Bhagavad Gita · 18.12 · Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender·12 of 78
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्।भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित् ॥
aniṣhṭam iṣhṭaṁ miśhraṁ cha tri-vidhaṁ karmaṇaḥ
phalam bhavaty atyāgināṁ pretya na tu sannyāsināṁ kvachit
Sanskrit recitation
True renunciation · 18.1–18.12 · Teaching
Translation
The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do not abandon it, but never to those who do.
Meaning
One fruit (of action) is pleasant, another is unpleasant, while the third is a mixture of both. Those in whom good actions preponderate are rorn as gods. Men of evil lives are rorn into animal or vegetable kingdoms. If their actions are eally good and bad, they are rorn into the human kingodm. These distinctions of good, evil and mixed do not exist for the liberated sage who has gone beyond the bonds of Karma by destroying egoism, by annihilating the idea of agency and by abandoning the hope of rewards of actions.The action of a renouncer does not generate desire or attachment thereto. Therefore, after death he is not born again. The actions that are performed without any desire for the reward can bring no bondage to the man at any time.He who has surrendered the fruits of all his works to the Lord is free from the bondage of Karma. Some kind of action is inevitable and natural to all beings, but the man of renunciation abandons the fruits of actions.Phalam Fruit This is caused by the operation of various external factors. This is brought forth by Avidya (ignornace). It is like jugglery and very delusive
After Swami Sivananda
True renunciation· 18.1–18.12→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 18.1Arjuna said, "O mighty-armed Hrishikesa, I desire to know the essence or truth of renunciation and abandonment severally, O slayer of Kesi."
- 18.2The Blessed Lord said, "The sages understand sannyasa to be the renunciation of action with desire; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruits of all actions to be tyaga."
- 18.3Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as evil; while others declare that acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be relinquished.
- 18.4Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the Bharatas; abandonment, indeed, O best of men, has been declared to be of three kinds.
- 18.5Acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed; for sacrifice, gift, and austerity are the purifiers of the wise.
- 18.6But even these actions should be performed, leaving aside attachment and the desire for rewards, O Arjuna; this is my certain and most assured conviction.
- 18.7Verily, the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same out of delusion is declared to be Tamasic.
- 18.8He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by performing such Rajasic renunciation.
- 18.9Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done, abandoning attachment and also the desire for reward, that renunciation is regarded as sattvic (pure).
- 18.10The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder, does not hate an unpleasant task nor is he attached to a pleasant one.
- 18.11Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to completely abandon actions; however, he who relinquishes the rewards of actions is truly called a man of renunciation.
18.12The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do not abandon it, but never to those who do.
Word-by-word→
- na
- not
- tu
- but
- cha
- and
- pretya
- after death
- bhavati
- accrue
- kvachit
- ever
- miśhram
- mixed
- iṣhṭam
- pleasant
- tri-vidham
- three-fold
- atyāginām
- to those who are attached to persona reward
- aniṣhṭam
- unpleasant
- sanyāsinām
- for the renouncers of actions
- karmaṇaḥ phalam
- fruits of actions
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