FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.58

మచ్చ‍ిత్త: సర్వదుర్గాణి మత్ప్రసాదాత్తరిష్యసి । అథ చేత్త్వమహఙ్కారాన్న శ్రోష్యసి వినఙ్‍క్ష్యసి ॥ ౫౮ ॥
mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi
[mach-chittah sarva-durgaani]
mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi
[mat-prasaadaat tarishyasi]
atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān
[atha chet tvam ahankaaraan]
na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi
[na shroshyasi vinankshyasi]
Word-for-word
mat — of Me cittaḥ — being in consciousness sarva — all durgāṇi — impediments mat - prasādāt — by My mercy tariṣyasi — you will overcome atha — but cet — if tvam — you ahaṅkārāt — by false ego na śroṣyasi — do not hear vinaṅkṣyasi — you will be lost .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi
mat
of Me
cittaḥ
being in consciousness
sarva
all
durgāṇi
impediments
mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi
mat - prasādāt
by My mercy
tariṣyasi
you will overcome
atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān
atha
but
cet
if
tvam
you
ahaṅkārāt
by false ego
na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi
na śroṣyasi
do not hear
vinaṅkṣyasi
you will be lost .
Important Words
  • cittaḥ — being in consciousness
    With mat: consciousness of Me. Repeated from the previous verse. The verse begins with the if-clause: *if* this consciousness holds, *then* the result follows. The conditional structure is deliberate.
  • durgāṇi — impediments
    Plural. Durga — hard-to-cross. With sarva: the full range of obstacles. With mat-cittaḥ, none are uncrossable. The verse makes a sweeping promise — not 'most' but *all*.
  • tariṣyasi — you will cross over
    Future tense, second person. Direct address — *you*, Arjuna, will cross. The verse is intimate, not generic. Kṛṣṇa speaks straight to the listener seated before him.
  • ahaṅkārāt — from false ego
    Ablative — *because of* ahaṅkāra. The alternative is named. If you go your own way under the false-doer illusion, the result is the opposite outcome.
  • vinaṅkṣyasi — you will be lost / destroyed
    Future tense — vi-naś, to perish utterly. Same grammatical form as tariṣyasi, but opposite content. The verse sets the two destinies in symmetrical force.
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Purport

A person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not unduly anxious about executing the duties of his existence. The foolish cannot understand this great freedom from all anxiety. For one who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes the most intimate friend. He always looks after His friend’s comfort, and He gives Himself to His friend, who is so devotedly engaged working twenty-four hours a day to please the Lord. Therefore, no one should be carried away by the false ego of the bodily concept of life. One should not falsely think himself independent of the laws of material nature or free to act. He is already under strict material laws. But as soon as he acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is liberated, free from the material perplexities. One should note very carefully that one who is not active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is losing himself in the material whirlpool, in the ocean of birth and death. No conditioned soul actually knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by Kṛṣṇa from within and confirmed by the spiritual master.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
58. Fixing your mind on Me, you will cross over all obstacles by My mercy. If, on the other hand, you do not listen out of pride, you will perish.
Commentary

Then what will happen? This verse describes the result: you will cross all obstacles.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
58. Fixing your consciousness on Me, you will cross over all obstacles by My mercy. If, on the other hand, you do not listen out of pride, you will perish.
Commentary

Thus with consciousness fixed in Me, by My mercy alone, you will cross over all the sufferings of saṁsāra, which is difficult to cross (sarva durgāṇi). You should not worry about this. I, the friend of My devotee, will remove all of those sufferings, and I will give Myself to that devotee. Thus the method of practice and attainment for the pariniṣṭita bhakti has been stated. But if you do not hear what I have said out of thinking that you know what is to be done and what is not to be done (ahāṅkārāt), you will be deviated from your goal (viinaṅkṣyasi). There exists no one other the I, among living beings, who knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, who knows what is beneficial.

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

If you work as per Text 18.57, you will pass all obstacles; otherwise you will be bound

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 18.58 & 18.59: What does Krishna mean when He states that one acting through

false ego, not hearing Him, will be lost?

