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Chapter 18 · The Perfection of Renunciation · 78 verses

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Duty & actionChapter 18 · The Perfection of Renunciation
18.318.5

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 18.4

Duty, renunciation and giving up the fruits

निश्चयं श‍ृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम ।

त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविध: सम्प्रकीर्तित: ॥ ४ ॥

niścayaṁ śṛṇu me tatra

tyāge bharata-sattama

tyāgo hi puruṣa-vyāghra

tri-vidhaḥ samprakīrtitaḥ

Translation

O best of the Bhāratas, now hear My judgment about renunciation. O tiger among men, renunciation is declared in the scriptures to be of three kinds.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Kṛṣṇa’s Judgment on Renunciation

  1. 1Kṛṣṇa asks Arjuna to hear His judgment: scripture describes three kinds of renunciation.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that renunciation is understood by the modes of material nature in which it is performed.
  3. 3Accept Kṛṣṇa’s judgment as final, because He is the Supreme Lord who gives the Vedic laws.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 18, The Perfection of Renunciation: duty, renunciation and giving up the fruits.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Act dutifully without attachment to fruits.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 18.4 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?

Practice

Do one task today purely because it is right.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 18 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 18.2Duty, renunciation and giving up the fruitsBG 18.3Duty, renunciation and giving up the fruitsBG 2.47Responsibility without ownership of outcomesBG 3.21Leadership by example

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Ask about BG 18.4 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.