Chapter 18 Verse 66
Mokṣha Sanyās Yog
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः।।18.66।।
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śharaṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣhayiṣhyāmi mā śhuchaḥ
Word Meanings
| sarva-dharmān | all varieties of dharmas |
| parityajya | abandoning |
| mām | unto me |
| ekam | only |
| śharaṇam | take refuge |
| vraja | take |
| aham | I |
| tvām | you |
| sarva | all |
| pāpebhyaḥ | from sinful reactions |
| mokṣhayiṣhyāmi | shall liberate |
| mā | do not |
| śhuchaḥ | fear |
Translation
Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
This verse calls for complete inner surrender to the divine. It asks you to let go of rigid rules, claims, and the need to control results, and to take refuge in a higher wise presence.
Surrender here does not mean abandoning responsibility. It means acting from a place of trust and devotion instead of from ego, fear, or selfish desire. When you stop identifying as the sole doer, you open to freedom from guilt and worry.
Krishna’s promise of liberation points to inner peace: release of fear, removal of the burden of past mistakes, and freedom to live openly and rightly without clinging to outcomes.
Life Application
- Before acting, check your motive: choose what is honest and caring, then let go of rigid attachment to how things must turn out.
- Start a simple daily practice of surrender: a short prayer, a few mindful breaths, or a phrase like “I trust” to hand over anxiety and need to control.
- When you feel guilt or grief, acknowledge it, learn what you must, and then intentionally release self-blame—trust that you can heal and move forward.
Reflection Question
What one fear or attachment can I let go of today and trust something larger than my will?