Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 66

सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज । अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः

sarvadharmānparityajya māmekaṃ śaraṇaṃ vraja | ahaṃ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Translation

Abandoning all righteous deeds, seek Me as thy sole Refuge; I will liberate thee from all sins; do thou not grieve.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

sarvadharmān

all duties

parityajya

having abandoned

mām

to me

ekam

alone

śaraṇam

refuge

vraja

come

aham

I

tvā

thee

sarvapāpebhyaḥ

from all, from sins

mokṣayiṣyāmi

(I) will free

mā

not

śucaḥ

grieve

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Righteous deeds (dharma): including unrighteous deeds (adharma) also, since naiṣkarmya or freedom from all action is intended to be taught here. The passage means "renouncing all works." Me alone: the Īśvara, the Self of all, dwelling the same in all. Seek Me as thy sole Refuge: in the belief "I myself am that Īśvara"; i.e., do thou understand that there is naught else except Me. When thou art firm in this faith, I shall liberate thee from all sins, from all bonds of dharma and adharma, by manifesting Myself as thy own Self. Wherefore do thou not grieve. (Note: the long bhāṣya here is a sustained refutation of theories that mokṣa can be attained by works alone or by conjunction of knowledge and works. Sankara concludes: pure Self-knowledge alone is the means to the Highest Bliss; for, as removing the notion of variety, it culminates in liberation. Works and knowledge cannot be conjoined for the same end — they have distinct results and concern distinct classes of aspirants.)