Renunciation has a guna-quality.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
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||
Use this verse to evaluate the quality of your letting go.
Meaning
O best of Bharatas, hear My conclusion about tyaga. O tiger among men, tyaga is declared to be of three kinds.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Krishna will explain renunciation through the three gunas.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The same outer act can have different inner qualities. Krishna now prepares to classify renunciation as sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic, which helps people evaluate motive, not just behavior.
Read the traditional commentary
Having presented the debate, Krishna now claims the authority to settle it: hear My nishchaya, My definitive conclusion. He addresses Arjuna with two honorifics — best of the Bharatas and tiger among men — reminding him that this teaching is for one who must act bravely in the world, not retreat from it.
The key announcement is that tyaga is trividha, of three kinds, mapped to the three gunas of sattva, rajas, and tamas. Renunciation itself can be done in a pure, a passionate, or a deluded spirit. The coming verses will distinguish them, teaching that what matters is not only what you give up but the inner quality with which you do so.
In daily life
Examine the motive behind what you give up.
A person may quit social media for clarity, for image, or from depression; each has a different guna.
Try this today
Label one renunciation as sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic based on motive.
I look at motive, not only outer action.Reflect
What guna is behind my renunciation?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘तत्र त्यागे’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on three gunas, in other chapters
- Verse 2.45Go beyond mastering spiritual teachings to actually living from the awareness those teachings point toward — rest in the Self that is prior to all conditions.
- Verse 13.12True knowledge is whatever keeps you steadily turned toward your deepest Self; everything else is ignorance dressed up as learning.
- Verse 15.10The indwelling Self is always present, but only the eye of knowledge can perceive it.
- Verse 16.6Understanding the patterns of the lower nature is the first step to recognising and rooting them out within yourself.
Swipe left for 18.5 · Purifying duties should continue.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 18.4
Who says Bhagavad Gita 18.4, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 18.4, in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga (Moksha Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 18.4 mean?
O best of Bharatas, hear My conclusion about tyaga. O tiger among men, tyaga is declared to be of three kinds. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 18.4 for daily life?
Examine the motive behind what you give up. A person may quit social media for clarity, for image, or from depression; each has a different guna.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 18.4 mean?
निश्चयं — the conclusion / final truth; शृणु मे — hear from Me; तत्र त्यागे — concerning that abandonment; भरतसत्तम — O best of the Bharatas; त्यागः — abandonment.
Where does verse 18.4 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 4 of 78 in Chapter 18, Moksha Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 18.5.