Sri N. Balarama Reddiar, an old scholarly devotee, ever ready to speak about Bhagavan, narrated "A Vaishnava-devotee went and stood by the couch of Sri Bhagavan most reverentially and asked: "Bhagavan! why have you not chosen the verse "Sarvadharman Parityajya" (Ch.18 v.66) which is most important sloka in Sri Bhagavad Gita and which is the charama sloka of Vaishnavites"? Bhagavan replied: "You will see that I have chosen instead an earlier verse of the same chapter (Ch.18 v.62)".
Sri Balarama Reddiar clarified this cryptic statement as follows: In v.66 a negative aspect, 'abandoning all righteous deeds seek Me as the sole refuge', is stressed; but in v.62, 'Unto Him alone surrender, O Bharata, with all thy being', the positive method is given.
Here are the two verses from Ch.18.
"Abandoning all righteous deeds, seek Me as the sole refuge; I will leberate thee from all sins; do thou not grieve."
"Unto Him alone surrender, O Bharata, will all thy being; by His Grace shalt thou obtain peace Supreme, the abode eternal."
Sri Balarama Reddiar clarified this cryptic statement as follows: In v.66 a negative aspect, 'abandoning all righteous deeds seek Me as the sole refuge', is stressed; but in v.62, 'Unto Him alone surrender, O Bharata, with all thy being', the positive method is given.
Here are the two verses from Ch.18.
"Abandoning all righteous deeds, seek Me as the sole refuge; I will leberate thee from all sins; do thou not grieve."
"Unto Him alone surrender, O Bharata, will all thy being; by His Grace shalt thou obtain peace Supreme, the abode eternal."