Chapter 18 of 18
मोक्षसंन्यासयोग Mokṣa Sanyāsa Yoga Release
78 verses
The book ends by handing back everything it argued for as one instruction — act, release the result, let go — and then leaves Arjuna to decide.
Chapter 18 is the longest in the book and adds almost no new doctrine. It decides. Arjuna's last question is about two words for giving up, and the answer settles the dispute the earlier chapters left open: offerings, giving and austerity should be done, and done with the fruit released.
Then the analysis is run to its end. Five causes of any action, with the doer listed second between the location and the tools. Knowledge, action, the doer, understanding, steadiness and happiness each graded three ways. Two of those verses are the most useful test in the book: one happiness is poison at first and nectar in the end, the other is nectar first and poison after.
And then the most forgiving sentence the Gita ever writes about work — every undertaking is wrapped in fault, as fire is wrapped in smoke — which removes the possibility of waiting for a clean one. Chapter 1 was a man waiting for a clean one.
The ending is stranger than its reputation. Krishna quotes Arjuna's own words from 2.9 back at him, says he will do it anyway, and then hands the decision over: then do as you choose. He speaks once more anyway, out of affection, and the last instruction is to let go of every duty. Arjuna's final words are not that he has been convinced but that he remembers. And the last verse belongs to neither of them — it is the narrator's, speaking to the blind king who asked the question in 1.1 and has not said a word since.
संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्
त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन
sannyāsasya mahā-bāho tattvam ichchhāmi veditum
tyāgasya cha hṛiṣhīkeśha pṛithak keśhi-niṣhūdana
I wish to understand the truth of renunciation, mighty-armed one, and of letting go — and how they differ.
Arjuna's last question is about vocabulary.
sannyāsa and tyāga — renunciation and letting go. How do they differ?
Seventeen chapters in, and he is still asking what words mean. It is the same move as 8.1 and 13.1, and it is the reason this book has any precision at all.
Word by wordarjunaḥ uvācha — Arjun said · sanyāsasya — of renunciation of actions · mahā-bāho — mighty-armed one · tattvam — the truth · ichchhāmi — I wish · veditum — to understand · tyāgasya — of renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions · cha — and · hṛiṣhīkeśha — Krishna, the Lord of the senses · pṛithak — distinctively · keśhī-niṣhūdana — Krishna, the killer of the Keshi demon
Chapter 18 · Release · ← → to move, d for depth
All 78 verses
The Blessed One said
- 18.2 काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः The distinction, drawn
- 18.3 त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः The learned disagree
- 18.4 निश्चयं श्रृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम Hear my conclusion
- 18.5 यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् These should not be given up
- 18.6 एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च But done having let go
- 18.7 नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते Giving up your own work
- 18.8 दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् Quitting because it is hard
- 18.9 कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन Letting go, of clarity
- 18.10 न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते Neither hating nor clinging
- 18.11 न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः No one can give it up entirely
- 18.12 अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् Threefold, or none
- 18.13 पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध मे Five causes
- 18.14 अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम् The doer is one of five
- 18.15 शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः Body, speech or mind
- 18.16 तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः Seeing the self as the doer
- 18.17 यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते Unstained, even in killing
- 18.18 ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा कर्मचोदना Three that prompt, three that make
- 18.19 ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः Each of three kinds
- 18.20 सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते Undivided in the divided
- 18.21 पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् Knowledge that sees separateness
- 18.22 यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् Clinging to one thing
- 18.23 नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् Action of clarity
- 18.24 यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुनः Action with great strain
- 18.25 अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् Action without regard
- 18.26 मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः A doer who does not speak of themselves
- 18.27 रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः A doer who craves
- 18.28 अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो नैष्कृतिकोऽलसः A doer who is dilatory
- 18.29 बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं श्रृणु Understanding and steadiness
- 18.30 प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च कार्याकार्ये भयाभये Understanding that knows
- 18.31 यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं चाकार्यमेव च Grasping it wrongly
- 18.32 अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते तमसाऽऽवृता Everything the wrong way round
- 18.33 धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्राणेन्द्रियक्रियाः Steadiness through practice
- 18.34 यया तु धर्मकामार्थान् धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन Holding on out of attachment
- 18.35 यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं विषादं मदमेव च Not letting go of grief
- 18.36 सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं श्रृणु मे भरतर्षभ Three kinds of happiness
- 18.37 यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् Poison first, nectar after
- 18.38 विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् Nectar first, poison after
