Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 57

Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः ।
बुद्धियोगमुपाश्रित्य मच्चित्तः सततं भव ॥

Transliteration

cetasā sarvakarmāṇi mayi saṃnyasya matparaḥ .
buddhiyogamupāśritya maccittaḥ satataṃ bhava ॥

Meaning

Mentally offering all actions to me, regarding me as the supreme goal, resorting to the yoga of understanding, fix your mind constantly on me.

Word meanings

चेतसा – with the mind, by discernment
सर्वकर्माणि – all actions
मयि – in me
संन्यस्य – offering, dedicating
मत्परः – regarding me as supreme
बुद्धियोगम् – the yoga of understanding, equanimity
उपाश्रित्य – resorting to
मच्चित्तः – with mind fixed on me
सततम् – constantly
भव – be

Anvaya (word order)

चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य, मत्परः (भूत्वा), बुद्धियोगम् उपाश्रित्य सततं मच्चित्तः भव ।

Explanation

In the previous verse Krishna stated the general principle that one who takes refuge in him reaches the supreme abode even while performing all actions. Now he addresses Arjuna directly and instructs him to follow this very path. The teaching moves from 'he' to 'you' — a decisive turn in the Gita, where principle becomes personal call.

Four instructions are given. The first is chetasa sarva-karmani mayi sannyasya — mentally offer all actions to me. Here sannyasa means not the outward abandonment of actions but their surrender chetasa, with the mind. Arjuna will fight, but not with the feeling 'I am doing this'; rather with the feeling 'the Lord's work offered to the Lord'. This is the final resolution of the question of renunciation raised at the start of the chapter: true renunciation is inner surrender.

The second is mat-parah — make me your supreme goal. The final purpose of life should be not kingdom, fame or pleasure, but the Supreme. The third is buddhi-yogam upashritya — resort to buddhi yoga. The buddhi yoga taught in Chapter 2 (2.39–50) is the even-minded understanding in which the mind stays balanced in success and failure. In Chapter 10 (10.10) Krishna said that to those who worship him with love he gives the buddhi yoga by which they come to him.

The fourth, and the essence of all, is mach-chittah satatam bhava — fix your mind constantly on me. In the midst of every action and every situation, let a part of the mind always rest in the Lord — as a mother doing all the housework keeps her child always in mind. Shankara and Ramanuja both see this as a clear directive harmonising karma yoga and bhakti yoga.

Context

The previous verse stated the general principle that one who takes refuge in the Lord reaches the supreme abode while acting. This verse directly instructs Arjuna to take up this path. In the next verse (18.58) Krishna describes the fruit of this path and the consequence of refusing it.

Life lesson

Offer all your work inwardly to God — what is needed is not giving up action but offering it. Keep an even mind in success and failure. Even while working, let one corner of your mind remain always in remembrance of the Divine.

Key terms

Chetasa sannyasa: Mental surrender of all actions to the Lord
Mat-para: One who holds the Lord as the supreme goal
Buddhi yoga: The yoga of action with even-minded understanding
Mach-chitta: One whose mind is fixed on the Lord