Chapter 18
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
Liberation through Renunciation
- Verse 18.1O you of mighty arms! O Hrishîkesa! O destroyer of Kesin! I wish to know the truth about renunciation and abandonment…
- Verse 18.2By renunciation the sages understand the rejection of actions done with desires. The wise call the abandonment of the…
- Verse 18.3Some wise men say, that action should be abandoned as being full of evil; and others, that the actions of sacrifice,…
- Verse 18.4As to that abandonment, O best of the descendants of Bharata! listen to my decision; for abandonment, O bravest of…
- Verse 18.5The actions of sacrifice, gift, and penance should not be abandoned; they must needs be performed; for sacrifices,…
- Verse 18.6But even these actions, O son of Prithâ! should be performed, abandoning attachment and fruit; such is my excellent…
- Verse 18.7The renunciation of prescribed action is not proper. Its abandonment through delusion is described as of the quality…
- Verse 18.8When a man abandons action, merely as being troublesome, through fear of bodily affliction, he does not obtain the…
- Verse 18.9When prescribed action is performed, O Arguna! abandoning attachment and fruit also, merely because it ought to be…
- Verse 18.10He who is possessed of abandonment, being full of goodness, and talented, and having, his doubts destroyed, is not…
- Verse 18.11Since no embodied (being) can abandon actions without exception, he is said to be possessed of abandonment, who…
- Verse 18.12The threefold fruit of action, agreeable, disagreeable, and mixed, accrues after death to those who are not possessed…
- Verse 18.13Learn from me, O you of mighty arms! these five causes of the completion of all actions, declared in the Sânkhya system.
- Verse 18.14The substratum, the agent likewise, the various sorts of organs, and the various and distinct movements, and with…
- Verse 18.15Whatever action, just or otherwise, a man performs with his body, speech, and mind, these five are its causes.
- Verse 18.16That being so, the undiscerning man, who being of an unrefined understanding, sees the agent in the immaculate self,…
- Verse 18.17He who has no feeling of egoism, and whose mind is not tainted, even though he kills (all) these people, kills not, is…
- Verse 18.18Knowledge, the object of knowledge, the knower--threefold is the prompting to action. The instrument, the action, the…
- Verse 18.19Knowledge and action and agent are declared in the enumeration of qualities (to be) of three classes only, according…
- Verse 18.20Know that knowledge to be good, by which (a man) sees one entity, inexhaustible, and not different in all things…
- Verse 18.21Know that knowledge to be passionate, which is (based) on distinctions (between different entities), which sees in all…
- Verse 18.22And that is described as dark, which clings to one created (thing) only as everything, which is devoid of reason,…
- Verse 18.23That action is called good, which is prescribed, which is devoid of attachment, which is not done from (motives of)…
- Verse 18.24That is described as passionate, which (occasions) much trouble, is performed by one who wishes for objects of desire,…
- Verse 18.25The action is called dark, which is commenced through delusion, without regard to consequences, loss, injury, or…
- Verse 18.26That agent is called good, who has cast off attachment, who is free from egotistic talk, who is possessed of courage…
- Verse 18.27That agent is called passionate, who is full of affections, who wishes for the fruit of actions, who is covetous,…
- Verse 18.28That agent is called dark, who is without application, void of discernment, headstrong, crafty, malicious, lazy,…
- Verse 18.29Now hear, O Dhanañgaya! the threefold division of intelligence and courage, according to qualities, which I am about…
- Verse 18.30That intelligence, O son of Prithâ! is good which understands action and inaction, what ought to be done and what…
- Verse 18.31That intelligence, O son of Prithâ! is passionate, by which one imperfectly understands piety and impiety, what ought…
- Verse 18.32That intelligence, O son of Prithâ! is dark, which shrouded by darkness, understands impiety (to be) piety, and all…
- Verse 18.33That courage, O son of Prithâ! is good courage, which is unswerving, and by which one controls the operations of the…
- Verse 18.34But, O Arguna! that courage is passionate, by which one adheres to piety, lust, and wealth, and through attachment…
- Verse 18.35That courage is dark, O son of Prithâ! by which an undiscerning man does not give up sleep, fear, sorrow, despondency,…
- Verse 18.36Now, O chief of the descendants of Bharata! bear from me about the three sorts of happiness. That happiness is called…
- Verse 18.37Now, O chief of the descendants of Bharata! bear from me about the three sorts of happiness. That happiness is called…
- Verse 18.38That happiness is called passionate, which (flows) from contact between the senses and their objects, and which is at…
- Verse 18.39That happiness is described as dark, which arises from sleep, laziness, heedlessness, which deludes the self, both at…
- Verse 18.40There is no entity either on earth or in heaven among the gods, which is free from these three qualities born of nature.
