Mahabharata
Bhagavad-gītā (018) (Moksha-Sannyasa Yoga)6.40.7-12
5531 / 15823
Mahabharata · 6.40.7-12
Devanāgarī

नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते ॥
मोहात् तस्य परित्यागस् तामसः परिकीर्तितः ॥
दुःखम् इत्य् एव यत् कर्म कायक्लेशभयात् त्यजेत् ॥
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥
कार्यम् इत्य् एव यत् कर्म नियतं क्रियते ऽर्जुन ॥
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः ॥
न द्वेष्ट्य् अकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते ॥
त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः ॥
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्य् अशेषतः ॥
यस् तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्य् अभिधीयते ॥
अनिष्टम् इष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् ॥
भवत्य् अत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्व चित् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

niyatasya tu saṃnyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate ||
mohāt tasya parityāgas tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ ||
duḥkham ity eva yat karma kāyakleśabhayāt tyajet ||
sa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃ naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhet ||
kāryam ity eva yat karma niyataṃ kriyate 'rjuna ||
saṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalaṃ caiva sa tyāgaḥ sāttviko mataḥ ||
na dveṣṭy akuśalaṃ karma kuśale nānuṣajjate ||
tyāgī sattvasamāviṣṭo medhāvī chinnasaṃśayaḥ ||
na hi dehabhṛtā śakyaṃ tyaktuṃ karmāṇy aśeṣataḥ ||
yas tu karmaphalatyāgī sa tyāgīty abhidhīyate ||
aniṣṭam iṣṭaṃ miśraṃ ca trividhaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam ||
bhavaty atyāgināṃ pretya na tu saṃnyāsināṃ kva cit ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नियतस्य तु संन्यासःniyatasya tu saṃnyāsaḥbut renunciation of prescribed action; giving up of an obligatory duty
कर्मणो नोपपद्यतेkarmaṇo nopapadyateis not fitting; is improper regarding one's duty
मोहात् तस्य परित्यागस्mohāt tasya parityāgasits abandonment out of delusion; renouncing it through delusion
तामसः परिकीर्तितःtāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥis declared tamasic; is proclaimed dark
दुःखम् इत्य् एव यत् कर्मduḥkham ity eva yat karmaaction regarded merely as suffering; a deed called burdensome
कायक्लेशभयात् त्यजेत्kāyakleśabhayāt tyajetone gives up out of fear of bodily hardship; abandoned out of fear of physical effort
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागंsa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃthat one, having performed rajasic renunciation; having made a renunciation in passion
नैव त्यागफलं लभेत्naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhetdoes not obtain the fruit of renunciation; does not attain the result of tyaga
कार्यम् इत्य् एव यत् कर्मkāryam ity eva yat karmaaction regarded simply as one's duty; a deed done with the thought 'this must be done'
नियतं क्रियते ऽर्जुनniyataṃ kriyate 'rjunathe prescribed action is performed, Arjuna; the obligatory duty is carried out, Arjuna
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैवsaṅgaṃ tyaktvā phalaṃ caivahaving given up attachment and the fruit; without attachment and result
स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतःsa tyāgaḥ sāttviko mataḥthat renunciation is deemed sattvic; such renunciation is recognized as of goodness
न द्वेष्ट्य् अकुशलं कर्मna dveṣṭy akuśalaṃ karmadoes not hate unfavorable action; does not shun difficult work
कुशले नानुषज्जतेkuśale nānuṣajjateis not attached to the favorable; does not cling to the pleasant
त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टोtyāgī sattvasamāviṣṭothe renouncer, imbued with sattva; one who has given up the fruit, filled with goodness
मेधावी छिन्नसंशयःmedhāvī chinnasaṃśayaḥwise, with doubt cut away; intelligent and free from doubt
न हि देहभृता शक्यंna hi dehabhṛtā śakyaṃfor an embodied being it is indeed impossible; for the embodied it is not possible
त्यक्तुं कर्माण्य् अशेषतःtyaktuṃ karmāṇy aśeṣataḥto give up actions entirely; to abandon deeds without remainder
यस् तु कर्मफलत्यागीyas tu karmaphalatyāgībut he who has given up the fruit of action; one who renounces the result
स त्यागीत्य् अभिधीयतेsa tyāgīty abhidhīyatehe is called a true renouncer; he is named a genuine tyagi
अनिष्टम् इष्टं मिश्रं चaniṣṭam iṣṭaṃ miśraṃ caundesired, desired, and mixed; unpleasant, pleasant, and mixed
त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्trividhaṃ karmaṇaḥ phalamthe threefold fruit of action; three kinds of result of labor
भवत्य् अत्यागिनां प्रेत्यbhavaty atyāgināṃ pretyacomes after death to those who do not renounce; falls to those who have not given up the fruit
न तु संन्यासिनां क्व चित्na tu saṃnyāsināṃ kva citbut never to renouncers; does not belong to true renouncers
Translation

"Giving up prescribed action is not fitting. Abandoning it out of delusion is called tamasic renunciation. If someone gives up an action considering it burdensome, out of fear of bodily hardship, then, having performed rajasic renunciation, he does not obtain the fruit of tyaga. But when a prescribed action is performed with the thought 'this must be done,' O Arjuna, with attachment and fruit given up, such renunciation is deemed sattvic. The true renouncer, imbued with sattva, wise and free from doubt, does not hate an unfavorable action and does not cling to a favorable one. For the embodied being cannot give up action entirely; but he who has given up the fruits of action is truly called a renouncer. The threefold fruit of action — undesired, desired, and mixed — falls after death upon those who have not renounced, but never upon true renouncers."

Version

0faf2c3b6bec · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:02:21 PM UTC

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