Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 18

Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender

1. 18.1Arjuna asks Krishna to explain clearly the difference between renunciation (giving up actions) and relinquishment (letting go of the results of actions). He uses Krishna's titles, Hrishikesha (lord of the senses) and Keshinishudana (slayer of the demon Keshi).Arjuna
2. 18.2Krishna says wise people call it renunciation when you stop doing actions driven by selfish desire. They call it relinquishment when you keep acting but let go of wanting the rewards.Krishna
3. 18.3Krishna reports two opinions. Some thinkers say all action should be given up as bad. Others say worship, giving and self-discipline should never be given up.Krishna
4. 18.4Krishna tells Arjuna to listen to his own conclusion about relinquishment. He says there are three kinds of it.Krishna
5. 18.5Krishna says worship, giving and self-discipline should not be dropped. They should be done, because they make wise people purer.Krishna
6. 18.6Krishna says even these good acts should be done without clinging to them and without wanting rewards. He calls this his firm and best view.Krishna
7. 18.7Krishna says it is wrong to give up the duties you are meant to do. Dropping them out of confusion is the lowest, darkest kind of giving up.Krishna
8. 18.8Krishna says if you drop a duty because it is hard or might hurt, that kind of giving up comes from restless desire. It brings none of the real benefit of letting go.Krishna
9. 18.9Krishna says when you do your duty simply because it should be done, without clinging and without wanting rewards, that is the pure kind of letting go.Krishna
10. 18.10Krishna says a truly pure and wise person, free of doubts, does not hate unpleasant work. Nor does that person cling to pleasant work.Krishna
11. 18.11Krishna says no one living in a body can stop acting completely. The real relinquisher is the one who lets go of the results of action.Krishna
12. 18.12Krishna says people who cling to results get good, bad or mixed results after death. People who truly let go get no such results that bind them.Krishna
13. 18.13Krishna tells Arjuna to learn from him the five causes behind every action. These come from Sankhya, an ancient school of thought.Krishna
14. 18.14Krishna names the five causes of action. They are the body, the doer, the senses and organs, the different energies, and the guiding divine powers.Krishna
15. 18.15Krishna says every action a person does with body, speech or mind, right or wrong, comes from these five causes together.Krishna
16. 18.16Krishna says since action comes from these five causes, a person with untrained thinking who believes the true Self is the doer has a twisted view. That person does not see clearly.Krishna
17. 18.17Krishna says a person with no selfish sense of "I am the doer," whose mind is not stained, does not really kill even when killing in battle. That person is not bound by the action.Krishna
18. 18.18Krishna explains what pushes us to act: knowing something, the thing known, and the person who knows. Every action is also made of three parts: the tools used, the deed itself, and the doer.Krishna
19. 18.19Krishna says that knowledge, action and the doer each come in three kinds. This depends on the three qualities of nature, called gunas: goodness, passion and darkness. He asks Arjuna to listen as he explains them.Krishna
20. 18.20The purest kind of knowledge sees one eternal reality living in every being. It sees all beings as connected, even though they look separate.Krishna
21. 18.21Knowledge driven by passion sees all beings only as separate and different from each other. It misses the one reality that joins them.Krishna
22. 18.22The darkest kind of knowledge grabs onto one small thing as if it were everything. It is narrow, has no good reason behind it, and misses the truth.Krishna
23. 18.23A pure action is one that is your proper duty. You do it without craving the reward, without clinging, and without liking or hating anyone.Krishna
24. 18.24An action is driven by passion when it is done out of craving or to feed your ego. Doing it with great strain and struggle is also a sign of passion.Krishna
25. 18.25A dark action is done out of confusion. The person does not think about whether they can do it, what will happen, or how it might hurt others.Krishna
26. 18.26A pure doer is free from clinging and ego. They are steady and full of energy, and they stay the same whether they succeed or fail.Krishna
27. 18.27A doer ruled by passion is eager for rewards, greedy and willing to harm. They are not clean in heart and are tossed around by joy and sorrow.Krishna
