Chapter 18, Verse 59 (Bhagavad Gita 18.59)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
यदहङ्कारमाश्रित्य न योत्स्य इति मन्यसे।मिथ्यैष व्यवसायस्ते प्रकृतिस्त्वां नियोक्ष्यति
Transliteration
yad ahankāram āśhritya na yotsya iti manyase mithyaiṣha vyavasāyas te prakṛitis tvāṁ niyokṣhyati
Word Meanings
yat—if; ahankāram—motivated by pride; āśhritya—taking shelter; na yotsye—I shall not fight; iti—thus; manyase—you think; mithyā eṣhaḥ—this is all false; vyavasāyaḥ—determination; te—your; prakṛitiḥ—material nature; tvām—you; niyokṣhyati—will engage
Translation
If, filled with egoism, thou thinkest, 'I will not fight,' then thy resolve is vain; nature will compel thee.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna addresses the delusion of the individual ego, which falsely believes it possesses the autonomy to override its own fundamental nature. Lord Krishna reveals that the soul's tendencies, shaped by accumulated karma, are woven into the fabric of material nature (Prakriti), making it impossible for a seeker to simply renounce their duty out of ignorance or fear. By guiding Arjuna to see that his resistance is born of ego rather than true renunciation, the Supreme Lord invites us all to surrender our limited personal will to His divine plan. True freedom, as taught by Yogeshwar Krishna, is not found in fleeing our ordained path, but in performing our duties as an offering to Him, thereby transcending the compelling forces of nature to attain eternal liberation.