Renunciation

Having examined the worlds won by works, a Brahmin should reach detachment: the uncreated is not gained by what is created. To know that, he should approach a teacher, fuel in hand, one learned in scripture and established in Brahman.

परीक्ष्य लोकान् कर्मचितान् ब्राह्मणो निर्वेदमायान्नास्त्यकृतः कृतेन । तद्विज्ञानार्थं स गुरुमेवाभिगच्छेत् समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठम् ॥ १२॥

One whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has mastered the self and is free of longing, attains through renunciation the supreme perfection of freedom from action.

असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः | नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां संन्यासेनाधिगच्छति ||१८-४९||

For an embodied being cannot give up actions entirely; but one who gives up the fruits of action is called a relinquisher.

न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः | यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ||१८-११||

When a prescribed action is performed simply because it ought to be done, Arjuna, giving up attachment and also the fruit — that relinquishment is regarded as sattvic.

कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेऽर्जुन | सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः ||१८-९||

The Blessed Lord said: The wise understand renunciation to be the giving up of actions prompted by desire; the discerning call the surrender of the fruits of all actions relinquishment.

श्रीभगवानुवाच | काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः ||१८-२||

Arjuna said: I wish to know the truth of renunciation, mighty-armed one, and of relinquishment, each separately, Hrishikesha, slayer of Keshin.

अर्जुन उवाच | संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् | त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ||१८-१||

Knowledge is better than practice; meditation surpasses knowledge; the renunciation of the fruits of action surpasses meditation; and from such renunciation peace follows at once.

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते | ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् ||१२-१२||

Not by abstaining from action does one attain freedom from action, nor by renunciation alone does one reach perfection.

न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते | न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ||३-४||

The person who abandons all desires and moves about free from longing, without any sense of "mine" and without egoism, attains peace.

विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः | निर्ममो निरहङ्कारः स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ||२-७१||

Those who have ascertained the meaning of the knowledge of Vedanta, ascetics of purified nature through the yoga of renunciation—all of them, in the worlds of Brahman, at the final end, are wholly liberated into the supreme immortal.

वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः । ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे ॥ ६॥

Undesirable, desirable, and mixed — threefold is the fruit of action that accrues after death to those who do not relinquish, but never to those who renounce.

अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् | भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित् ||१८-१२||

The relinquisher imbued with sattva, wise and free of doubt, neither hates disagreeable action nor is attached to agreeable action.

न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते | त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः ||१८-१०||

One who gives up action merely because it is painful, out of fear of bodily hardship, performs rajasic relinquishment and does not gain the fruit of relinquishment.

दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् | स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ||१८-८||

The renunciation of a prescribed action is not proper; giving it up through delusion is declared to be tamasic.

नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते | मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः ||१८-७||

Hear from me the conclusion about relinquishment, best of the Bharatas; for relinquishment, tiger among men, is declared to be of three kinds.

निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम | त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः सम्प्रकीर्तितः ||१८-४||

The same in honor and dishonor, the same toward the side of friends and of foes, renouncing all undertakings — he is said to have transcended the gunas.

मानापमानयोस्तुल्यस्तुल्यो मित्रारिपक्षयोः | सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी गुणातीतः स उच्यते ||१४-२५||

One who is free from expectation, pure, capable, indifferent, untroubled, and who has given up every undertaking — that devotee of mine is dear to me.

अनपेक्षः शुचिर्दक्ष उदासीनो गतव्यथः | सर्वारम्भपरित्यागी यो मद्भक्तः स मे प्रियः ||१२-१६||

But if you are unable to do even this, then, taking refuge in union with me, renounce the fruits of all action, with your self restrained.

अथैतदप्यशक्तोऽसि कर्तुं मद्योगमाश्रितः | सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं ततः कुरु यतात्मवान् ||१२-११||