Chapter 18 - Mokṣha Sanyās Yog

Shloka अर्जुन उवाच | संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् | त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ||१८-१|| Transliteration arjuna uvāca . saṃnyāsasya mahābāho tattvamicchāmi veditum . tyāgasya ca hṛṣīkeśa pṛthakkeśiniṣūdana ||18-1|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.1. Arjuna said O Mighty-armed ! I desire to know severally the distinctive nature of renunciation and of relinishment, O Hrsikesa ! O Slayer of Kesin ! Shri Purohit Swami 18.1 “Arjuna asked: O mighty One! I desire to know how relinquishment is distinguished from renunciation....

Shloka श्रीभगवानुवाच | काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः ||१८-२|| Transliteration śrībhagavānuvāca . kāmyānāṃ karmaṇāṃ nyāsaṃ saṃnyāsaṃ kavayo viduḥ . sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ prāhustyāgaṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ ||18-2|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.2. The Bhagavat said The seers understand the act of renouncing the desire-motivated actions as renunciation; the experts declare the relinishment of the fruits of all actions to be relinishment. Shri Purohit Swami 18.2 Lord Shri Krishna replied: The sages say that renunciation means forgoing an action which springs from desire; and relinquishing means the surrender of its fruit....

Shloka त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः | यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ||१८-३|| Transliteration tyājyaṃ doṣavadityeke karma prāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ . yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyamiti cāpare ||18-3|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.3. Certain wise men delcare that the harmful action is to be relinished while others say that the actions of performing sacrifices, giving gifts and observing austerities should not be relinished. Shri Purohit Swami 18.3 Some philosophers say that all action is evil and should be abandoned....

Shloka निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम | त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः सम्प्रकीर्तितः ||१८-४|| Transliteration niścayaṃ śṛṇu me tatra tyāge bharatasattama . tyāgo hi puruṣavyāghra trividhaḥ samprakīrtitaḥ ||18-4|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.4. O best of Bharata’s descendants ! Listen to My considered view about relinishing : Indeed the act of relinishing is rightly spoken to be three-fold, O best among men ! Shri Purohit Swami 18.4 O best of Indians! Listen to my judgment as regards this problem....

Shloka यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् | यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम् ||१८-५|| Transliteration yajñadānatapaḥkarma na tyājyaṃ kāryameva tat . yajño dānaṃ tapaścaiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām ||18-5|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.5. The actions of [Vedic] sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinished and they must necessarily be performed; for the men of wisdom the [Vedic sacrifice, gift and also austerity are the means of purification. Shri Purohit Swami 18.5 Acts of sacrifice, benevolence and austerity should not be given up but should be performed, for they purify the aspiring soul....

Shloka एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च | कर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम् ||१८-६|| Transliteration etānyapi tu karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalāni ca . kartavyānīti me pārtha niścitaṃ matamuttamam ||18-6|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.6. Even these actions too must be performed by relinishing attachment and fruits : This is my considered best opinion, O son of Prtha ! Shri Purohit Swami 18.6 But they should be done with detachment and without thought of recompense....

Shloka नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते | मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः ||१८-७|| Transliteration niyatasya tu saṃnyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate . mohāttasya parityāgastāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ ||18-7|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.7. The renunciation of the enjoined action does not stand to reason; and completely relinishing it, out of ignorance is proclaimed, on all sides, as an act of the Tamas (Strand). Shri Purohit Swami 18.7 It is not right to give up actions which are obligatory; and if they are misunderstood, it is the result of sheer ignorance....

Shloka दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् | स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ||१८-८|| Transliteration duḥkhamityeva yatkarma kāyakleśabhayāttyajet . sa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃ naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhet ||18-8|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.8. He who would, out of fear of bodily exertion, relinish an action, just because it is painful-that person, having [thus] made relinishment, an act of the Rajas (Strand), would not at all gain the fruit of [that] relinishment. Shri Purohit Swami 18....

Shloka कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन | सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः ||१८-९|| Transliteration kāryamityeva yatkarma niyataṃ kriyate.arjuna . saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalaṃ caiva sa tyāgaḥ sāttviko mataḥ ||18-9|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.9. ‘This is a thing to be performed.’-just on that ground whatever usual action is performed relinishing attachment and also fruit-that act of relinishment is deemed to be of the Sattva (Strand). Shri Purohit Swami 18.9 He who performs an obligatory action, because he believes it to be a duty which ought to be done, without any personal desire to do the act or to receive any return - such renunciation is Pure....

Shloka न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते | त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः ||१८-१०|| Transliteration na dveṣṭyakuśalaṃ karma kuśale nānuṣajjate . tyāgī sattvasamāviṣṭo medhāvī chinnasaṃśayaḥ ||18-10|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.10. The man of relinishment, who is well possessed of the Sattva, is wise and has his doubts destroyed-he hates not the unskilled action and clings not to the skilled action. Shri Purohit Swami 18.10 The wise man who has attained purity, whose doubts are solved, who is filled with the spirit of self-abnegation, does not shrink from action because it brings pain, nor does he desire it because it brings pleasure....

Shloka न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः | यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ||१८-११|| Transliteration na hi dehabhṛtā śakyaṃ tyaktuṃ karmāṇyaśeṣataḥ . yastu karmaphalatyāgī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyate ||18-11|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.11. Indeed, to relinish actions entirely is not possible for a body-bearing one; but whosoever relinishes the fruits of actions, he is said to be a man of [true] relinishment. Shri Purohit Swami 18.11 But since those still in the body cannot entirely avoid action, in their case abandonment of the fruit of action is considered as complete renunciation....

Shloka अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् | भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित् ||१८-१२|| Transliteration aniṣṭamiṣṭaṃ miśraṃ ca trividhaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam . bhavatyatyāgināṃ pretya na tu saṃnyāsināṃ kvacit ||18-12|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.12. The three-fold fruit of action, viz., the undesired, the desired and the mixed, accrues [even] after death ot those who are not men of relinishment, but never to those who are men of renunciation. Shri Purohit Swami 18....

Shloka पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे | साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम् ||१८-१३|| Transliteration pañcaitāni mahābāho kāraṇāni nibodha me . sāṅkhye kṛtānte proktāni siddhaye sarvakarmaṇām ||18-13|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.13. O mighty-armed one ! Learn from Me these following five causes that have been declared in the conclusion of deliberations [on proper knowledge], for the accomplishment of all actions. Shri Purohit Swami 18.13 I will tell thee now, O Mighty Man, the five causes which, according to the final decision of philosophy, must concur before an action can be accomplished....

Shloka अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् | विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम् ||१८-१४|| Transliteration adhiṣṭhānaṃ tathā kartā karaṇaṃ ca pṛthagvidham . vividhāśca pṛthakceṣṭā daivaṃ caivātra pañcamam ||18-14|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.14. The basis, as well as the agent, and diverse instruments, and distinct activity of various kinds and Destiny, which is certainly the fifth [factor]. Shri Purohit Swami 18.14 They are a body, a personality, physical organs, their manifold activity and destiny....

Shloka शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः | न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः ||१८-१५|| Transliteration śarīravāṅmanobhiryatkarma prārabhate naraḥ . nyāyyaṃ vā viparītaṃ vā pañcaite tasya hetavaḥ ||18-15|| Translations Dr.S.Sankaranarayan 18.15. O Arjuna ! Whatever action is undertaken with the body, speech or the mind, whether it is lawful or otherwise, its factors are these five. Shri Purohit Swami 18.15 Whatever action a man performs, whether by muscular effort or by speech or by thought, and whether it be right or wrong, these five are the essential causes....