Verse 18.66
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज | अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ||६६||
Transliteration (IAST)
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja | ahaṁ tvā sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ ||66||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
Abandoning all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Commentary
This is the charama-shloka, the supreme verse of the Bhagavad Gita and the ultimate teaching of surrender (prapatti). Shankaracharya interprets 'sarva-dharmān parityajya' as abandoning the sense of doership in all duties, not the duties themselves. Ramanuja considers this the crown jewel of the Gita - complete self-surrender (sharanagati) where the devotee relinquishes even the effort of self-salvation and relies entirely on God's grace. Madhva explains that 'mā śucaḥ' (do not grieve) echoes the very first teaching of Chapter 2, bringing the Gita full circle.