Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, the Conclusion of the Gita

Chapter 18 is the longest chapter of the Gita and its conclusion. Krishna gathers up everything said before: what renunciation is, how action happens, what a person's nature and duty are, and finally gives his most secret word: "Leave all and take refuge in me." Arjuna's delusion is destroyed and he is ready to act.

Verses 1 to 12: sannyasa and tyaga

Arjuna asks: "Mighty-armed one, I wish to know the truth of sannyasa (renunciation) and tyaga (relinquishment), each separately."

Krishna says: "The wise call giving up desire-driven actions sannyasa, and giving up the fruit of all actions tyaga. Some say all action is flawed and should be given up; others that sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up. Hear my conclusion: sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be abandoned but performed, for they purify the wise. Yet even these should be done without attachment and without desire for their fruit; this is my firm and highest view."

There are three kinds of relinquishment:

• Tamasic: abandoning one's duty out of delusion.
• Rajasic: giving up action because it is painful, from fear of bodily trouble; it bears no fruit.
• Sattvic: doing one's duty because it should be done, giving up attachment and its fruit.

The sattvic relinquisher neither hates unpleasant work nor clings to pleasant work. It is impossible for an embodied being to give up action entirely, so one who gives up the fruit of action is called a true relinquisher. Those who do not give up the fruit receive three kinds of results after death, pleasant, unpleasant and mixed; those who renounce receive none.

Verses 13 to 18: the five causes of action

"Learn from me, mighty-armed one, the five causes for the accomplishment of every action, taught in the Sankhya: the body, the doer, the various instruments (senses), the many kinds of effort, and fifth, providence. Whatever action a person does with body, speech or mind, right or wrong, these five are its causes."

Yet one who, through an untrained mind, sees the self alone as the doer does not see truly. One free of the sense "I am the doer", whose intellect is untainted, does not kill and is not bound even if they slay these people (18.17). Knowledge, the known and the knower prompt action; the instrument, the act and the doer make it up.

Verses 19 to 40: everything is threefold by the gunas

Knowledge: - Sattvic: that by which one sees one imperishable, undivided reality in all separate beings (18.20). - Rajasic: that which sees in all beings various separate realities. - Tamasic: that which clings to one thing (the body) as if it were the whole, without reason, without grasp of truth, narrow.

Action: - Sattvic: prescribed action done without attachment, without like or dislike, by one who seeks no reward. - Rajasic: action done to fulfil desire, with ego and great strain. - Tamasic: action begun out of delusion, without regard to consequence, loss, harm to others or one's own ability.

Doer: - Sattvic: free of attachment and boasting, full of steadiness and enthusiasm, unmoved by success or failure. - Rajasic: passionate, eager for results, greedy, harmful, impure, swept by joy and sorrow. - Tamasic: careless, uncultured, stubborn, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent and procrastinating.

Intellect: - Sattvic: knows rightly when to act and when to refrain, what is to be done and not done, what to fear and not fear, what binds and what frees. - Rajasic: understands dharma and adharma, duty and non-duty, wrongly. - Tamasic: wrapped in darkness, takes adharma for dharma and sees everything upside down.

Resolve (dhriti): - Sattvic: unwavering steadiness that holds the mind, breath and senses through yoga. - Rajasic: holding fast to duty, wealth and pleasure with attachment, for their reward. - Tamasic: by which a foolish person will not give up sleep, fear, grief, despair and arrogance.

Happiness: - Sattvic: "yat tad agre visham iva pariname 'mritopamam", like poison at first but like nectar in the end, born of the clarity of one's own mind (18.37). - Rajasic: from contact of senses with objects, like nectar at first but like poison in the end. - Tamasic: deluding from beginning to end, born of sleep, sloth and carelessness.

There is no being on earth or among the gods in heaven free from these three gunas born of nature.

Verses 41 to 48: nature and one's own work

The duties of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras are divided according to the qualities born of their nature. Calm, self-control, austerity, purity, forgiveness, straightforwardness, knowledge, realisation and faith are the natural work of the Brahmin. Valour, vigour, steadiness, skill, not fleeing from battle, generosity and leadership are the natural work of the Kshatriya. Farming, protecting cattle and trade are the natural work of the Vaishya, and service that of the Shudra.

Devoted to their own work, people attain perfection.

Yatah pravrittir bhutanam yena sarvam idam tatam
sva karmana tam abhyarchya siddhim vindati manavah (18.46)

Meaning: By worshipping through one's own work Him from whom all beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded, a person attains perfection.

Better one's own duty, though imperfect, than another's well performed; doing the work born of one's own nature one incurs no sin (18.47). One should not give up the work suited to one's nature even if it has faults, son of Kunti, for all undertakings are clouded by some fault, as fire by smoke (18.48).

