257. Freedom from Grief

 

Krishna says, “Hear again My supreme instruction, the most confidential of all. I am revealing this for your benefit because you are very dear to Me (18.64). Always think of Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer obeisance to Me. Doing so, you shall come to Me. This is My promise to you, for you are very dear to Me” (18.65).

These verses are not stand-alone. Instead, they are the culmination of what was being told earlier when Krishna said, “Remember Me all times (Sarveshu-kaleshu-maam-anusmara) and fight. With mind and intellect absorbed in Me you shall without doubt come unto Me” (8.7). The riddle of ‘remembering Him all times’ is solved when Krishna said, “United with the self, one sees the self in all beings and all the beings in the self, he sees the same everywhere (6.29). He who perceives Me everywhere and sees all in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me” (6.30).

Krishna further says, “Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, grieve not” (18.66). This is one of the most quoted verses of the Bhagavad Gita and in a sense, this is the end of the Bhagavad Gita.

Krishna earlier explained about swa-dharma (one’s own nature) and para-dharma (others’ nature). He encourages harmony and synergy with one’s swa-dharma (2.31-2.37). Subsequently, he gave the hierarchy when He said that swa-dharma is better than para-dharma (3.35) even when swa-dharma is faulty.

Now Krishna says to shun all dharmas and take refuge in Him alone. It is like rivers losing their individuality or swa-dharma when they become one with the ocean. It is like both the rose and lotus recognising that the same creative force is behind their blooming.