Shloka: BG 18.1
Arjuna said, "O mighty-armed Hrishikesa, I desire to know the essence or truth of renunciation and abandonment severally...
Shloka: BG 18.2
The Blessed Lord said, "The sages understand sannyasa to be the renunciation of action with desire; the wise declare the...
Shloka: BG 18.3
Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as evil; while others declare that acts of sacrifice, gift, a...
Shloka: BG 18.4
Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; abandonment, indeed, O be...
Shloka: BG 18.5
Acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; for sacrifice, gift, and auster...
Shloka: BG 18.6
But even these actions should be performed, leaving aside attachment and the desire for rewards, O Arjuna; this is my ce...
Shloka: BG 18.7
Verily, the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same out of delusion is declared to ...
Shloka: BG 18.8
He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation ...
Shloka: BG 18.9
Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and also the des...
Shloka: BG 18.10
The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder, does not hate an unpleasant t...
Shloka: BG 18.11
Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to completely abandon actions; however, he who relinquishes the rewards...
Shloka: BG 18.12
The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do not abandon it, but never to t...
Shloka: BG 18.13
Learn from Me, O mighty-armed Arjuna, these five causes, as declared in the Sankhya system, for the accomplishment of al...
Shloka: BG 18.14
The body, the doer, the various senses, the different functions of various kinds, and the presiding deity—the fifth.
Shloka: BG 18.15
Whatever action a person performs with their body, speech, and mind, whether right or wrong, these five are its causes.
Shloka: BG 18.16
Now, such being the case, verily he who, owing to an untrained understanding, looks upon his Self, which is isolated, as...
Shloka: BG 18.17
He who is free from the egoistic notion, whose intelligence is not tainted by good or evil, though he slays these people...
Shloka: BG 18.18
Knowledge, the knowable, and the knower form the threefold impulse for action; the organ, the action, and the agent form...
Shloka: BG 18.19
Knowledge, action, and actor are declared in the science of the Gunas (Sankhya philosophy) to be of three kinds only, ac...
Shloka: BG 18.20
That by which one sees the indestructible Reality in all beings, not separate in any of them—know that knowledge to be S...
Shloka: BG 18.21
But that knowledge which sees in all beings various entities of distinct kinds as being distinct from one another, know ...
Shloka: BG 18.22
But that which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, without any foundation in Truth, and...
Shloka: BG 18.23
An action that is ordained, free from attachment, done without love or hatred, and without desire for reward is declared...
Shloka: BG 18.24
But that action which is done by one longing for the fulfillment of desires or gain with egotism or with much effort is ...
Shloka: BG 18.25
That action which is undertaken from delusion, without regard for the consequences, loss, injury, and one's own ability,...
Shloka: BG 18.26
An agent who is free from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with firmness and enthusiasm, and unaffected by success or f...
Shloka: BG 18.27
Passionate, desiring to obtain the reward of their actions, greedy, cruel, impure, moved by joy and sorrow, such an agen...
Shloka: BG 18.28
Unsteady, vulgar, inflexible, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent, and procrastinating—such an agent is called Tamasi...
Shloka: BG 18.29
Hear thou the threefold division of intellect and firmness, according to the Gunas, as I declare them fully and distinct...
Shloka: BG 18.30
The intellect which knows the path of work and renunciation, what should be done and what should not be done, fear and f...
Shloka: BG 18.31
That by which one wrongly understands dharma and adharma, and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done—t...
Shloka: BG 18.32
That intellect, O Arjuna, which is enveloped in darkness and sees Adharma as Dharma and all things perverted, is Tamasic...
Shloka: BG 18.33
The unwavering firmness, through which Yoga restrains the functions of the mind, life-force, and senses—that firmness, O...
Shloka: BG 18.34
But that, O Arjuna, by which one holds fast to Dharma (duty), enjoyment of pleasures, and earning of wealth, on account ...
Shloka: BG 18.35
That firmness, O Arjuna, by which a stupid man does not abandon sleep, fear, grief, despair, and conceit, is Tamasic.
Shloka: BG 18.36
And now, O Arjuna, hear from Me of the threefold pleasure, in which one rejoices through practice and surely comes to th...
Shloka: BG 18.37
That which is like poison at first but in the end like nectar—that happiness is declared to be sattvic, born of the puri...
Shloka: BG 18.38
That happiness which arises from the contact of the senses with the objects, which is initially like nectar but eventual...
Shloka: BG 18.39
That happiness which at first, as well as in the end, deludes the self, and which arises from sleep, indolence, and heed...
Shloka: BG 18.40
There is no being on earth or in heaven among the gods that is liberated from the three qualities born of Nature.
