Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 18 Moksha Sannyasa Yogah

Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Some learned ones declare that all action is evil and should be relinquished, while others say that acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should not be given up.

त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिण: |
यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ||3||

Some learned ones declare that all action is evil and should be relinquished, while others say that acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should not be given up.

Doṣavat: Defective or faulty.
Manīṣiṇaḥ: Intelligent thinkers.
Tapas: Austerity or penance.
Apare: Others (different opinion).

Here Krishna presents differing philosophical positions without immediately declaring one superior, acknowledging the authentic diversity of spiritual traditions. This approach shows respect for various paths while preparing to synthesize them into a comprehensive understanding.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Hear from Me the conclusion regarding relinquishment, O best of the Bharatas. Relinquishment has been declared to be of three kinds, O tiger among men.

निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम |
त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविध: सम्प्रकीर्तित: ||4||

Hear from Me the conclusion regarding relinquishment, O best of the Bharatas. Relinquishment has been declared to be of three kinds, O tiger among men.

Bharatasattama: Best of the Bharatas.
Puruṣavyāghra: Tiger among men.
Samprakīrtita: Fully declared or described.
Trividha: Of three types.

Krishna now transitions from presenting diverse viewpoints to offering a definitive perspective. By addressing Arjuna as "tiger among men," he subtly reinforces Arjuna's warrior nature while preparing to explain how relinquishment manifests through the three gunas.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should not be abandoned, but should be performed. Sacrifice, charity and penance are purifiers of the wise.

यज्ञदानतप:कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् |
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ||5||

Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should not be abandoned, but should be performed. Sacrifice, charity and penance are purifiers of the wise.

Pāvanāni: Purifying elements.
Kāryam: Should be performed.
Eva: Indeed or certainly.
Manīṣiṇām: For the wise.

The emphasis on not abandoning sacrificial acts connects back to earlier teachings about yajna. Krishna elevates these activities beyond mere rituals, positioning them as purifying forces that transform the practitioner while benefiting society—the perfect integration of spiritual and social responsibility.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - But even these actions should be performed giving up attachment and the desire for rewards. This, O Partha, is My decided and best conviction.

एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च |
कर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम् ||6||

But even these actions should be performed giving up attachment and the desire for rewards. This, O Partha, is My decided and best conviction.

Saṅgam: Attachment to actions.
Phalāni: Fruits or results.
Matam: Opinion or doctrine.
Uttamam: Highest or best.

This verse reveals the Gita's middle path between extreme asceticism and worldly attachment. The instruction to perform actions without attachment to results establishes the foundation for karma yoga, where action becomes a form of spiritual practice rather than bondage.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Verily, renunciation of obligatory action is not proper. Abandonment through delusion is declared to be of the nature of tamas.

नियतस्य तु सन्न्यास: कर्मणो नोपपद्यते |
मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामस: परिकीर्तित: ||7||

Verily, renunciation of obligatory action is not proper. Abandonment through delusion is declared to be of the nature of tamas.

Niyatasya: Of obligatory duty.
Nopapadyate: Is not proper.
Mohāt: Out of delusion.
Tāmasaḥ: Of darkness quality.

Krishna directly challenges the notion that abandoning prescribed duties is spiritual. By connecting improper renunciation to tamas (ignorance), he establishes an important hierarchy of action, where how and why one acts becomes more important than whether one acts.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble because it is painful, performing rajasic relinquishment, does not obtain the reward of relinquishment.

दु:खमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्यजेत् |
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ||8||

He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble because it is painful, performing rajasic relinquishment, does not obtain the reward of relinquishment.

Kāyakleśa: Bodily discomfort.
Bhayāt: From fear.
Rājasaṃ: Mode of passion.
Tyāgaphalaṃ: Fruit of renunciation.

This verse explores psychological motivations behind renunciation, warning against abandoning duties merely to avoid discomfort. True spirituality isn't about avoiding difficulty but transcending the duality of pleasure and pain through proper understanding of duty.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - When obligatory action is performed only because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and fruit, that relinquishment is regarded as sattvic.

कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन |
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्याग: सात्त्विको मत: ||9||

When obligatory action is performed only because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and fruit, that relinquishment is regarded as sattvic.

Niyataṃ: Obligatory work.
Sāttvikaḥ: Mode of goodness.
Phalaṃ: Result or fruit.
Mataḥ: Considered.

The concept of sattvic relinquishment introduces the highest form of action—performed simply because it is right, without attachment to outcomes. This establishes the framework for selfless service (nishkama karma) that becomes the Gita's practical solution to action vs. inaction.

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