Bhagavad Gita 11.55
Spoken by Krishna ★ Essential verse · Verse 55 of 55
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः। निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव ॥
matkarmakṛnmatparamo madbhaktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ| nirvairaḥ sarvabhūteṣu yaḥ sa māmeti pāṇḍava ||
Do My work, hold Me supreme, be My devotee, attachment-free, without enmity toward all — such a one comes to Me!
Word by word (3)
- mat-karma-kṛt mat-paramaḥ mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ
- — Doer of My work, having Me as the Supreme, My devotee, free from attachment · Mat-karma-kṛt = doer of My work (mat = Mine/My; karma = work/action; kṛt = doer; mat-karma-kṛt = one who performs action for Krishna's sake = the karma-yoga definition: action offered to the divine). Mat-paramaḥ = one for whom I am the Supreme (mat = Me; parama = highest, supreme; mat-parama = one whose highest aim is Me = the jñāna-yoga's culmination in single-pointed focus). Mad-bhaktaḥ = My devotee (mad = Me; bhakta = devoted; bhakti's definition: the one who is devoted to Me). Saṅga-varjitaḥ = free from attachment (saṅga = attachment, contact; varjita = excluded, abandoned; the negative qualification: the bhakta who has released all binding attachments). The first four qualities are the POSITIVE architecture of the bhakti-practitioner: do My work + hold Me supreme + be devoted + be unattached.
- nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava
- — Without enmity toward all beings — such a one comes to Me, O Pāṇḍava! · Nirvairaḥ = without enmity (nir = without; vaira = enmity, hostility, hatred; nirvairah = enmity-free). Sarva-bhūteṣu = toward all beings (sarva = all; bhūteṣu = locative plural of bhūta = beings, creatures = toward/among all beings). Yaḥ = who. Saḥ = that one. Mām eti = comes to Me (eti = 3rd person singular present of √i = to go; mām eti = goes to Me = comes to Me = reaches Me). Pāṇḍava = O son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna). The FIFTH qualification: no enmity toward ANY being (sarva-bhūteṣu = to all beings without exception). This is the cosmic ethical requirement: the bhakta who works for Krishna, holds Krishna supreme, is devoted to Krishna — ALSO extends that love's natural consequence to all beings (sarva-bhūteṣu = not just to devotees or humans but to ALL creatures). The final word pāṇḍava = Arjuna = the entire teaching is addressed to this specific human being, in this specific moment, on this specific battlefield.
- mat-karma-kṛt mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ — the five-qualification formula
- — The complete bhakti-practitioner: five essential qualities · V55 gives the five-qualification formula for the one who 'comes to Me': (1) mat-karma-kṛt = dedicated action (do Krishna's work = karma-yoga's offering); (2) mat-paramaḥ = single-pointed aim (Me as supreme = jñāna-yoga's focus); (3) mad-bhaktaḥ = devoted to Me (bhakti-yoga's orientation); (4) saṅga-varjitaḥ = detachment (no binding attachments = the Gita's universal requirement); (5) nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu = universal non-enmity (love extended to all beings = ethical completeness). The first three are positive qualities (do + aim + be devoted); the last two are negative (be free from = attachment; be free from = enmity). Together = the complete portrait of the bhakta. This is Ch.11's final word — after 55 verses of the most overwhelming spiritual experience in the Gita, the conclusion is: do this. Five simple qualities. The cosmic vision of kālo'smi and the viśva-rūpa culminates in: nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu (without enmity toward any being).
He who does My work, holds Me as supreme, is devoted to Me, free from attachment, and without enmity toward any being — he comes to Me, O Pāṇḍava.
A modern analogy
After 55 verses of the most overwhelming divine revelation imaginable — the cosmic form that destroyed cosmic forces — the conclusion is: be of service, keep love at the center, let go of what binds you, and wish no harm to anyone. The cosmic ends in the ordinary-profound.
Sit with this: The 5th quality — nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu (no enmity toward any being) — follows four devotion-centered qualities. Is universal non-enmity a prerequisite for, a consequence of, or the same thing as devotion? Can you be truly devoted to the Divine while holding enmity toward any of its creatures?
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
He who does works for Me, who looks on Me as the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who is without hatred for any being — he comes to Me, O Pandava. [1]
He who does work for Me alone and has Me for his goal, is devoted to Me, is freed from attachment, and bears enmity towards no creature — he entereth into Me, O Pandava. [4]
Who doeth all for Me; who findeth Me In all; adoreth always; loveth all Which I have made, and Me, for Love's sole end — That man, Arjuna! unto Me doth wend. [7]
He who worships Me with devotion without any attachment to the fruits of action, who regards Me as the Supreme, who is freed from enmity towards any creature, he enters Me, O Pandava. [13]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Not hating, friendly, compassionate, without 'mine' or 'I', equal in pain and joy, forgiving — the dear devotee!
Mind-in-Me, devotee, worshiper, bow to Me — you will come to Me; truly I promise, you are dear to Me.
Fix mind on Me, be My devotee, worship Me, bow to Me — thus, with Me as supreme goal, you shall come to Me.
Those whose sin has ended — virtuous in deed, freed from dvandva-delusion — worship Me with firm resolve.
Sat means: being/reality, goodness/virtue, and praiseworthy action — three registers of the one word.
The sāttvic tyāgī: neither hates difficult action nor clings to pleasant — sattva-pervaded, wise, doubts severed.
Verse 55 of 55 · back to Chapter 11