Chapter 18, Verse 12 (Bhagavad Gita 18.12)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्।भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित्
Transliteration
aniṣhṭam iṣhṭaṁ miśhraṁ cha tri-vidhaṁ karmaṇaḥ phalam bhavaty atyāgināṁ pretya na tu sannyāsināṁ kvachit
Word Meanings
aniṣhṭam—unpleasant; iṣhṭam—pleasant; miśhram—mixed; cha—and; tri-vidham—three-fold; karmaṇaḥ phalam—fruits of actions; bhavati—accrue; atyāginām—to those who are attached to persona reward; pretya—after death; na—not; tu—but; sanyāsinām—for the renouncers of actions; kvachit—ever
Translation
The threefold fruit of action—evil, good, and mixed—accrues after death to those who do not renounce the fruit of their actions; but for those who are true renunciates, such results never exist.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Bhagwan Shri Krishna clarifies the mechanics of karma that bind the soul to the cycle of birth and death. The Lord explains that as long as an individual acts with the desire for personal gain, they remain tethered to the fruits of their deeds, whether they be painful, pleasant, or a combination of both. Shri Krishna invites the seeker to transcend this limitation through the path of 'Sannyasa'—the renunciation of the desire for results—thereby offering the fruits of every action unto Him. By offering all actions to the Supreme Divine, the devotee becomes free from the karmic reactions that dictate the future, ultimately attaining liberation. Thus, Shri Krishna reveals that the secret to moksha lies not in abandoning action itself, but in abandoning the egoic attachment to its consequences.