28. 18.28A dark doer is undisciplined, crude, stubborn, dishonest and spiteful. They are also lazy, gloomy and keep putting things off.Krishna
29. 18.29Krishna tells Arjuna, whom he calls Dhananjaya (winner of wealth), that he will now explain the three kinds of reason (understanding) and of firmness (willpower).Krishna
30. 18.30Pure understanding knows when to act and when to hold back. It knows right from wrong duty, what to fear and what not to fear, and what traps us and what sets us free. Krishna calls Arjuna Partha, son of Pritha.Krishna
31. 18.31Understanding ruled by passion is confused about right and wrong. It cannot clearly tell what should be done and what should not.Krishna
32. 18.32Dark understanding is covered in ignorance. It thinks wrong is right and sees everything upside down.Krishna
33. 18.33Pure firmness is a steady willpower built through yoga practice. It keeps the mind, the breath and the senses under control.Krishna
34. 18.34Firmness ruled by passion holds tightly to duty, pleasure and wealth. It does this because it is attached and wants rewards.Krishna
35. 18.35Dark firmness is stubbornly holding on to too much sleep, fear, grief, gloom and pride, out of foolishness.Krishna
36. 18.36Krishna begins to describe three kinds of happiness. The first kind is a joy you grow into through practice, and it brings an end to suffering. He calls Arjuna 'bull of the Bharatas', meaning best of his family line.Krishna
37. 18.37Pure happiness feels like poison at first but becomes like sweet nectar in the end. It comes from clearly knowing your true Self.Krishna
38. 18.38Krishna says some pleasure comes from the senses meeting the things they enjoy. It feels sweet at first but turns bitter, like poison, in the end. He calls this the restless, passionate kind of pleasure.Krishna
39. 18.39Krishna says the lowest, "dark" kind of pleasure fools a person from start to finish. It comes from too much sleep, laziness and carelessness.Krishna
40. 18.40Krishna says no being on earth or in heaven, not even among the gods ("Shining Ones"), is free from the three qualities of nature. These are goodness, restless passion and dullness.Krishna
41. 18.41Krishna says the duties of the four social groups of his time were divided according to the natural qualities of each. These groups were priests and teachers (Brahmanas), warriors and rulers (Kshattriyas), farmers and traders (Vaishyas), and workers who serve (Shudras).Krishna
42. 18.42Krishna lists the natural duties of a Brahmana, a priest or teacher. They are calmness, self-control, simple living, purity, forgiveness, honesty, wisdom, knowledge and faith in God.Krishna
43. 18.43Krishna lists the natural duties of a Kshattriya, a warrior or ruler. They are courage, strength of spirit, steadiness, skill, not running from battle, generosity and leadership.Krishna
44. 18.44Krishna says the natural work of a Vaishya is farming, caring for cows and trade. The natural work of a Shudra is serving others.Krishna
45. 18.45Krishna says a person reaches perfection by giving themselves fully to their own duty. He then promises to explain how this works.Krishna
46. 18.46Krishna says God is the source of all beings and is present everywhere. A person reaches perfection by worshipping God through doing their own work.Krishna
47. 18.47Krishna says it is better to do your own duty imperfectly than to do someone else's duty well. Doing the work that fits your nature brings no sin.Krishna
48. 18.48Krishna tells Arjuna, "son of Kunti," not to give up the duty he was born to, even if it has flaws. Every kind of work has some fault, just as every fire gives off smoke.Krishna
49. 18.49Krishna says a person who is not clinging to anything, who controls themselves and has let go of desires, reaches the highest freedom by letting go.Krishna
50. 18.50Krishna tells Arjuna he will briefly explain how a person who has reached perfection goes on to reach the Eternal, the highest state of wisdom.Krishna
51. 18.51Krishna begins describing the person ready for the Eternal. They have a clear, pure mind and steady self-control. They turn away from sense pleasures like sounds, and they drop strong likes and dislikes.Krishna
52. 18.52Krishna continues: such a person likes quiet places and eats lightly. They control their speech, body and mind, keep meditating, and stay calm and unattached.Krishna
53. 18.53Krishna says that when a person drops ego, violence, arrogance, desire, anger and greed, and becomes unselfish and peaceful, they are ready to become one with the Eternal.Krishna
