60
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.56 Doing all actions always having taken refuge in Me, by My grace he obtains the eternal indestructible state of being.
Commentary

18.56 सर्वकर्माणि all actions? अपि also? सदा always? कुर्वाणः doing? मद्व्यपाश्रयः taking refuge in Me? मत्प्रसादात् by My grace? अवाप्नोति obtains? शाश्वतम् the eternal? पदम् state or abode? अव्ययम् indestructible.Commentary Worshipping Me with the flowers of his good actions he reaches the imperishable Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour through My grace. He attains union with Me and enjoys the supreme bliss. If by chance he commits some prohibited actions? still? as in the Ganga (Indias most holy river) the waters of the drains and roads find union? so My devotee? becoming united with Me? is unaffected by these prohibited actions.Worship of the Lord through ones duties purifies the heart of the aspirant and prepares him for the devotion to knowledge which eventually leads him to the attainment of Selfrealisation. The Yoga of Devotion is eulogised here.All actions Good actions and even the prohibited actions. He who takes shelter in Me? Vaasudeva? the Lord? with his whole self centred in Me attains the eternal abode of Vishnu? by the grace of the Lord.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.56 Ever engaging even in all actions, one to whom I am the refuge, attains the eternal, immutable State through My grace.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.56 Relying on Me in all his action and doing them for My sake, he attains, by My Grace, Eternal and Unchangeable Life.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 9.28 BG 12.6 BG 9.22 SB 11.29.6 SB 11.20.9 SB 11.14.21 CC Madhya 22.96 CC Madhya 22.119 CC Madhya 19.170 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.9
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
By My grace, one engaged in My devotional service — though performing all duties — attains the eternal abode.
Practical Applications
  • Trust grace as the engine; engage your duties as a devotee.
  • Don't separate grace from action.
  • Live as one already enroute home.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I act as if grace and action are separate?
  • What integration is offered?
Analogy

A child playing in a crowded street is safe so long as the father's hand is around her wrist. Activities continue — running, jumping, falling — but the father's protection makes the street harmless. So with the pure devotee: full action, full divine cover, full arrival.

Stories
Yudhiṣṭhira's return

Yudhiṣṭhira performed every conceivable activity through his life — ruling, warring, exiling, gambling, mourning, sacrificing — and yet at the end ascended bodily under Kṛṣṇa's protection, the only Pāṇḍava to reach the higher realm in his own form.

Sarva-karmāṇi api sadā kurvāṇaḥ — engaged in all activities — yet mat-vyapāśrayaḥ — under Kṛṣṇa's shelter throughout. The verse's promise of śāśvatam padam avyayam is precisely what he attained.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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