We report on a high power passively mode-locked picosecond oscillator based on Nd:GdVO4 crystal with σ polarized in-band pumping. Thermal gradient and thermal aberration was greatly decreased with proposed configuration. Maximum output power of 37 W at 81 MHz repetition rate with 19.3 ps pulse duration was achieved directly from Nd:GdVO4 oscillator, corresponding to 51% optical efficiency. The oscillator maintained diffraction limited beam quality of M2 < 1.05 at different output coupling with pulse duration between 11.2 ps to 19.3 ps.