Verse 18.57

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 18.57:

चेतसा सर्व-कर्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्-परः ।
बुद्धि-योगम् उपाश्रित्य मच्-चित्तः सततं भव ॥ ५७ ॥

cetasā sarva-karmāṇi mayi sannyasya mat-paraḥ |
buddhi-yogam upāśritya mac-cittaḥ satataṃ bhava || 57 ||

cetasā–by such consciousness (free from the ego of being the doer); sarva-karmāṇi–all activities; mayi–unto Me; sannyasya–having surrendered or offered; mat-paraḥ–being dedicated to Me; buddhi-yogam–of the yoga of (resolute) intelligence; upāśritya–taking shelter; mat-cittaḥ–consciousness absorbed in Me; satatam–always; bhava–be.

With your mind free from the false ego of being the doer, wholeheartedly offering all of your activities to Me, being fully devoted to Me and taking shelter of the yoga of unwavering intel-ligence, remain always absorbed in full consciousness of Me.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

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

“Very well, so what are You finally ordering me to do? Do You want me to become an exclusive devotee (ananya-bhakta) or a materialistic devotee (sakāma-bhakta), who possesses the symptoms You have already described?” Śrī Bhagavān responds to Arjuna’s question as follows: “You will not be able to become the topmost bhakta, nor should you become the inferior, sakāma-bhakta. Rather, you should become situated as a madhyama-bhakta, one in the intermediate stage of bhakti.” Śrī Bhagavān speaks this verse beginning with the word cetasā to give this instruction.

Sarva-karmāṇi indicates, “You should become a niṣkāma-bhakta by offering your everyday activities to Me. This includes offering those activities related to varṇāśrama-dharma. I am the only goal of such niṣkāma devotees. I have already explained this in the Gītā (9.27), yat karoṣi.” The word buddhi-yogam means, “You should become constantly absorbed in Me with resolute intelligence. In other words, you should always remember Me while performing your prescribed duty or in any other situation.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

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

Here, Arjuna wants to clearly understand the obligations of a devotee whose qualification is to practise bhakti on the intermediate level, between that of the pure aikāntika-bhakta, who has attained transcendental bhakti, and the inferior sakāma-bhakta, who is still materialistically inclined. Understanding Arjuna’s inner feeling, Śrī Kṛṣṇa now gives instruction for whose qualification is similar to that of Arjuna. “Such a person should give up the false ego of being the doer and the enjoyer of all action and offer all of their action to Me, remembering Me always.” This was also stated earlier: yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi. It is worthy to note, however, that the activity itself should be performed as an offering, not just the results of the activity. By doing this and by the influence of sādhu-saṅga, the sādhaka finally attains transcendental bhakti.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes Kṛṣṇa as saying, “I have already explained that brahma, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are My three manifestations. Through buddhi-yoga (intelligence fixed on Me), fix your thoughts on My manifestation of Paramātmā, and with your mind, offer all your work to Me. In this way, become devoted to Me.”