The Supreme Secret
Abandon all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
This is the climactic teaching of the Gita—the supreme secret. After all the teachings about duty, knowledge, and devotion, Krishna reveals the ultimate: complete surrender to God. Abandoning even attachment to righteousness, the devotee casts themselves entirely on divine grace. This is not rejection of ethics but transcendence into pure trust. God promises to liberate such a surrendered soul from all karma. Fear not, for grace is infinitely greater than our failings.
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
Ramanuja calls this the charama shloka—the ultimate verse. It is the essence of the Gita: when all else fails, surrender works.
Bhagavad Gita
Written about in
- What the Bhagavad Gita says about purpose
Near the end Krishna says something stronger: set aside every duty and take shelter in him. Read beside 3.35, duty is the path and trust is the ground under it.