FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.62

తమేవ శరణం గచ్ఛ సర్వభావేన భారత । తత్ప్రసాదాత్పరాం శాన్తిం స్థానం ప్రాప్స్యసి శాశ్వతమ్ ॥ ౬౨ ॥
tam eva śaraṇaṁ gaccha
[tam eva sharanam gachcha]
sarva-bhāvena bhārata
[sarva-bhaavena bhaarata]
tat-prasādāt parāṁ śāntiṁ
[tat-prasaadaat paraam shaantim]
sthānaṁ prāpsyasi śāśvatam
[sthaanam praapsyasi shaashvatam]
Word-for-word
tam — unto Him eva — certainly śaraṇam gaccha — surrender sarva - bhāvena — in all respects bhārata — O son of Bharata tat - prasādāt — by His grace parām — transcendental śāntim — peace sthānam — the abode prāpsyasi — you will get śāśvatam — eternal .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tam eva śaraṇaṁ gaccha
tam
unto Him
eva
certainly
śaraṇam gaccha
surrender
sarva-bhāvena bhārata
sarva - bhāvena
in all respects
bhārata
O son of Bharata
tat - prasādāt
by His grace
tat-prasādāt parāṁ śāntiṁ
parām
transcendental
śāntim
peace
sthānaṁ prāpsyasi śāśvatam
sthānam
the abode
prāpsyasi
you will get
śāśvatam
eternal .
Important Words
  • tam — unto Him
    Demonstrative. With eva: unto Him alone. The verse points specifically to the Īśvara of the previous verse — the Paramātmā in the heart — and says: surrender to *this* one.
  • śaraṇam gaccha — surrender, go for shelter
    Imperative phrase from the synonyms list. The literal command. Earlier verses have suggested śaraṇa; this one *commands* it. The verb gam — go, move toward — has the active-pilgrim energy.
  • sarva - bhāvena — in all respects
    Instrumental compound. Not partial, not conditional. Sarva — all. The mood, the intelligence, the body, the future — all of them surrendered together.
  • tat - prasādāt — by His grace
    Ablative compound. The mechanism. Peace and abode are *granted* — they are not extracted. Prasāda is the Lord's free offering, not the disciple's reward.
  • śāntim — peace
    Accusative. With parām: the supreme peace. The verse promises both this inner condition and the outer destination (sthānam). The two gifts come together by His grace.
O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.
Purport

A living entity should therefore surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart, and that will relieve him from all kinds of miseries of this material existence. By such surrender, not only will one be released from all miseries in this life, but at the end he will reach the Supreme God. The transcendental world is described in the Vedic literature ( Ṛg Veda 1.22.20) as tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. Since all of creation is the kingdom of God, everything material is actually spiritual, but paramaṁ padam specifically refers to the eternal abode, which is called the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha. In the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: the Lord is seated in everyone’s heart. So this recommendation that one should surrender unto the Supersoul sitting within means that one should surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has already been accepted by Arjuna as the Supreme. He was accepted in the Tenth Chapter as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma. Arjuna has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the supreme abode of all living entities, not only because of his personal experience but also because of the evidence of great authorities like Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
62. O descendent of Bharata, take refuge in the Paramātmā alone with complete devotion. Having extinguished both avidyā and vidyā, by My mercy, you will attain the eternal spiritual abode.
Commentary

This verse explains the purpose of the knowledge just revealed: take shelter of that Lord. You will attain the cessation of vidyā and avidyā (parāṁ śāntim) and then you will attain My eternal place Vaikuṇṭha (śāśvataṁ sthānam). This surrender to the antaryāmī is for worshippers of the antaryāmī (Paramātmā) whereas the worshippers of Bhagavān surrender to Bhagavān, which will be explained later. [Note: The direct process of bhakti and realization of Bhagavān are described in verse 65 and 66.] This is the opinion of some concerning this verse. “My Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is my guru, and gives me instructions which are beneficial for my bhakti. I surrender unto Him.” In this way, a person will think. Uddhava says: naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa brahmayusāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ yo’ntar-bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvan ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahmā, for You appear in two features—externally as the ācārya and internally as the Supersoul—to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You. SB 11.29.6

