Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 – Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
The yoga of liberation through renunciation — the conclusion of the Gita.
78 verses
All verses of this chapter
- 18.1 – अर्जुन उवाच – Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, O Hrishikesha, O slayer of Keshi, I wish to understand clearly and…
- 18.2 – श्रीभगवानुवाच – The Blessed Lord said: The wise understand sannyasa to be the giving up of actions prompted by desire; the…
- 18.3 – त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः – Some thinkers say that all action should be given up as being full of defect; others say that acts of…
- 18.4 – निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र – Now hear from me the final truth about relinquishment, O best of the Bharatas.
- 18.5 – यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव – Acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up; they must certainly be performed.
- 18.6 – एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं – But even these actions should be performed giving up attachment and the desire for their fruits.
- 18.7 – नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो – The renunciation of prescribed duty is not proper. Giving it up out of delusion is declared to be tamasic…
- 18.8 – दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् – One who gives up action merely because it is painful, out of fear of bodily discomfort, performs rajasic…
- 18.9 – कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन – When obligatory action is performed simply because it ought to be done, O Arjuna, giving up attachment and…
- 18.10 – न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले – The relinquisher who is pervaded by sattva, who is wise and whose doubts are cut away, neither dislikes…
- 18.11 – न हि देहभृता शक्यं – Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to give up actions entirely; but one who gives up the…
- 18.12 – अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं – For those who have not relinquished, the threefold fruit of action — disagreeable, agreeable and mixed…
- 18.13 – पञ्चैतानि महाबाहो कारणानि निबोध – Learn from me, O mighty-armed, these five causes for the accomplishment of all actions, as declared in the…
- 18.14 – अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं – The seat of action (the body), the doer, the various instruments, the many distinct activities, and the…
- 18.15 – शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः – Whatever action a person undertakes with body, speech or mind, whether right or contrary to right, these…
- 18.16 – तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं – This being so, one who, owing to an untrained understanding, sees the pure Self alone as the doer, that…
- 18.17 – यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य – One who is free from the ego-sense of doership and whose intellect is untainted, though he slays these…
- 18.18 – ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं परिज्ञाता त्रिविधा – Knowledge, the object of knowledge and the knower are the threefold impulse to action; the instrument, the…
- 18.19 – ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ताच – Knowledge, action and the doer are declared in the science of the gunas to be of three kinds only, according…
- 18.20 – सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते – That knowledge by which one sees the one imperishable Being in all beings, undivided in the divided, know…
- 18.21 – पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् – But that knowledge which, through separateness, sees in all beings various entities of different kinds…
- 18.22 – यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् – And that knowledge which clings to one single thing as if it were the whole, which is without reason…
- 18.23 – नियतं सङ्गरहितमरागद्वेषतः कृतम् – Action that is obligatory, free from attachment, done without love or hatred by one who does not crave its…
- 18.24 – यत्तु कामेप्सुना कर्म साहंकारेण – But action done by one seeking to fulfil desires, or by one full of ego, and performed with great strain, is…
- 18.25 – अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च – That action which is undertaken out of delusion, without regard to consequences, loss, injury to others, or…
- 18.26 – मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वितः – The doer who is free from attachment, not given to egoistic talk, endowed with fortitude and enthusiasm, and…
- 18.27 – रागी कर्मफलप्रेप्सुर्लुब्धो हिंसात्मकोऽशुचिः – The doer who is passionate, eager for the fruits of action, greedy, harmful to others, impure, and swept by…
- 18.28 – अयुक्तः प्राकृतः स्तब्धः शठो – The doer who is undisciplined, vulgar, obstinate, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent and procrastinating…
- 18.29 – बुद्धेर्भेदं धृतेश्चैव गुणतस्त्रिविधं शृणु – Hear now, O Dhananjaya, the threefold distinction of intellect and also of fortitude according to the gunas…
- 18.30 – प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च – That intellect which knows the path of action and the path of withdrawal, what ought to be done and what…
- 18.31 – यया धर्ममधर्मं च कार्यं – That intellect by which one understands dharma and adharma, what ought to be done and what ought not, in a…
- 18.32 – अधर्मं धर्ममिति या मन्यते – That intellect which, enveloped in darkness, regards adharma as dharma and sees all things in reverse, O…
- 18.33 – धृत्या यया धारयते मनःप्राणेन्द्रियक्रियाः – The unwavering fortitude, sustained by yoga, by which one controls the functions of the mind, the vital…
- 18.34 – यया तु धर्मकामार्थान्धृत्या धारयतेऽर्जुन – But the fortitude by which one holds fast to duty, pleasure and wealth, with intense attachment and desire…
- 18.35 – यया स्वप्नं भयं शोकं – The fortitude by which a foolish person does not give up sleep, fear, grief, despondency and arrogance…
- 18.36 – सुखं त्विदानीं त्रिविधं शृणु – And now hear from me, O best of the Bharatas, of the three kinds of happiness: that in which one comes to…
- 18.37 – यत्तदग्रे विषमिव परिणामेऽमृतोपमम् – That which at first seems like poison but in the end is like nectar, born of the clarity of one's own mind…
- 18.38 – विषयेन्द्रियसंयोगाद्यत्तदग्रेऽमृतोपमम् – That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, which at first is like nectar…
- 18.39 – यदग्रे चानुबन्धे च सुखं – That happiness which deludes the self both at the beginning and in the end, arising from sleep, sloth and…
- 18.40 – न तदस्ति पृथिव्यां वा – There is no being on earth, or again in heaven among the gods, that is free from these three gunas born of…
- 18.41 – ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप – The duties of brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaishyas, as also of shudras, O scorcher of foes, are distinguished…
- 18.42 – शमो दमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव – Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forbearance and uprightness, knowledge, realisation and faith…
- 18.43 – शौर्यं तेजो धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धे – Heroism, vigour, fortitude, resourcefulness, not fleeing from battle, generosity and leadership — these are…
- 18.44 – कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम् – Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of the vaishya, born of his nature; and work consisting…
- 18.45 – स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः संसिद्धिं – Each person, devoted to his own duty, attains perfection.