Focus of Learning

(a) Krishna consciousness is free from all anxieties

Not unduly anxious about executing the duties of his existence
Krishna becomes his friend and looks after his comfort

(b) Krishna conscious person is liberated and free to act

Because everything is prompted by Krishna from within and confirmed by spiritual master
Otherwise conditioned soul is always under strict material laws

(a) Mood of servant

Act fully under the direction of Supreme Lord
No individual independence
Unaffected by profit and loss – Acts only on behalf of the master
Discharges his duty faithfully

(b) How to exhibit that mood towards Krishna in His absence

Act according to Bhagavad-gita (Krishna’s direction)
Act under guidance of Krishna’s representative

(c) Significance of ‘Mat-parah’ – One has no goal save and except acting to satisfy Krishna

(d) Misuse of “Concept of devotional service” – Doing something whimsical and offering the results

to Krishna

Act only according to order to Krishna which comes through disciplic succession
Prime duty of life – Spiritual master’s order
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.58 Maccittah, having your mind fixed on Me; tarisyasi, you will cross over; sarva-durgani, alldifficulties, all cuases of transmigration which are difficult to overcome; mat-prasadat, through My grace. Atha cet, if, on the other hand; tvam, you; na srosyasi, will not listen to, will not accept, My words; ahankarat, out of egotism, thinking 'I am learned'; then vinanksyasi, you will get destroyed, will court ruin. And this should not be thought of by you-'I am independent. Why should I follow another's bidding?'
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.58 Thus, focusing your thought on Me, if you can perform all acts, you will, by My grace, cross over all difficulties of Samsara. If, however, out of 'self-conceit,' i.e., out of the feeling, 'I know well what is to be done and what is not to be done' - out of such a feeling, if you do not heed My words, you shall perish. Except Myself, there is none who knows what ought and what ought not to be done by all living beings; there is also none other than Myself who is in the position of a law-giver to them.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.58 See Comment under 18.60
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.58 Fixing thy mind on Me, thou shalt by My grace overcome all obstacles; but if from egoism thou wilt not hear Me, thou shalt perish.
Commentary

18.58 मच्चित्तः fixing thy mind on Me? सर्वदुर्गाणि all obstacles? मत्प्रसादात् by My grace? तरिष्यसि (thou) shalt overcome? अथ now? चेत् if? त्वम् thou? अहङ्कारात् from egoism? न not? श्रोष्यसि (thou) wilt hear? विनङ्क्ष्यसि (thou) shalt perish.Commentary When thy mind? O Arjuna? through onepointed devoion is fixed on Me? thou shalt by My grace cross over all difficulties and obstacles. But shouldst thou not take My teaching to heart and through pride disregard it? thou shalt be ruined.Difficulties Obstacles? snares? pitfalls? temptations on the spiritual path and various sorts of other difficulties of Samsara? diseases? etc.Egosim The idea that thou art a learned man. Thou shouldst not think I am independent. I know everything. I am a wise man. Why should I take the advice of another

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.58 Having your mind fixed on Me, you will cross over all difficulties through My grace. If, on the other hand, you do not listen out of egotism, you will get destroyed.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.58 Fix but thy mind on Me, and by My grace thou shalt overcome the obstacles in thy path. But if, misled by pride, thou wilt not listen, then indeed thou shalt be lost.
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 9.30 BG 12.6 BG 2.40 SB 11.14.18 SB 10.14.58 SB 1.1.14 CC Madhya 22.96 CC Madhya 22.121 CC Antya 3.254 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.20
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Always conscious of Me, by My grace you will overcome all obstacles — but if you do not work in such consciousness but proceed by false ego, you will be lost.
Practical Applications
  • Recognize the binary: conscious-of-Him → safe; ego-driven → lost.
  • Don't operate in between modes.
  • Choose deliberately each morning.
Reflection Questions
  • Where in my day did I operate by false ego?
  • What restoration is mine to make?
Analogy

A swimmer crossing a torrent with the boatman's hand on his collar passes effortlessly. The same swimmer, releasing the boatman and trusting his own arm, is swept away. The verse names both outcomes plainly: hand kept, hand released.

Stories
Bali Mahārāja's surrender

Bali Mahārāja, despite being a demon-king, surrendered everything to Vāmanadeva — his three steps of land, his kingdom, his very head. By that mat-cittaḥ posture he passed over every conceivable durga (obstacle) — including the loss of his throne and the apparent disgrace of defeat — and emerged as one of the twelve mahājanas.

His nephew Prahlāda, by the same principle, walked unharmed through fire, poison, and the wrath of his own father. Mat-prasādāt sarva durgāṇi tariṣyasi — Bali and Prahlāda both lived this verse.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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