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
62. O descendent of Bharata, take refuge in the paramātmā alone with all your facilities. By His mercy, you will attain the eternal spiritual abode.
Commentary

Therefore surrender to the Lord (tam) with body, mind and all other elements (sarva bhāvena). Then what happens? You will attain the eternal place (śāśvatam sthānam), with absence of all suffering (parām śāntim), the abode of the Lord glorified in the śrutis as tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That person (tam) is none other than I, your companion. This has been stated by Me before with sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: I, Kṛṣṇa, am seated in everyone’s heart. (BG 15.15) It has also been stated by you and accepted by the devas and ṛṣis with the statement paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma: You (Kṛṣṇa) are the supreme brahman and the supreme form. (BG 10.12) I have also showed that to you directly in showing you the universal form. Therefore remain fixed in My teachings.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This 'sarva‑bhavena bharata' is also mentioned in Chapter Fifteen, Text 19: 'Yo mam evam asammudho/ janati purusottamam/sa sarva‑vid bhajanti mam/ sarva‑bhavena bharata' ‑ "Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata." 'Sarva‑vid', 'he knows everything', 'bhajanti mam', therefore because of his knowledge, 'he worships Me', how? 'Sarva‑bhavena bharata', in all respects ‑ that is surrender. Surrender doesn't mean that one surrender something and holds back something else ‑ that is not surrender, nor that so‑called surrender ever blossom into prema or love. One has to surrender in all respects and then that will blossom, grow into prema‑bhakti.

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

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes: “Some say that taking shelter of the Supersoul as de-

scribed here is meant only for worshipers of the Supersoul, whereas taking shelter of the Personal-

ity of Godhead is later going to be mentioned as appropriate for the worshipers of Godhead.

Someone else, however, may say, ‘The same Śrī Kṛṣṇa who is my worshipable Deity is also my

spiritual master. He is teaching me bhakti-yoga and giving me helpful instructions that lead to the

development of bhakti-yoga. I take shelter of Him. That same Kṛṣṇa is indeed the Supersoul within

Bhagavad Gita Notes

me. May He kindly impel me in all activities. I take shelter of Him.’ Such a devotee constantly

thinks in this fashion.”

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa explains Kṛṣṇa’s words thus: “‘You should in all ways take shelter of

that Supreme Lord, the Supersoul, with the activities of your body and so on. You will achieve the

supreme peace, characterized as release from all kinds of distress, and also the eternal abode, the

personal residence of the Lord, glorified in such śruti statements as tad viṣṇoù paramaā padam.

That Supreme Lord is none other than Me, your friend. This is proven by My previous statements,

such as: “I am situated in everyone’s heart.” It is also proven by your agreement to this in your own

statements made in accordance with the authority of Devarṣi Nārada and others, such as: “You are

the Supreme Absolute Truth, the supreme abode,” and by the empiric evidence of your vision of

the universal form. Therefore you should follow My instructions.’”