- 18.46 – यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं – By worshipping through his own work Him from whom all beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded, a human…
- 18.47 – श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् – Better is one's own dharma, though imperfect, than the dharma of another well performed.
- 18.48 – सहजं कर्म कौन्तेय सदोषमपि – One should not abandon the work that is natural to one, O son of Kunti, even if it has defects; for all…
- 18.49 – असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः – One whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has mastered himself and is free from longing, attains…
- 18.50 – सिद्धिं प्राप्तो यथा ब्रह्म – Learn from me briefly, O son of Kunti, how one who has attained this perfection reaches Brahman, which is…
- 18.51 – बुद्ध्या विशुद्धया युक्तो धृत्यात्मानं – Endowed with a purified intellect, restraining the mind with firmness, turning away from sound and the other…
- 18.52 – विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः – Resorting to solitude, eating lightly, controlling speech, body and mind, ever devoted to the yoga of…
- 18.53 – अहंकारं बलं दर्पं कामं – Having given up ego, force, arrogance, desire, anger and possessiveness, free from the sense of 'mine' and…
- 18.54 – ब्रह्मभूतः प्रसन्नात्मा न शोचति – One who has become Brahman, serene in spirit, neither grieves nor desires; regarding all beings equally, he…
- 18.55 – भक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान्यश्चास्मि तत्त्वतः – By that devotion he comes to know me in truth — how great I am and who I am; then, having known me in truth…
- 18.56 – सर्वकर्माण्यपि सदा कुर्वाणो मद्व्यपाश्रयः – Though always performing all actions, one who takes refuge in me attains by my grace the eternal…
- 18.57 – चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि संन्यस्य – Mentally offering all actions to me, regarding me as the supreme goal, resorting to the yoga of…
- 18.58 – मच्चित्तः सर्वदुर्गाणि मत्प्रसादात्तरिष्यसि – Fixing your mind on me, you will cross over all obstacles by my grace; but if out of ego you will not…
- 18.59 – यदहंकारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति – If, relying on ego, you think, 'I will not fight', your resolve is vain; your own nature will compel you.
- 18.60 – स्वभावजेन कौन्तेय निबद्धः स्वेन – Bound by your own duty born of your nature, O son of Kunti, what you do not wish to do out of delusion, you…
- 18.61 – ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति – The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings to revolve by his power, as though…
- 18.62 – तमेव शरणं गच्छ सर्वभावेन – Take refuge in him alone with your whole being, O Bharata.
- 18.63 – इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं – Thus I have declared to you knowledge more secret than all secrets.
- 18.64 – सर्वगुह्यतमं भूयः शृणु मे – Hear again my supreme word, the most secret of all. Because you are dearly loved by me, I will tell you what…
- 18.65 – मन्मना भव मद्भक्तो मद्याजी – Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, worship me and bow down to me.
- 18.66 – सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज – Abandoning all dharmas, take refuge in me alone. I will free you from all sins; do not grieve.
- 18.67 – इदं ते नातपस्काय नाभक्ताय – This teaching should never be spoken by you to one who lacks austerity, to one without devotion, to one who…
- 18.68 – य इदं परमं गुह्यं – Whoever, with supreme devotion to me, teaches this supreme secret to my devotees will without doubt come to…
- 18.69 – न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे – There is no one among human beings who does dearer service to me than he, nor will there ever be anyone on…
- 18.70 – अध्येष्यते च य इमं – And whoever studies this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall be worshipped through the sacrifice of…
- 18.71 – श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च शृणुयादपि यो नरः – And even one who merely listens to it with faith and without finding fault, he too, freed from sin, shall…
- 18.72 – कच्चिदेतच्छ्रुतं पार्थ त्वयैकाग्रेण चेतसा – Have you heard this, O Partha, with a focused mind? Has your delusion born of ignorance been destroyed, O…
- 18.73 – अर्जुन उवाच – Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed, and by your grace, O Achyuta, I have regained my memory.
- 18.74 – सञ्जय उवाच – Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard this wondrous, thrilling dialogue between Vasudeva and the great-souled…
- 18.75 – व्यासप्रसादाच्छ्रुतवानेतद्गुह्यमहं परम् – By the grace of Vyasa I have heard this supreme and secret yoga directly from Krishna, the Lord of yoga, as…
- 18.76 – राजन्संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य संवादमिममद्भुतम् – O King, as I recall again and again this wondrous and holy dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice…
- 18.77 – तच्च संस्मृत्य संस्मृत्य रूपमत्यद्भुतं – And as I recall again and again that most wondrous form of Hari, great is my amazement, O King, and I…
- 18.78 – यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र – Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of yoga, and wherever there is Partha, the wielder of the bow, there…