Bhagavad Gita 18.7नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते।मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः ॥
niyatasya tu sannyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate
mohāt tasya parityāgas tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
Sanskrit recitation
True renunciation · 18.1–18.12 · Teaching
Translation
Verily, the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same out of delusion is declared to be Tamasic.
Hindi translation
नियत कर्मका तो त्याग करना उचित नहीं है। उसका मोहपूर्वक त्याग करना तामस कहा गया है।
Meaning
Renunciation of obligatory action is not proper because it is purifying in the case of an ignorant man. Should a man renounce actions that he should perform as a duty, such renunciation can only be of the quality of darkness. Prescribed duties must not be abandoned and if anyone does so, he is certainly deluded by ignorance. Tamas is ignorance.Niyata Prescribed according to ones religion. To hold that a duty is obligatory and then to relinish it is indeed selfcontradictory.
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…
- 18.2The Blessed Lord said, "The sages understand sannyasa to be the renunciation of action…
- 18.3Some philosophers declare that actions should be abandoned as evil; while others declare…
- 18.4Hear from Me the conclusion or the final truth about this abandonment, O best of the…
- 18.5Acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity should not be abandoned, but should be performed;…
- 18.6But even these actions should be performed, leaving aside attachment and the desire for…
18.7Verily, the renunciation of obligatory action is not proper; the abandonment of the same…
- 18.8He who abandons action out of fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not…
- 18.9Whatever obligatory action is done, O Arjuna, merely because it ought to be done,…
- 18.10The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder,…
- 18.11Indeed, it is not possible for an embodied being to completely abandon actions; however,…
- 18.12The threefold fruit of action (evil, good, and mixed) accrues after death to those who do…
Word-by-word→
- na
- never
- tu
- but
- tasya
- of that
- mohāt
- deluded
- niyatasya
- of prescribed duties
- tāmasaḥ
- in the mode of ignorance
- upapadyate
- to be performed
- sanyāsaḥ
- renunciation
- karmaṇaḥ
- actions
- parityāgaḥ
- renunciation
- parikīrtitaḥ
- has been declared
Related verses
- 14.13Darkness, inertia, carelessness, and delusion—these arise when Tamas is predominant, O…
- 18.25That action which is undertaken from delusion, without regard for the consequences, loss,…
- 4.41He who has renounced actions through Yoga, whose doubts have been dispelled by knowledge,…
- 1.11Therefore, do all of you, stationed in your respective positions in the several divisions…