FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.57

చేతసా సర్వకర్మాణి మయి సన్న్యస్య మత్పర: । బుద్ధియోగముపాశ్రిత్య మచ్చ‍ిత్త: సతతం భవ ॥ ౫౭ ॥
cetasā sarva-karmāṇi
[chetasaa sarva-karmaani]
mayi sannyasya mat-paraḥ
[mayi sannyasya mat-parah]
buddhi-yogam upāśritya
[buddhi-yogam upaashritya]
mac-cittaḥ satataṁ bhava
[mach-chittah satatam bhava]
Word-for-word
cetasā — by intelligence sarva - karmāṇi — all kinds of activities mayi — unto Me sannyasya — giving up mat - paraḥ — under My protection buddhi - yogam — devotional activities upāśritya — taking shelter of mat - cittaḥ — in consciousness of Me satatam — twenty-four hours a day bhava — just become .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
cetasā sarva-karmāṇi
cetasā
by intelligence
sarva - karmāṇi
all kinds of activities
mayi
unto Me
mayi sannyasya mat-paraḥ
sannyasya
giving up
mat - paraḥ
under My protection
buddhi-yogam upāśritya
buddhi - yogam
devotional activities
upāśritya
taking shelter of
mac-cittaḥ satataṁ bhava
mat - cittaḥ
in consciousness of Me
satatam
twenty-four hours a day
bhava
just become .
Important Words
  • cetasā — with the mind, with intelligence
    Instrumental. The offering is mental — a settled inner stance — not just an external gesture. The whole act of consciousness is conscripted to surrender.
  • sannyasya — giving up, depositing
    Gerund — from sannyas, to deposit fully. With sarva-karmāṇi mayi: all actions are *deposited* with Kṛṣṇa as one entrusts valuables to a banker. The verse uses sannyāsa now in its highest sense.
  • mat - paraḥ — under My protection
    Compound. Mat-para — 'of-Me-as-highest' / under My shelter. The hierarchy is settled: Kṛṣṇa first, then everything else. The whole inner organization realigns around this priority.
  • buddhi - yogam — devotional activities
    Compound. The same buddhi-yoga of 2.49-50, here re-named at the chapter's climax. The sādhaka *takes shelter* of buddhi-yoga, not as technique but as refuge.
  • mat - cittaḥ — in consciousness of Me
    Compound. With satatam — constant Kṛṣṇa-consciousness. Not 'as often as possible' — satatam, *always*. The verse names the daily target of bhakti-yoga.
In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.
Purport

When one acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he does not act as the master of the world. Just like a servant, one should act fully under the direction of the Supreme Lord. A servant has no individual independence. He acts only on the order of the master. A servant acting on behalf of the supreme master is unaffected by profit and loss. He simply discharges his duty faithfully in terms of the order of the Lord. Now, one may argue that Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Kṛṣṇa but when Kṛṣṇa is not present how should one act? If one acts according to the direction of Kṛṣṇa in this book, as well as under the guidance of the representative of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be the same. The Sanskrit word mat-paraḥ is very important in this verse. It indicates that one has no goal in life save and except acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness just to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. And while working in that way, one should think of Kṛṣṇa only: “I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty by Kṛṣṇa.” While acting in such a way, one naturally has to think of Kṛṣṇa. This is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should, however, note that after doing something whimsically he should not offer the result to the Supreme Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should act according to the order of Kṛṣṇa. This is a very important point. That order of Kṛṣṇa comes through disciplic succession from the bona fide spiritual master. Therefore the spiritual master’s order should be taken as the prime duty of life. If one gets a bona fide spiritual master and acts according to his direction, then one’s perfection of life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is guaranteed.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
57. Offering all your activities to Me, making Me your only goal of life, taking shelter of bhakti-yoga with fixed intelligence, remember Me always, while doing your actions and at all other times.
Commentary

“Now, what are you indicating to Me particularly? Am I an ananya-bhakta? Or am I the sakāma-bhakta just mentioned by You?” “You do not have the strength to become the most excellent ananya-bhakta. And you should not be the sakāma-bhakta, the lowest among all the devotees. Therefore, be a madhyama devotee, a devotee intermediate between these two. While offering to Me all of your occupational activities and your duties of āśrama, you whose goal of life is only to attain Me (mat-paraḥ), in other words, being niṣkāma, remember Me always (mat-cittaḥ bhava), while doing those activities and at any other time also (satatam), being endowed with fixed intelligence, vyavasāyātmika buddhi (buddhi-yogam upāśritya).” The Lord has previously said the same: yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever austerity you perform, offer it to Me, O son of Kuntī. BG 9.27

