Moksha Sannyas Yoga
Moksha Sannyas Yoga • 78 verses
The Gita's final chapter brings together all the teachings in a grand synthesis. Krishna clarifies the nature of true renunciation, summarizes the teachings on the three gunas, and concludes with his most intimate teaching: surrender completely to him and he will deliver the devotee from all sin.
Chapter Overview
The longest chapter, and Krishna's summing-up. It begins where Arjuna's confusion began: what does giving something up actually mean?
Not abandoning work, Krishna says. Abandoning the grip on what work produces. Acts of sacrifice, giving and self-discipline should never be dropped — they are what refine a person.
He then walks the three gunas through everything one last time: knowledge, action, the doer, the intellect, resolve, even happiness. The happiness that tastes like poison at first and nectar later is the clear kind. The kind that is nectar first and poison after is the restless kind.
Near the end he returns Arjuna's freedom to him. I have told you everything, he says. Reflect on it fully, and then do as you choose.
And then the last word, offered rather than demanded: let everything else go, come to me, do not grieve.
Arjuna answers in one line. My confusion is gone. I will do as you say.
Key Verses
अर्जुन उवाच | संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् | त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ||१८-१||
arjuna uvāca . saṃnyāsasya mahābāho tattvamicchāmi veditum . tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthakkeśiniṣūdana ||18-1||
Arjuna said: I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence or truth of renunciation, O Hrishikesa, as also of abandonment, O slayer of Kesi.
श्रीभगवानुवाच | काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः ||१८-२||
śrībhagavānuvāca . kāmyānāṃ karmaṇāṃ nyāsaṃ saṃnyāsaṃ kavayo viduḥ . sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ prāhustyāgaṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ ||18-2||
The Blessed Lord said: The sages understand Sannyasa to be the renunciation of action with desire; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruits of all actions as Tyaga.
त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः | यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ||१८-३||
tyājyaṃ doṣavadityeke karma prāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ . yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyamiti cāpare ||18-3||
Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as an evil; while others (declare) that acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinished.
निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम | त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः सम्प्रकीर्तितः ||१८-४||
niścayaṃ śṛṇu me tatra tyāge bharatasattama . tyāgo hi puruṣavyāghra trividhaḥ samprakīrtitaḥ ||18-4||
Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; abandonment, verily, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् | यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ||१८-५||
yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṃ kāryameva tat . yajño dānaṃ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||18-5||
Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise.