SYNONYMS
arjunaḥ uvāca-
Arjuna said;
sannyāsasya
-renunciation;
mahā-bāho
-O mighty-armed one;
tattvam-
truth;
icchāmi-
I wish;
veditum-
to understand;
tyāgasya
-of renunciation;
ca-
also;
hṛṣīkeśa
-O master of the senses;
pṛthak-
differently;
keśi-nisūdana
-O killer of the Keśī demon.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said, O mighty-armed one, I wish to understand the purpose of renunciation [tyāga] and of the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], O killer of the Keśī demon, Hṛṣīkeśa.
PURPORT
Actually the
Bhagavad-gītā
is finished in seventeen chapters. The Eighteenth Chapter is a supplementary summarization of the topics discussed before. In every chapter of
Bhagavad-gītā,
Lord Kṛṣṇa stresses that devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life. This same point is summarized in the Eighteenth Chapter as the most confidential path of knowledge. In the first six chapters, stress was given to devotional service:
yoginām api sarveṣām...
"Of all
yogīs
or transcendentalists, one who always thinks of Me within himself is best." In the next six chapters, pure devotional service and its nature and activity were discussed. In the third six chapters, knowledge, renunciation, the activities of material nature and transcendental nature, and devotional service were described. It was concluded that all acts should be performed in conjunction with the Supreme Lord, summarized by the words
om
tat sat,
which indicate Viṣṇu, the Supreme Person. In the third part of
Bhagavad-gītā,
devotional service was established by the example of past
ācāryas
and the
Brahma-sūtra,
the
Vedānta-sūtra,
which cites that devotional service is the ultimate purpose of life and nothing else. Certain impersonalists consider themselves monopolizers of the knowledge of
Vedānta-sūtra,
but actually the
Vedānta-sūtra
is meant for understanding devotional service, for the Lord Himself is the composer of the
Vedānta-sūtra,
and He is its knower. That is described in the Fifteenth Chapter. In every scripture, every
Veda,
devotional service is the objective. That is explained in
Bhagavad-gītā.
As in the Second Chapter a synopsis of the whole subject matter was described, similarly, in the Eighteenth Chapter also the summary of all instruction is given. The purpose of life is indicated to be renunciation and attainment of the transcendental position above the three material modes of nature. Arjuna wants to clarify the two distinct subject matters of
Bhagavad-gītā,
namely renunciation
(tyāga)
and the renounced order of life (
sannyāsa
). Thus he is asking the meaning of these two words.
Two words used in this verse to address the Supreme Lord-Hṛṣīkeśa and Keśinisūdana-are significant. Hṛṣīkeśa is Kṛṣṇa, the master of all senses, who can always help us attain mental serenity. Arjuna requests Him to summarize everything in such a way that he can remain equiposed. Yet he has some doubts, and doubts are always compared to demons. He therefore addresses Kṛṣṇa as Keśinisūdana. Keśī was a most formidable demon who was killed by the Lord; now Arjuna is expecting Kṛṣṇa to kill the demon of doubt.
Bg 18.2
TEXT 2
TEXT
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāmyānāṁ karmaṇāṁ nyāsaṁ
sannyāsaṁ kavayo viduḥ
sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ
prāhus tyāgaṁ vicakṣaṇāḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
kāmyānām-
with desire;
karmaṇām-
activities;
nyāsam-
renunciation;
sannyāsam-
renounced order of life;
kavayaḥ-
the learned;
viduḥ-
know;
sarva-
all;
karma-
activities;
phala-
of results;
tyāgam-
renunciation;
prāhuḥ-
call;
tyāgam-
renunciation;
vicakṣaṇāḥ-
the experienced.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord said, To give up the results of all activities is called renunciation [tyāga] by the wise. And that state is called the renounced order of life [sannyāsa] by great learned men.
PURPORT
The performance of activities for results has to be given up. This is the instruction of
Bhagavad-gītā.
But activities leading to advanced spiritual knowledge are not to be given up. This will be made clear in the next verse. There are many prescriptions of methods for performing sacrifice for some particular purpose in the Vedic literatures. There are certain sacrifices to perform to attain a good son or to attain elevation to the higher planets, but sacrifices prompted by desires should be stopped. However, sacrifice for the purification of one's heart or for advancement in the spiritual science should not be given up.
Bg 18.3
TEXT 3
TEXT
tyājyaṁ doṣa-vad ity eke
karma prāhur manīṣiṇaḥ
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyam iti cāpare
SYNONYMS
tyājyam-
must be given up;
doṣavat-
as an evil;
iti-
thus;
eke-
one group;
karma-
work;
prāhuḥ
-said;
manīṣiṇaḥ-
of great thinkers;
yajña-
sacrifice;
dāna-
charity;
tapaḥ-
penance;
karma-
work;
na-
never;
tyājyam-
is to be given up;
iti-
thus;
ca-
certainly;
apare-
others.
TRANSLATION
Some learned men declare that all kinds of fruitive activities should be given up, but there are yet other sages who maintain that acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should never be abandoned.
PURPORT
There are many activities in the Vedic literatures which are subjects of contention. For instance, it is said that an animal can be killed in a sacrifice, yet some maintain animal killing is completely abominable. Although animal killing in a sacrifice is recommended in the Vedic literature, the animal is not considered to be killed. The sacrifice is to give a new life to the animal. Sometimes the animal is given a new animal life after being killed in the sacrifice, and sometimes the animal is promoted immediately to the human form of life. But there are different opinions among the sages. Some say that animal killing should always be avoided, and others say that for a specific sacrifice it is good. All these different opinions on sacrificial activity are now being clarified by the Lord Himself.