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.62 Gaccha saranam, take refuge; tam eva, in Him, the Lord alone; sarva-bhavena, with your whole being, for getting rid of your mundane sufferings, O scion of the Bharata dynasty. Tat-prasadat, through His grace, through God's grace; prapsyasi, you will attain; param, the supreme; santim, Peace, the highest Tranillity; and the sasvatam, eternal; sthanam, Abode, the supreme State of Mine who am Visnu.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.62 Such being the case, take refuge with all your heart (Sarvabhavena), by every disposition of your body, senses and mind (Sarvatmana) in Him - Him, the ruler of all, who has become your charioteer out of compassion for dependents, and who orders you, 'Act thus' and so on. Even if you do not do so now, fighting in battle etc., is inevitable for you who are ignorant and actuated by His Maya, but then you will get ruined. Therefore, fight etc., in the manner which has been explained by Him. Such is the meaning. Acting in this way, you will attain supreme peace, release from all bondage, and the eternal abode. Hundreds of Srutis declare it: 'That supreme place of Visnu which the sages see' (Rg. S., 1.2.6.5); 'They become meritorious and reach this heaven where Devas and Sadhyas dwell' (Tai. A., 3.12); 'Where dwell the ancient sages, the first-born' (Tai.Sam., 4.7.13.1); 'The supreme place above the paradise in the heart of the Supreme Heaven' (Ma. Na., 8.14); 'He who is in the Supreme Heaven and presides over this' (Rg. S., 8.7.17.7); 'Now that light which shines above this Supreme Heaven' (Cha. U., 3.13.7); and 'He reaches the end of the journey, the Highest abode of Visnu' (Ka. U., 3.9).
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.61-62 Isvarah etc. Tam eva etc. This Lord, the Supreme Self, must be taken hold of as refuge. When that Supreme Ruler, the [real] Agent-of-all-actions, the [real] Knower, the very Self of your own, is reflected upon, there (in the heart) the [effects of] actions do not enjoy any locus standi. Indeed, the deer-calves which are of wavering mind [by nature] and are noted only for their power of running away to escape, do not take recourse to their skill in pursuing freely their [usual] activities while there dwells in the [nearby] cave a loin-calf, the glory of whose valour has been made evident by the accessories in the form of the heaps of pearls scattered from the elephants' temples broken upon with the very sharp edges of his (lion-calf's) excellent claws. By the cocluding statement that commences 'To Him alone you must go for refuge' and [runs] as 'Through My Grace etc.', the Bhagavat indicates the Lord Supreme Self, and Vasudeva krsna to be identical.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.62 Fly unto Him for refuge with all thy being, O Arjuna; by His grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace (and) the eternal abode.
Commentary

18.62 तम् to Him? एव even? शरणम् गच्छ take refuge? सर्वभावेन with all thy being? भारत O Bharata? तत्प्रसादात् by His grace? पराम् supreme? शान्तिम् peace? स्थानम् the abode? प्राप्स्यसि (thou) shalt obtain? शाश्वतम् eternal.Commentary Do total and perfect surrender to the Lord. Do not keep any secret desires for silent gratification. Desire and egoism are the two chief obstacles that stand in the way of selfsurrender. Kill them ruthlessly.Run to the Lord for shelter with all thy being for freeing thyself from the troubles? afflictions and sorrows of Samsara. Take the Lord as the sole refuge. Then by His grace? thou shalt obtain supreme peace and attain to the supreme? eternal Abode.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.62 Take refuge in Him alone with your whole being, O scion of the Bharata dynasty. Through His grace you will attain the supreme Peace and the eternal Abode.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.62 With all thy strength, fly unto Him and surrender thyself, and by His grace shalt thou attain Supreme Peace and reach the Eternal Home.
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)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 7.14 BG 18.66 BG 15.6 SB 11.29.34 SB 10.14.8 SB 11.14.14 CC Madhya 22.96 CC Madhya 8.67 CC Antya 4.192 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20
Stories
kritajnata_sb_college
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Surrender unto Him utterly, O Bhārata — by His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme eternal abode.
Practical Applications
  • Take this verse as direct address to you.
  • Adopt the surrender posture explicitly.
  • Trust the promise of peace and abode.
Reflection Questions
  • What does 'utterly' look like in my surrender?
  • Where am I still 'mostly' surrendered?
Analogy

A wave that turns back to face the ocean and lets itself be received. So is the soul in this verse — surrendering not to a doctrine, not to a discipline, but to the personal Lord seated in the heart, and finding eternal peace in the embrace.

Stories
Vibhīṣaṇa's defection

Vibhīṣaṇa left Rāvaṇa's court and crossed the ocean to Rāma's camp with empty hands and no army. Tam eva śaraṇam gaccha — surrender utterly. Rāma accepted him at once and ultimately gave him Laṅkā itself, śāśvatam.

The verse's compressed formula was Vibhīṣaṇa's lived path: full surrender, grace flowing back, peace and an eternal abode. The Bhāgavatam holds him up as a model of just this verse.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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