Verse 18.62

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 18.62:

तम् एव शरणं गच्छ सर्व-भावेन भारत ।
तत् प्रसादात् परां शान्तिं स्थानं प्राप्स्यसि शाश्वतम् ॥ ६२ ॥

tam eva śaraṇaṃ gaccha sarva-bhāvena bhārata |
tat prasādāt parāṃ śāntiṃ sthānaṃ prāpsyasi śāśvatam || 62 ||

tam–of Him (the Supreme Controller); eva–indeed; śaraṇam gaccha–take shelter; sarva-bhāvena–in every way; bhārata–O descendent of Bharata; tat-prasādāt–by His mercy; parām śāntim–transcendental peace; sthānam–the abode; prāpsyasi–you will attain; śāśvatam–eternal.

O descendant of Bharata, surrender completely to Him, that Supreme Controller. By His grace, you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme eternal abode.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

For the purpose of explaining the significance of surrendering to Him, Śrī Bhagavān is now speaking this verse beginning with tam eva. Parām means ‘when both avidyā and vidyā cease, you will attain Vaikuṇṭha, the eternal abode’. According to some, those who worship Paramātmā attain the shelter of Paramātmā, whereas the worshippers of Bhagavān attain His shelter, as will be described later. Others constantly think, “My worshipful deity (iṣṭa-deva) is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and He is my only guru. He alone will bestow bhakti-yoga and beneficial instructions upon me. I surrender to Him only. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself is my Antaryāmī, my indwelling witness. May He alone engage me in His service. I take exclusive shelter of Him.” As Uddhava also says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.29.6), “O Lord, those who are greatly learned, who have acquired a duration of life equivalent to that of Brahmā, and who blissfully remember You, always feel indebted to You. This is because You illuminate the embodied entities with the method to attain You. You accomplish this externally as the spiritual master (ācārya-guru) and internally as the Supersoul (caitya-guru).”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Here, Śrī Bhagavān instructs Arjuna to fully surrender to Antaryāmī, the indwelling witness in all. He is Parameśvara, who is causelessly merciful and who was described in the previous verse. Parameśvara is influenced by one-pointed surrender, which pleases Him. By His mercy, one can easily attain supreme transcen-dental peace and go to His imperishable abodes, such as Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka. In this world, Bhagavān manifests Himself in five forms for the welfare of the jīvas, according to their service attitude. These five forms are (1) arcā-vigraha–the deity, (2) Antaryāmī–the Supersoul, (3) vaibhava–incarnations of the Lord, (4) vyūha–expansions and (5) parā–Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.

kṛṣṇa yadi kṛpā kare kono bhāgyavāne
guru-antaryāmī-rūpe sikhāye āpane

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.47)

To bestow His mercy upon those living entities who possess suffi-cient accumulated spiritual merit, Bhagavān gives instructions–externally as the spiritual master and internally as guru within the heart (the caitya-guru)–about surrendering to Him.