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
57. Offering all your activities to Me, making Me your only goal of life, taking shelter of buddhi yoga, remember Me always while doing your actions.
Commentary

(This continues the description of the pariniṣṭha bhakta.) Because you have such a nature, having offered (sannyasya) all your prescribed activities to Me your master, with consciousness devoid of the concept of being the doer (cetasā), taking Me alone as the one goal (mat paraḥ), taking shelter of alone Me, of buddhi yoga, [Note: The implication seems to be that the goal of spiritual intelligence (buddhi yoga) is exclusive surrender to the Lord.] be conscious of Me (mat cittaḥ) while performing your actions (satatam). As I have already said this to you before, with the words yat karoṣī yad aśnāsi (BG (9.27), having offered the activities to Me, you do those activities, rather than doing them and then offering them. [Note: To do the activities and then offer them is karma yoga.]

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

Devotees mood of dependence described

THEME: Therefore perform your duties in full dependence on My protection

In all activities just depend on Me
Work always under My protection and be fully conscious of Me

Focus of Learning

(a) Significance of ‘Mad-vyapasrayah’ – Means under the protection of the Lord

How protection comes – A pure devotee acts under the direction of Supreme Lord or His representative

(b) Nature or quality of service

No time limitation for a pure devotee
Always, 24 hours engaged in the service of the Lord
Nature of the abode – Unchangeable eternal, imperishable and full of knowledge

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SECTION VI

One must act in devotion, following Krishna’s dictation:

If one does not, one will undoubtedly act in illusion

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 18.57 & 18.58:

What will be the result of following Krishna’s instructions? And of not following?

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.57 Cetasa, mentally, with a discriminating intellect; sannyasya, surrendering; sarva-karmani, all actions meant for seen or unseen results; mayi, to Me, to God, in the manner described in, 'Whatever you do, whatever you eat' (9.27); and matparah, accepting Me as the supreme-you to whom I, Vasudeva, am the supreme, are matparah; becoming so; satatam, ever; maccittah bhava, have your kind fixed only on Me; upasritya, by resorting-resorting implies not taking recourse to anything else-; buddhi-yogam, to the concentration of your intellect. Having the intellect (buddhi) concentrated on Me is buddhi-yoga.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.57 'By your mind' means with thought which considers the self as belonging to Me and as controlled by Me. For, it has been declared: 'Surrendering all your acts to Me with a mind focussed on the self' (3.30). Surrendering all acts to Me along with agentship and the object of worship and regarding 'Me as the goal,' i.e., constantly contemplating that I alone am to be attained as the goal; performing all acts; and resorting to Buddhi-Yoga - focus your mind on Me always. Buddhi Yoga here implies the mental attitude special to the seeker of salvation in regard to agency of works, the fruits etc. Thus
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.57 See Comment under 18.60
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.57 Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, resorting to the Yoga of discrimination do thou ever fix thy mind on Me.
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.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.57 Mentally surrendering all actions to Me and accepting Me as the supreme, have your mind ever fixed on Me by resorting to the concentration of your intellect.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.57 Surrender then thy actions unto Me, live in Me, concentrate thine intellect on Me, and think always of Me.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 9.27 BG 12.10 BG 8.7 SB 11.29.9 SB 8.7.44 SB 1.5.32 CC Madhya 22.100 CC Madhya 22.96 CC Madhya 11.29 BRS 1.2.195 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Renouncing all activities to Me, taking refuge in Me, depending on Me — be always conscious of Me.
Practical Applications
  • Adopt the four explicit instructions.
  • Make them daily morning practice.
  • Treat 'always conscious of Me' as the ongoing target.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of the four is least practiced?
  • What single shift would establish it?
Analogy

A clerk handing over the entire ledger to the senior partner — keeping no transaction in his own column. The work goes on; the books are kept by another. Mat-paraḥ means simply this: not a different life, but the same life with the entries assigned to the Lord.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 18