Bg 18.4
TEXT 4
TEXT
niścayaṁ śṛṇu me tatra
tyāge bharata-sattama
tyāgo hi puruṣa-vyāghra
tri-vidhaḥ samprakīrtitaḥ
SYNONYMS
niścayam
-certainly;
śṛṇu
-hear;
me-
from Me;
tatra-
there;
tyāge-
in the matter of renunciation;
bharata-sattama
-O best of the Bhāratas;
tyāgaḥ-
renunciation;
hi-
certainly;
puruṣa-vyāghra
-O tiger among human beings;
tri-vidhaḥ-
three kinds;
samprakīrtitaḥ-
is declared.
TRANSLATION
O best of the Bhāratas, hear from Me now about renunciation. O tiger among men, there are three kinds of renunciation declared in the scriptures.
PURPORT
Although there are differences of opinion about renunciation, here the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, gives His judgment, which should be taken as final. After all, the
Vedas
are different laws given by the Lord. Here the Lord is personally present, and His word should be taken as final. The Lord says that the process of renunciation should be considered in terms of the modes of material nature in which they are performed.
Bg 18.5
TEXT 5
TEXT
yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma
na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat
yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva
pāvanāni manīṣiṇām
SYNONYMS
yajña
-sacrifice;
dāna
-charity;
tapaḥ
-penance;
karma
-activities;
na
-never;
tyājyam
-to be given up;
kāryam
-must be done;
eva
-certainly;
tat
-that;
yajñaḥ
-sacrifice;
dānam
-charity;
tapaḥ-
penance;
ca
-also;
eva
-certainly;
pāvanāni
-purifying;
manīṣiṇām
-even of the great souls.
TRANSLATION
Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.
PURPORT
The
yogīs
should perform acts for the advancement of human society. There are many purificatory processes for advancing a human being to spiritual life. The marriage ceremony, for example, is considered to be one of these sacrifices. It is called
vivāha-yajña.
Should a
sannyāsī,
who is in the renounced order of life and who has given up his family relations, encourage the marriage ceremony? The Lord says here that any sacrifice which is meant for human welfare should never be given up.
Vivāha-yajña,
the marriage ceremony, is meant to regulate the human mind to become peaceful for spiritual advancement. For most men, this
vivāha-yajña
should be encouraged even by persons in the renounced order of life.
Sannyasīs
should never associate with women, but that does not mean that one who is in the lower stages of life, a young man, should not accept a wife in the marriage ceremony. All prescribed sacrifices are meant for achieving the Supreme Lord. Therefore, in the lower stages, they should not be given up. Similarly, charity is for the purification of the heart. If charity is given to suitable persons, as described previously, it leads one to advanced spiritual life.
Bg 18.6
TEXT 6
TEXT
etāny api tu karmāṇi
saṅgaṁ tyaktvā phalāni ca
kartavyānīti me pārtha
niścitaṁ matam uttamam
SYNONYMS
etāni-
all this;
api-
certainly;
tu-
must;
karmāṇi-
activities;
saṅgam-
association;
tyaktvā-
renouncing;
phalāni-
results;
ca-
also;
kartavyāni
-as duty;
iti-
thus;
me-
My;
pārtha
-O son of Pṛthā;
niścitam-
definite;
matam-
opinion;
uttamam-
the best.
TRANSLATION
All these activities should be performed without any expectation of result. They should be performed as a matter of duty, O son of Pṛthā. That is My final opinion.
PURPORT
Although all sacrifices are purifying, one should not expect any result by such performances. In other words, all sacrifices which are meant for material advancement in life should be given up, but sacrifices that purify one's existence and elevate one to the spiritual plane should not be stopped. Everything that leads to Kṛṣṇa consciousness must be encouraged. In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
also it is said that any activity which leads to devotional service to the Lord should be accepted. That is the highest criterion of religion. A devotee of the Lord should accept any kind of work, sacrifice, or charity which will help him in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord
Bg 18.7
TEXT 7
TEXT
niyatasya tu sannyāsaḥ
karmaṇo nopapadyate
mohāt tasya parityāgas
tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
SYNONYMS
niyatasya
-prescribed duties;
tu
-but;
sannyāsaḥ
-renunciation;
karmaṇaḥ
-activities;
na
-never;
upapadyate-
is deserved;
mohāt
-by illusion;
tasya
-of which;
parityāgaḥ-
renunciation;
tāmasaḥ
-in the mode of ignorance;
parikīrtitaḥ-
declared.
TRANSLATION
Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If, by illusion, one gives up his prescribed duties, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
PURPORT
Work for material satisfaction must be given up, but activities which promote one to spiritual activity, like cooking for the Supreme Lord and offering the food to the Lord and then accepting the food, are recommended. It is said that a person in the renounced order of life should not cook for himself. Cooking for oneself is prohibited, but cooking for the Supreme Lord is not prohibited. Similarly, a
sannyāsī
may perform a marriage ceremony to help his disciple in the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one renounces such activities, it is to be understood that he is acting in the mode of darkness.
Bg 18.8
TEXT 8
TEXT
duḥkham ity eva yat karma
kāya-kleśa-bhayāt tyajet
sa kṛtvā rājasaṁ tyāgaṁ