- Verse 18.41The duties of Brâhmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and of Sûdras, too, O terror of your foes! are distinguished…
- Verse 18.42Tranquillity, restraint of the senses, penance, purity, forgiveness, straightforwardness, also knowledge, experience,…
- Verse 18.43Valour, glory, Courage, dexterity, not slinking away from battle, gifts, exercise of lordly power, this is the natural…
- Verse 18.44Agriculture, tending cattle, trade, (this) is the natural duty of Vaisyas, And the natural duty of Sûdras, too,…
- Verse 18.45(Every) man intent on his own respective duties obtains perfection. Listen, now, how one intent on one's own duty…
- Verse 18.46Worshipping, by (the performance of) his own duty, him from whom all things proceed, and by whom all this is…
- Verse 18.47One's duty, though defective, is better than another's duty well performed. Performing the duty prescribed by nature,…
- Verse 18.48O son of Kuntî! one should not abandon a natural duty though tainted with evil; for all actions are enveloped by evil,…
- Verse 18.49One who is self-restrained, whose understanding is unattached everywhere, from whom affections have departed, obtains…
- Verse 18.50Learn from me, only in brief, O son of Kuntî! how one who has obtained perfection attains the Brahman, which is the…
- Verse 18.51A man possessed of a pure understanding, controlling his self by courage, discarding sound and other objects of sense,…
- Verse 18.52who frequents clean places, who eats little, whose speech, body, and mind are restrained, who is always intent on…
- Verse 18.53who abandoning egoism, stubbornness, arrogance, desire, anger, and (all) belongings, has no (thought that this or that…
- Verse 18.54Thus reaching the Brahman, and with a tranquil self, he grieves not, wishes not; but being alike to all beings,…
- Verse 18.55By (that) devotion he truly understands who I am and how great. And then understanding me truly, he forthwith enters…
- Verse 18.56Even performing all actions, always depending on me, he, through my favour, obtains the imperishable and eternal seat.
- Verse 18.57Dedicating in thought all actions to me, be constantly given up to me, (placing) your thoughts on me, through recourse…
- Verse 18.58(Placing) your thoughts on me, you will cross over all difficulties by my favour. But if you will not listen through…
- Verse 18.59If entertaining egotism, you think that you may not fight, vain, indeed, is that resolution of yours. Nature will…
- Verse 18.60That, O son of Kuntî! which through delusion you do not wish to do, you will do involuntarily, tied down by your own…
- Verse 18.61The lord, O Arguna! is seated in the region of the heart of all beings, turning round all beings (as though) mounted…
- Verse 18.62With him, O descendant of Bharata! seek shelter in every way; by his favour you will obtain the highest tranquillity,…
- Verse 18.63Thus have I declared to you the knowledge more mysterious than any mystery. Ponder over it thoroughly, and then act as…
- Verse 18.64Once more, listen to my excellent words-most mysterious of all. Strongly I like you, therefore I will declare what is…
- Verse 18.65On me (place) your mind, become my devotee, sacrifice to me, reverence me, you will certainly come to me. I declare to…
- Verse 18.66Forsaking all duties, come to me as (your) sole refuge. I will release you from all sins. Be not grieved.
- Verse 18.67This you should never declare to one who performs no penance, who is not a devotee, nor to one who does not wait on…
- Verse 18.68He who, with the highest devotion to me, will proclaim this supreme mystery among my devotees, will come to me, freed…
- Verse 18.69No one amongst men is superior to him in doing what is dear to me. And there will never be another on earth dearer to…
- Verse 18.70And he who will study this holy dialogue of ours, will, such is my opinion, have offered to me the sacrifice of…
- Verse 18.71And the man, also, who with faith and without carping will listen (to this), will be freed (from sin), and attain to…
- Verse 18.72Have you listened to this, O son of Prithâ! with a mind (fixed) on (this) one point only? Has your delusion (caused)…
- Verse 18.73Destroyed is my delusion; by your favour, O undegraded one! I (now) recollect myself. I stand freed from doubts. I…
- Verse 18.74Thus did I hear this dialogue between Vâsudeva and the high-minded son of Prithâ, (a dialogue) wonderful and causing…
- Verse 18.75By the favour of Vyâsa, I heard this highest mystery, (this) devotion, from Krishna himself, the lord of the…
- Verse 18.76O king! remembering and (again) remembering this wonderful and holy dialogue of Kesava and Arguna, I rejoice over and…
- Verse 18.77And remembering and (again) remembering that excessively wonderful form of Hari also, great is my amazement, O king!…
- Verse 18.78Wherever (is) Krishna, the lord of the possessors of mystic power, wherever (is the (great) archer, the son of Prithâ,…