Chapter 5, Verse 3 (Bhagavad Gita 5.3)
Chapter 5: Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Renunciation
Sanskrit Shloka
ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति। निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते
Transliteration
jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī yo na dveṣhṭi na kāṅkṣhati nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramuchyate
Word Meanings
jñeyaḥ—should be considered; saḥ—that person; nitya—always; sanyāsī—practising renunciation; yaḥ—who; na—never; dveṣhṭi—hate; na—nor; kāṅkṣhati—desire; nirdvandvaḥ—free from all dualities; hi—certainly; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one; sukham—easily; bandhāt—from bondage; pramuchyate—is liberated
Translation
One who neither hates nor desires should be known as a perpetual renunciant; for, free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed one, he is easily liberated from worldly bondage.
Meaning & Commentary
True renunciation is not defined by external appearances or physical withdrawal from society, but by an internal state of equanimity. By transcending the dualities of attraction and aversion, the seeker stops fueling the ego-driven cycles that keep the mind in constant agitation. This spiritual freedom allows one to remain anchored in the Self even while performing daily actions in the world. When the heart is no longer swayed by the pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain, the shackles of karma fall away naturally. It teaches us that the path to liberation is found in the stillness of the mind, which can be cultivated in the midst of life's activity.