Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 18 Moksha Sannyasa Yogah

Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Valor, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, lordliness - these are the duties of Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.

शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम् |
दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्रं कर्म स्वभावजम् ||43||

Valor, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and also not fleeing from battle, generosity, lordliness - these are the duties of Kshatriyas, born of their own nature.

Śauryaṃ: Valor.
Tejaḥ: Splendor.
Dākṣyaṃ: Dexterity.
Īśvarabhāvaḥ: Lordly nature.

Kshatriya qualities combine courage with moral responsibility, balancing power with protection of others. This integration of strength and service creates the ideal leader who commands not through domination but through exemplary character, establishing protection rather than exploitation as power's purpose.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of Vaishyas, born of their own nature; and action consisting of service is the duty of Shudras, born of their own nature.

कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् |
परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम् ||44||

Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of Vaishyas, born of their own nature; and action consisting of service is the duty of Shudras, born of their own nature.

Kṛṣigorakṣya: Agriculture and cow protection.
Vāṇijyaṃ: Trade.
Paricharyā: Service.
Svabhāvajaṃ: Born of own nature.

The vocations of Vaishyas and Shudras complete society's functional organization, emphasizing that all roles contribute essential services. This holistic vision contrasts with hierarchical views of work, showing how diverse temperaments and skills create a complete and interdependent social ecosystem.

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स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरत: संसिद्धिं लभते नर: |
स्वकर्मनिरत: सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु ||45||

Man attains perfection by being engaged in his own duty. Hear now how one who is engaged in his own duty attains perfection.

Svekarmāṇi: In one's own duty.
Abhirataḥ: Engaged in.
Saṃsiddhiṃ: Perfection.
Labhate: Attains.

This verse introduces a spiritual understanding of vocation—one achieves perfection not by abandoning one's natural role but by fulfilling it with the right consciousness. This revolutionary teaching transforms ordinary work into spiritual practice, making liberation accessible in everyday life.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - From whom is the evolution of all beings, by whom all this is pervaded, by worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty, man attains perfection.

यत: प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् |
स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानव: ||46||

From whom is the evolution of all beings, by whom all this is pervaded, by worshipping Him through the performance of his own duty, man attains perfection.

Pravṛttiḥ: Evolution.
Bhūtānāṃ: Of beings.
Abhyārchya: By worshiping.
Tatam: Pervaded.

Here Krishna connects individual duty with cosmic purpose, showing how performing one's natural function becomes worship of the divine. This elevates work from mere livelihood to sacred participation in universal order, transforming occupation into vocation in the truest sense.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - Better is one's own duty though imperfectly performed than the duty of another well performed. Performing the duty ordained by one's own nature, one incurs no sin.

श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |
स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ||47||

Better is one's own duty though imperfectly performed than the duty of another well performed. Performing the duty ordained by one's own nature, one incurs no sin.

Śreyān: Better.
Svadharmaḥ: One's own duty.
Viguṇaḥ: Defective.
Kilbiṣam: Sin.

This verse contains one of the Gita's most important teachings—imperfect performance of one's own duty surpasses perfect execution of another's. This liberates us from comparing ourselves to others, focusing instead on authentic expression of our unique nature, however limited it might appear.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - One should not abandon, O son of Kunti, the duty to which one is born, though it is defective, for all undertakings are covered by defects as fire by smoke.

सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् |
सर्वारम्भा हि दोषेण धूमेनाग्निरिवावृता: ||48||

One should not abandon, O son of Kunti, the duty to which one is born, though it is defective, for all undertakings are covered by defects as fire by smoke.

Sahajaṃ: Born with one.
Sadoṣam: With defects.
Dhūmena: By smoke.
Āvṛtāḥ: Covered.

Krishna acknowledges the imperfection inherent in all action, offering a realistic spiritual path that accepts human limitation. By comparing defects to smoke covering fire, he shows how imperfection doesn't negate the essential value of dedicated action, encouraging perseverance despite inevitable flaws.

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Moksha Sannyasa Yogah - He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he attains through renunciation the supreme perfection of freedom from action.

असक्तबुद्धि: सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृह: |
नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां सन्न्यासेनाधिगच्छति ||49||

He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he attains through renunciation the supreme perfection of freedom from action.

Asaktabuddhiḥ: Unattached intellect.
Jitātmā: Self-controlled.
Vigataspṛhaḥ: Free from desire.
Naiṣkarmyasiddhiṃ: Perfection of non-action.

Krishna reveals the paradoxical culmination of action—through dedicated performance of duty with detachment, one attains the state of non-action. This resolves the apparent contradiction between action and renunciation, showing how right action leads naturally to the freedom sought by renunciates.

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