Yathora

The Gita · Chapter 18

Bhagavad Gita 18.2

काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः। सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः॥

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ sannyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ prāhus tyāgaṁ vichakṣhaṇāḥ

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: Sages have known as renunciation the renouncing of works with desire; the relinquishing of the fruit of all actions is called relinquishment by the wise.

What it means

Sages understand renunciation as the giving up of works driven by desire; the abandonment of the fruit of all actions is called relinquishment. One gives up selfish projects; the other gives up claims on results. The second is possible for everyone, always.

Try this today

The distinction: dropping the work itself versus dropping only the claim on its results. The second is the Gita's way.

Something to reflect on

What result am I still clutching that I could release without stopping the work?

Read it in Yathora
← 18.118.3 →

Translation by Annie Besant (1905, public domain). The meanings are original to Yathora, drawn from Shankara’s commentary.