Shloka: BG 18.41
Of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras, O Arjuna, the duties are distributed according to the qualities born of t...
Shloka: BG 18.42
Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and uprightness, as well as knowledge, realization, and belief...
Shloka: BG 18.43
Prowess, splendor, firmness, dexterity, and not fleeing from battle, generosity, and lordliness are the duties of the Ks...
Shloka: BG 18.44
Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the duties of the Vaisya (merchant), born of their own nature; and service is...
Shloka: BG 18.45
Each person devoted to their own duty attains perfection. How they attain perfection while being engaged in their own du...
Shloka: BG 18.46
He from whom all the beings have evolved and by whom all this is pervaded, worshipping Him with his own duty, one attain...
Shloka: BG 18.47
Better is one's own duty, even if it is destitute of merits, than the duty of another well performed. He who does the du...
Shloka: BG 18.48
One should not, O Arjuna, abandon the duty to which one is born, though it may be faulty; for, all undertakings are enve...
Shloka: BG 18.49
He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he attains the supreme...
Shloka: BG 18.50
Learn from Me, O Arjuna, in brief how one who has attained perfection reaches Brahman—the Eternal, that supreme state of...
Shloka: BG 18.51
Endowed with a pure intellect, controlling the self through firmness, relinquishing sound and other objects and abandoni...
Shloka: BG 18.52
Dwelling in solitude, eating sparingly, with speech, body, and mind subdued, always engaged in meditation and concentrat...
Shloka: BG 18.53
Having abandoned egoism, strength, arrogance, desire, anger, and covetousness, and being free from the notion of 'mine' ...
Shloka: BG 18.54
Becoming Brahman, serene in the Self, he neither grieves nor desires; he is the same to all beings, and obtains supreme ...
Shloka: BG 18.55
By devotion, he knows Me in truth, who and what I am; then, having known Me in truth, he immediately enters into the Sup...
Shloka: BG 18.56
Having taken refuge in Me and doing all actions, by My grace he obtains the eternal, indestructible state of being.
Shloka: BG 18.57
Mentally renouncing all actions in Me, having Me as the highest goal, and resorting to the yoga of discrimination, do th...
Shloka: BG 18.58
Fixing your mind on Me, you shall, by My grace, overcome all obstacles; but if you will not hear Me due to egoism, you s...
Shloka: BG 18.59
If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest, "I will not fight," then thy resolve is vain; nature will compel thee.
Shloka: BG 18.60
O Arjuna, bound by your own Karma (action) born of your own nature, that which from delusion you wish not to do, even th...
Shloka: BG 18.61
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His illusory power, to revolve as if mount...
Shloka: BG 18.62
Fly to Him for refuge with all your being, O Arjuna; by His grace you will obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
Shloka: BG 18.63
Thus, wisdom more secret than secrecy itself has been declared to you by me. Reflect on it fully, then act as you wish.
Shloka: BG 18.64
Hear again My supreme word, most secret of all; for you are dearly beloved of Me, I will tell you what is good.
Shloka: BG 18.65
Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. You will come to Me; I truly promise you this, f...
Shloka: BG 18.66
Abandon all duties and take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.
Shloka: BG 18.67
Never speak this to one who is devoid of austerities or devotion, who does not render service, who does not desire to li...
Shloka: BG 18.68
He who, with supreme devotion to Me, teaches this supreme secret to My devotees, shall undoubtedly come to Me.
Shloka: BG 18.69
There is no one among men who does service dearer to Me, nor shall there be anyone on earth dearer to Me than him.
Shloka: BG 18.70
And he who studies this sacred dialogue of ours, by him I shall have been worshipped through the sacrifice of wisdom; su...
Shloka: BG 18.71
Also, the man who hears this, full of faith and free from malice, shall attain to the happy worlds of those of righteous...
Shloka: BG 18.72
Has this been heard, O Arjuna, with one-pointed focus? Has the delusion of your ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya?
Shloka: BG 18.73
Arjuna said, "My delusion has been destroyed, for I have gained my knowledge (memory) through Your grace, O Krishna. I a...
Shloka: BG 18.74
Sanjaya said, Thus, I have heard this wonderful dialogue between Krishna and the high-souled Arjuna, which causes one's ...
Shloka: BG 18.75
Through the grace of Vyasa, I have heard this supreme and most secret Yoga, directly from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, Him...
Shloka: BG 18.76
O King, remembering this wonderful and holy dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, I continually rejoice.
Shloka: BG 18.77
And, remembering again and again that most wonderful form of Hari, I am filled with great wonder, O King; and I rejoice ...
Shloka: BG 18.78