True renunciation needs clarity.
Arjuna speaks to Krishna
अर्जुन उवाच |संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् |त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ||१८-१||
arjuna uvāca . saṃnyāsasya mahābāho tattvamicchāmi veditum . tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthakkeśiniṣūdana ||18-1||
Use this verse to begin a renunciation-vs-escape reflection.
Meaning
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, O Hrishikesha, O slayer of Keshin, I wish to know separately the truth of sannyasa and tyaga.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna asks Krishna to explain the difference between renunciation and relinquishment.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Chapter 18 begins with the final big question of the Gita: what should really be renounced? Arjuna wants clarity between leaving action and giving up attachment. This is ideal for people confused between escaping duties and practicing true detachment.
Read the traditional commentary
The final chapter opens with Arjuna asking one last clarifying question. Throughout the dialogue Krishna has used two closely related Sanskrit words — sannyasa (renunciation) and tyaga (abandonment) — almost interchangeably, and Arjuna now wants their precise distinction. By addressing Krishna as Hrishikesha, master of the senses, he acknowledges that the answer concerns inner mastery, not outward escape.
This is the mark of a sincere seeker: rather than settling for a comfortable blur, Arjuna pursues exactness about the very terms on which a spiritual life is built. The whole chapter, the Gita's grand summary, unfolds from this honest desire to truly understand before he acts.
In daily life
Before leaving a responsibility, ask whether you are renouncing ego or escaping duty.
A professional thinking of quitting under stress can first ask whether the real issue is job, attachment, fear, or burnout.
Try this today
Write one responsibility and one attachment linked to it.
I seek clear renunciation, not escape.Reflect
Am I trying to renounce wisely or escape discomfort?
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Quick check
What does ‘संन्यासस्य’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on clarity, in other chapters
- Verse 5.1 · ArjunaWhen two good paths seem to contradict, ask for clarity rather than choosing blindly — sincere questioning is the start of wisdom.
- Verse 3.2 · ArjunaWhen a teaching overwhelms you, ask sincerely for the one clear next step instead of drowning in every possibility.
- Verse 14.11When clarity and inner light fill your senses and mind, sattva is rising — use such moments for what matters most.
- Verse 10.32Of all knowledge, the science of the Self is supreme — it alone liberates and ends all sorrow.
Swipe left for 18.2 · Give up desire-driven action and result-attachment.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.1
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.1, and to whom?
Arjuna speaks to Krishna in verse 18.1, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.1 mean?
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, O Hrishikesha, O slayer of Keshin, I wish to know separately the truth of sannyasa and tyaga. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.1 for daily life?
Before leaving a responsibility, ask whether you are renouncing ego or escaping duty. A professional thinking of quitting under stress can first ask whether the real issue is job, attachment, fear, or burnout.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.1 mean?
अर्जुन उवाच — Arjuna said; संन्यासस्य — of renunciation (sannyasa); महाबाहो — O mighty-armed one; तत्त्वम् — the truth or essence; इच्छामि वेदितुम् — I wish to know.
Where does verse 18.1 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 1 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.2.