Bhagavad Gita BG 18.66
Chapter 18, Verse 66 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज । अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja aham tva sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami ma shucah
Meaning
Giving up all dharmas, take refuge in Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins. Do not grieve.
Understanding
The most discussed, most debated verse of the Gita — the charama-shloka (the ultimate verse). Sarva-dharman parityajya (giving up all dharmas — all frameworks, all rules, all identity-based obligations). Mam ekam sharanam vraja (take refuge in Me alone — ekam, only Me, exclusively Me). Aham tva sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami (I will liberate you from all sins — aham takes full responsibility). Ma shucah (do not grieve — the final word of the Gita's teaching). The 'giving up of all dharmas' is not antinomianism but the highest state: going beyond dharma-identification to pure refuge in the Divine, who then takes responsibility for liberation.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| सर्वधर्मान् | sarva-dharman | all dharmas (all frameworks, roles, obligations) |
| परित्यज्य | parityajya | having completely given up, abandoning |
| शरणम् | sharanam | refuge, shelter (the act of taking refuge) |
| एकम् | ekam | alone, only, exclusively |
| मोक्षयिष्यामि | mokshayishyami | I will liberate, I shall set free (future, solemn) |
| मा शुचः | ma shucah | do not grieve, be not sorrowful |
| सर्व-धर्मान् | sarva-dharmān | all varieties of religion |
| माम् | mām | Me |
| शरणम् | śaraṇam | refuge |
| व्रज | vraja | surrender, take refuge |
| अहम् | aham | I |
| त्वा | tvā | you |
| सर्व-पापेभ्यः | sarva-pāpebhyaḥ | from all sinful reactions |
| मोक्षयिष्यामि | mokṣayiṣyāmi | I will liberate |
| मा | mā śucaḥ | do not grieve |