54. 18.54Krishna says a person who has become one with the Eternal is calm inside. They no longer grieve or crave. They see all beings as equal and gain the highest love for God.Krishna
55. 18.55Krishna says that through devotion a person truly knows who and what he is. Knowing him this way, they at once enter the Supreme.Krishna
56. 18.56Krishna says that even a person who keeps doing all kinds of work reaches the eternal home that never ends. This happens by his grace, if they take refuge in him.Krishna
57. 18.57Krishna tells Arjuna to offer all his work to him in his heart and to stay focused on him. Using wise judgment, he should keep his mind on Krishna always.Krishna
58. 18.58Krishna tells Arjuna that if he keeps his mind on Krishna, God's help will carry him past every difficulty. But if pride makes him refuse to listen, he will ruin himself completely.Krishna
59. 18.59Krishna says that Arjuna's pride makes him think, "I will not fight." That decision will not hold, because his own nature as a warrior will push him to act anyway.Krishna
60. 18.60Krishna, calling Arjuna "son of Kunti" (his mother), says that Arjuna is tied to the duty that comes from his own nature. What he now refuses to do out of confusion, he will end up doing anyway, without choice.Krishna
61. 18.61Krishna says that God lives in the heart of every living being. With His mysterious power, He moves all beings around, as if they were riding on a spinning potter's wheel.Krishna
62. 18.62Krishna tells Arjuna, whom he calls "Bharata" (descendant of King Bharata), to run to God for safety with his whole heart. Through God's kindness he will find the deepest peace and a lasting home.Krishna
63. 18.63Krishna says he has now shared wisdom more secret than any secret. He tells Arjuna to think it over carefully and then choose for himself what to do.Krishna
64. 18.64Krishna asks Arjuna to listen once more to his highest and most secret teaching. He says he is sharing it because Arjuna is dearly loved and steady in heart.Krishna
65. 18.65Krishna tells Arjuna to fill his mind with Krishna, love him, offer worship to him, and bow to him. Krishna promises that Arjuna will surely come to him, because Arjuna is dear to him.Krishna
66. 18.66Krishna tells Arjuna to let go of every other duty and come to him alone for shelter. He says not to worry, because he will free Arjuna from all his sins.Krishna
67. 18.67Krishna warns Arjuna not to share this teaching with people who have no self-discipline, no devotion, no wish to listen, or who speak badly of Krishna.Krishna
68. 18.68Krishna says that anyone who lovingly teaches this highest secret to other devotees will surely come to him.Krishna
69. 18.69Krishna says no one does him a dearer service than the person who shares this teaching, and no one on earth will be more loved by him.Krishna
70. 18.70Krishna says that whoever studies this sacred conversation between him and Arjuna is worshipping him through the offering of knowledge.Krishna
71. 18.71Krishna says even someone who simply listens to this teaching with faith, without mocking it, will be freed from wrongdoing and reach the bright worlds of good people.Krishna
72. 18.72Krishna asks Arjuna, calling him "son of Pritha" and "Dhananjaya" (winner of wealth), whether he listened with full attention. He asks if Arjuna's confusion, caused by lack of understanding, is now gone.Krishna
73. 18.73Arjuna answers that his confusion is gone and he understands now, thanks to Krishna's kindness. He feels steady, his doubts are gone, and he will do what Krishna says.Arjuna
74. 18.74Sanjaya, the narrator telling the story to the blind king, says he heard this amazing conversation between Krishna (Vasudeva) and the great Arjuna (Partha), and it made his hair stand on end.Sanjaya
75. 18.75Sanjaya says that by the gift of the sage Vyasa, who gave him special sight, he heard this secret, highest teaching straight from Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, as if right before his eyes.Sanjaya
76. 18.76Sanjaya tells the king that each time he remembers this wonderful, holy conversation between Krishna (Keshava) and Arjuna, he feels joy again and again.Sanjaya
77. 18.77Sanjaya says that each time he remembers Krishna's amazing universal form (Hari is a name of Krishna), he is filled with great wonder and keeps rejoicing.Sanjaya
78. 18.78Sanjaya, the narrator telling this story to the blind King Dhritarashtra, ends with his own opinion. He says that wherever Krishna, the master of yoga, stands together with Arjuna (called Partha, son of Pritha), the great archer, there will surely be good fortune, victory and happiness.Sanjaya