Verse 18.56
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः | मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ||५६||
Transliteration (IAST)
sarva-karmāṇy api sadā kurvāṇo mad-vyapāśrayaḥ | mat-prasādād avāpnoti śāśvataṁ padam avyayam ||56||
Word-by-Word Meanings
sarva-karmāṇi-all actions
sadā-always
kurvāṇaḥ-performing
mat-vyapāśrayaḥ-taking refuge in Me
mat-prasādāt-by My grace
avāpnoti-attains
śāśvatam-eternal
padam avyayam-imperishable abode
Translation
Even while performing all actions, one who takes refuge in Me attains the eternal, imperishable abode by My grace.
Commentary
Krishna assures that active life is no barrier to liberation when all actions are performed as an offering to God. Shankaracharya explains that 'mat-prasāda' (divine grace) is the decisive factor - human effort purifies, but grace liberates. Ramanuja emphasizes that this verse reconciles karma and moksha: one need not abandon action, only surrender its fruits to God.
Themes
bhaktikarmamokshasurrender