Chapter 18, Verse 7 (Bhagavad Gita 18.7)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते।मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः
Transliteration
niyatasya tu sannyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate mohāt tasya parityāgas tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
Word Meanings
niyatasya—of prescribed duties; tu—but; sanyāsaḥ—renunciation; karmaṇaḥ—actions; na—never; upapadyate—to be performed; mohāt—deluded; tasya—of that; parityāgaḥ—renunciation; tāmasaḥ—in the mode of ignorance; parikīrtitaḥ—has been declared
Translation
Verily, the renunciation of prescribed duties is not proper. The abandonment of such duties out of delusion is declared to be Tamasic (of the nature of ignorance).
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna instructs Arjuna that duty is not a burden to be discarded, but a sacred offering to the Divine. Shri Krishna reveals that when a seeker abandons their prescribed dharma due to confusion or fear, they fall into the darkness of ignorance, which binds the soul to the cycle of material existence. True liberation does not come from fleeing one's responsibilities, but from performing them as an act of worship to the Supreme Lord. By aligning one's actions with the will of Shri Krishna, the soul transcends the influence of the modes of nature and advances toward eternal peace and moksha. This divine wisdom serves as an eternal guide for every seeker to find liberation through righteous action rather than escapism.