Verses 49 to 56: reaching Brahman and supreme devotion

With an intellect unattached everywhere, self-controlled and free of desire, one attains through renunciation the supreme perfection of freedom from action. Hear briefly how one who has attained it reaches Brahman: endowed with a pure intellect, controlling the mind with firmness, turning away from sound and other objects, setting aside attraction and aversion; living in solitude, eating lightly, controlling speech, body and mind, ever absorbed in meditation, taking refuge in detachment; giving up ego, force, arrogance, desire, anger and possessions, free of "mine" and at peace, one becomes fit to be one with Brahman.

"Established in Brahman, serene, one neither grieves nor craves; equal towards all beings, one attains supreme devotion to me (18.54). By devotion one knows me in truth, who and what I am, and then enters into me. Ever doing all actions while taking refuge in me, by my grace one reaches the eternal, imperishable abode."

Verses 57 to 62: surrender

"Mentally offering all actions to me, holding me as the supreme goal, relying on the yoga of understanding, keep your mind always on me. With your mind on me you will overcome all obstacles by my grace; but if out of ego you will not listen, you will perish."

"If, out of ego, you think 'I will not fight', your resolve is in vain; your nature will compel you (18.59). What you do not wish to do out of delusion you will do helplessly, bound by your own nature, son of Kunti."

"'Ishvarah sarva bhutanam hrid deshe 'rjuna tishthati, bhramayan sarva bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya': the Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, Arjuna, moving them by His power as if mounted on a machine (18.61). Take refuge in Him with your whole being, Bharata; by His grace you will attain supreme peace and the eternal abode."

Verse 63: you are free to choose

"'Iti te jnanam akhyatam guhyad guhyataram maya, vimrishyaitad asheshena yathechchhasi tatha kuru': thus I have given you knowledge more secret than all secrets. Reflect on it fully, then do as you wish (18.63)."

(God imposes nothing on Arjuna; having given him complete knowledge, He leaves the decision to him.)

Verses 64 to 66: the most secret word

"Hear again my supreme word, the most secret of all. You are dearly loved by me, so I speak for your good. Fix your mind on me, be devoted to me, worship me, bow to me; you will come to me. I promise you truly, for you are dear to me."

Sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja
aham tva sarva papebhyo mokshayishyami ma shuchah (18.66)

Meaning: Setting aside all dharmas (all other supports and anxieties about duty), take refuge in me alone. I will free you from all sins; do not grieve.

Verses 67 to 71: who should hear it, and its fruit

"Never speak this to one without austerity or devotion, who does not wish to hear, or who finds fault with me. One who teaches this supreme secret to my devotees, with the highest devotion to me, will surely come to me; no one among people does dearer service to me, and none on earth will be dearer to me. One who studies this sacred dialogue of ours worships me through the offering of knowledge. One who hears it with faith and without fault-finding is also freed and reaches the happy worlds of the virtuous."

Verses 72 and 73: Arjuna's answer

Krishna asks: "Have you heard this with a focused mind, Partha? Has your delusion born of ignorance been destroyed, Dhananjaya?"

Nashto mohah smritir labdha tvat prasadan mayachyuta
sthito 'smi gata sandehah karishye vachanam tava (18.73)

Meaning: Arjuna says: "My delusion is destroyed and by your grace I have regained my memory (of who I am and what I must do), Achyuta. I stand firm, free of doubt. I will do as you say."

Verses 74 to 78: Sanjaya concludes

Sanjaya says: "Thus I heard this wonderful dialogue between Vasudeva and the great-souled Arjuna, which makes my hair stand on end. By the grace of Vyasa I heard this supreme secret yoga from Krishna, the Lord of yoga, himself. O King, as I remember again and again this holy and wonderful dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again. As I recall that most wondrous form of Hari, great is my amazement and I rejoice again and again."

Yatra yogeshvarah krishno yatra partho dhanur dharah
tatra shrir vijayo bhutir dhruva nitir matir mama (18.78)

Meaning: Wherever there is Krishna, the Lord of yoga, and wherever there is Arjuna, the archer, there will surely be prosperity, victory, well-being and sound policy. This is my conviction.

What this chapter and the whole Gita teach

• True renunciation is not giving up work but giving up attachment to its fruit.
• One's own natural duty, whatever the work, is worship of God.
• Happiness that is hard at first and sweet at the end (discipline, practice) is true happiness.
• God gives freedom of choice: "Reflect, then do as you wish."
• Complete surrender ends fear and grief: "ma shuchah", do not grieve.
• Where God's guidance (Krishna) and human effort (Arjuna) stand together, there is victory.