- 18.39 यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं मोहनमात्मनः Deluding from beginning to end
- 18.40 न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा दिवि देवेषु वा पुनः No one is free of the three
- 18.41 ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परंतप The four kinds of work
- 18.42 शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च The work of the priestly
- 18.43 शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे चाप्यपलायनम् The work of the warrior
- 18.44 कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् Trade, and service
- 18.45 स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं लभते नरः Perfection by your own work
- 18.46 यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् Worshipping through the work
- 18.47 श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् Your own, done imperfectly
- 18.48 सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि न त्यजेत् Fire is wrapped in smoke
- 18.49 असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः The state beyond action
- 18.50 सिद्धिं प्राप्तो यथा ब्रह्म तथाप्नोति निबोध मे Hear it briefly
- 18.51 बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्याऽऽत्मानं नियम्य च A purified understanding
- 18.52 विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः Solitude, and eating lightly
- 18.53 अहङ्कारं बलं दर्पं कामं क्रोधं परिग्रहम् Without claiming anything as mine
- 18.54 ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति न काङ्क्षति Then the highest devotion
- 18.55 भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः One enters into me
- 18.56 सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः Performing every kind of action
- 18.57 चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य मत्परः Give over every action
- 18.58 मच्चित्तः सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि You will cross every difficulty
- 18.59 यदहङ्कारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति मन्यसे If you think I will not fight
- 18.60 स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन कर्मणा You will do it unwillingly
- 18.61 ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति As though mounted on a wheel
- 18.62 तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन भारत Take refuge with your whole being
- 18.63 इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया Then do as you choose
- 18.64 सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः श्रृणु मे परमं वचः Hear again my highest word
- 18.65 मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु I promise you truly
- 18.66 सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज Let go of every duty
- 18.67 इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय कदाचन Not to be spoken to everyone
- 18.68 य इमं परमं गुह्यं मद्भक्तेष्वभिधास्यति One who declares it
- 18.69 न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्िचन्मे प्रियकृत्तमः No one dearer
- 18.70 अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः One who studies this dialogue
- 18.71 श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च श्रृणुयादपि यो नरः And one who merely listens
- 18.72 कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा Has your confusion gone?
Sanjaya said
- 18.74 इत्यहं वासुदेवस्य पार्थस्य च महात्मनः My hair stands on end
- 18.75 व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम् By the grace of Vyasa
- 18.76 राजन्संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य संवादमिममद्भुतम् I rejoice again and again
- 18.77 तच्च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं हरेः Recalling that form
- 18.78 यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः Wherever these two are
Where this sits
Chapter 18 against the whole of it: who is speaking, verse by verse, and how much of the book this chapter is.
The argument so far
- Chapter 1 Arjuna's nerve fails on the field, and the question that opens the book is not a spiritual one but a practical one he cannot answer.
- Chapter 2 The first answer is that Arjuna is not the body he is afraid of losing, and that grief for what cannot die is grief misplaced.
- Chapter 3 Withdrawing from action is not available to anyone alive; what is available is acting without gripping the result.
- Chapter 4 Action, knowledge and Krishna himself all have a deeper structure than they appear to, and knowing it is what makes action free.
- Chapter 5 What has to be renounced is attachment rather than activity — the leaf in water, unwetted.
- Chapter 6 The mind is trained the way anything is trained, by returning to the practice on the days it does not work.
- Chapter 7 Behind both matter and awareness there is one reality, and everything else is a thread strung on it.
- Chapter 8 Everything that appears is temporary; the work of yoga is to train attention toward the one thing that is not.
- Chapter 9 The highest knowledge turns out to ask for the simplest thing: what is offered matters less than the attention it is offered with.
- Chapter 10 Wherever something is most fully itself, the Divine is most visible in it — a list of glories given because the whole cannot be listed.
- Chapter 11 Arjuna asks to see it and cannot bear what he sees, which is the book's reply to anyone who wants the vision rather than the practice.
- Chapter 12 Devotion is offered as the reachable path, and the chapter is careful to say that a lesser version of it, honestly done, still counts.
- Chapter 13 There is a field and there is what knows the field, and nearly every confusion in the book comes from mistaking one for the other.
- Chapter 14 Three strands run through everything — clarity, drive and inertia — and freedom starts with noticing which one is moving you.
- Chapter 15 The world is a tree rooted upward, and cutting it is not destruction but recognising what it was growing out of.
- Chapter 16 Two dispositions are set against each other, and the chapter is interested in the difference rather than in the judgement.
- Chapter 17 Faith, offering and austerity each come in three grades, and the grade depends less on the act than on what is wanted from it.