Chapter 18, Verse 8 (Bhagavad Gita 18.8)
Chapter 18: Mokṣha Sanyās Yog – Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Sanskrit Shloka
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत्।स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत्
Transliteration
duḥkham ity eva yat karma kāya-kleśha-bhayāt tyajet sa kṛitvā rājasaṁ tyāgaṁ naiva tyāga-phalaṁ labhet
Word Meanings
duḥkham—troublesome; iti—as; eva—indeed; yat—which; karma—duties; kāya—bodily; kleśha—discomfort; bhayāt—out of fear; tyajet—giving up; saḥ—they; kṛitvā—having done; rājasam—in the mode of passion; tyāgam—renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; na—never; eva—certainly; tyāga—renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; phalam—result; labhet—attain
Translation
He who abandons prescribed duties because they are troublesome or out of fear of bodily discomfort, performs Rajasic renunciation and does not attain the fruit of true renunciation.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound instruction, Lord Krishna warns against the delusion of escaping one's spiritual responsibilities under the guise of asceticism. When a seeker abandons duty merely to avoid physical exertion or suffering, he remains bound by the mode of passion, which only deepens his egoic entrapment. Shri Krishna, the Supreme Controller, teaches that true renunciation is not the cowardly rejection of action, but the equanimous performance of it as an offering unto Him. By performing one's prescribed duties without attachment to the result, the soul gradually purifies its consciousness. Ultimately, Lord Krishna invites the devotee to move beyond the duality of pleasure and pain, leading the seeker toward the path of liberation and surrender at His lotus feet.