Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18 in English IAST: Mokṣa Saṃnyāsa Yoga

oṃ tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsu brahmavidyāyāṃ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṃvāde mokṣasaṃnyāsayogo nāma aṣṭādaśo’dhyāyaḥ ||

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About Mokṣa Saṃnyāsa Yoga

Arjuna’s last question: what is the truth of renunciation and of relinquishment, each on its own? Krishna’s answer gathers the karma yoga of the whole Gita into a single word: what is to be given up is not action but attachment to it and its fruit. Sacrifice, giving and austerity purify even the wise, and are not to be abandoned.

Then the chapter sets up the mirrors of the gunas once more: knowledge, action, doer, understanding, steadfastness and happiness each have three kinds, sattvic, rajasic and tamasic. After the word ‘svakarmana tam abhyarchya’, worshipping the Lord through one’s own work, the chapter shows the summit of knowledge and devotion. At the end Krishna, having left the choice to Arjuna with ‘yathecchasi tatha kuru’, restates the essence out of love: ‘manmana bhava’, ‘sarvadharman parityajya’. Arjuna rises with ‘karishye vachanam tava’, and the Gita ends with Sanjaya’s conviction.

How the chapter moves

• Verses 1 to 12: Arjuna’s question, renunciation and relinquishment, the three kinds of relinquishment, and the fruit of action.
• Verses 13 to 18: The five causes of action, the error of seeing oneself as the sole doer, and the impulse to action.
• Verses 19 to 40: The three kinds of knowledge, action, doer, understanding, steadfastness and happiness. No being is free of the gunas.
• Verses 41 to 48: The duties of the four varnas, worship through one’s own work, and one’s own dharma.
• Verses 49 to 55: From the perfection of freedom from action to the state of Brahman and supreme devotion.
• Verses 56 to 66: The last counsel to Arjuna, the Lord in the hearts of all, the supreme secret and taking refuge.
• Verses 67 to 72: To whom it should be told, the fruit of teaching, studying and hearing it, and Krishna’s question.
• Verses 73 to 78: Arjuna’s reply and Sanjaya’s conclusion.

Sarvadharman parityajya: the acharyas’ views

In 18.66, the most discussed verse of the Gita, the acharyas clearly part. For Shankara ‘all dharmas’ includes both dharma and adharma, and the renunciation of all action together with knowledge of the self alone is the means to liberation. Ramanuja gives two readings: giving up fruit, the sense of ‘mine’ and agency while still practising the yogas of action, knowledge and devotion, or the consolation of surrender to one grieving under the weight of sins. For Madhva giving up dharma means giving up its fruit, since otherwise the command to fight would not fit. For Sridhara Swami it means giving up servitude to rules through firm faith in devotion. None of the acharyas reads it as permission to drop one’s duties carelessly.

These pages do not decide between the readings. Wherever the acharyas part, each position is recorded in its own terms.

About these pages

The text is that of the Gita Press edition. Our source text had no commentary for 18.2, and Shankara’s comment has been taken from the full text of his Gita Bhashya. Verses 18.51, 18.52 and 18.53 form a single sentence, and their meaning is given that way. Verse 18.17 must be read in the context of Arjuna’s righteous war, and it justifies no harm of any kind.

In the verses on the varnas, 18.41 to 18.48, the position of the classical commentators is given in their own terms. They read these verses within the framework of birth and past karma, while many modern thinkers read them in terms of qualities and aptitude. These pages support no discrimination of any kind on the basis of birth. As the Gita itself says, every person’s honest work is worship (18.46).

The ‘For life today’ boxes carry general information on matters such as the signs of stroke, de-addiction, sleep, the side effects of medicines and depression. For personal health decisions, seek a doctor’s advice. With this chapter, meaning pages for all eighteen chapters of the Gita are complete.

Sources: several.

ಪಾಠದಲ್ಲಿ ತಪ್ಪೋ ಬೇರೆ ಪಾಠಾಂತರವೋ ಕಂಡಿತೇ? ನಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿಸಿ.
Noticed a mistake or a different reading? Tell us.