Shloka
सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः |
मत्प्रसादादवाप्नोति शाश्वतं पदमव्ययम् ||१८-५६||Transliteration
sarvakarmāṇyapi sadā kurvāṇo madvyapāśrayaḥ .
matprasādādavāpnoti śāśvataṃ padamavyayam ||18-56||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
18.56. Performing all [his] actions all the time and taking refuge in Me, he attains, through My Grace, the eternal, changeless state.
Shri Purohit Swami
18.56 Relying on Me in all his action and doing them for My sake, he attains, by My Grace, Eternal and Unchangeable Life.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
18.56 See Comment under 18.60
Sri Ramanuja
18.56 ‘Taking refuge in Me’ means leaving agency etc., to Me. He who performs ‘all works constantly’ means works that are not only obligatory and occasional acts but even those meant to fulfil desires (Kamya Karmas) - he attains, by My grace, the eternal realm which is immutable. ‘Pada’ means that which is attained. The meaning is that he attains Me. [The idea is that the performance of even those ritualistic actions enjoined for those having the fulfilment of certain desires in view, even these actions, if done without any such desire but only as the worship of the Supreme Person - the have the same effect as the performance of the enjoined daily and occasional rituals to which no effect except the purification of the self is offered by the Sastras.]
Since it is so, therefore:
Sri Shankaracharya
18.56 Sada, ever; kurvanah api, engaging even in; sarva-karmani, all actions, even the prohibited ones; madvyapasrayah, one to whom I am the refuge, to whom I, Vasudeva the Lord, am the refuge, i.e. one who has totally surrendered himself to Me; even he, apnoti, attains; the sasvatam, eternal; avyayam, immutable; padam, State of Visnu; mat-prasadat, through My, i.e. God’s, grace. Since this is so, therefore,
Swami Adidevananda
18.56 Taking refuge in Me and performing all works constantly, one, by My grace, attains the eternal and immutable realm.
Swami Gambirananda
18.56 Ever engaging even in all actions, one to whom I am the refuge, attains the eternal, immutable State through My grace.
Swami Sivananda
18.56 Doing all actions always having taken refuge in Me, by My grace he obtains the eternal indestructible state of being.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
18.56 सर्वकर्माणि all actions? अपि also? सदा always? कुर्वाणः doing? मद्व्यपाश्रयः taking refuge in Me? मत्प्रसादात् by My grace? अवाप्नोति obtains? शाश्वतम् the eternal? पदम् state or abode? अव्ययम् indestructible.Commentary Worshipping Me with the flowers of his good actions he reaches the imperishable Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour through My grace. He attains union with Me and enjoys the supreme bliss. If by chance he commits some prohibited actions? still? as in the Ganga (Indias most holy river) the waters of the drains and roads find union? so My devotee? becoming united with Me? is unaffected by these prohibited actions.Worship of the Lord through ones duties purifies the heart of the aspirant and prepares him for the devotion to knowledge which eventually leads him to the attainment of Selfrealisation. The Yoga of Devotion is eulogised here.All actions Good actions and even the prohibited actions. He who takes shelter in Me? Vaasudeva? the Lord? with his whole self centred in Me attains the eternal abode of Vishnu? by the grace of the Lord.