Chapter 18

Shloka 18.16 “Now, such being the case, he who sees himself as the sole doer due to impure understanding does not see rightly.” Key Teaching: Seeing oneself as the sole doer reflects impure understanding. Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna warns that one who, due to impure understanding, sees […]

Shloka 18.15 “Whatever action a man performs with body, speech, or mind, whether right or wrong, these five are its causes.” Key Teaching: All actions, right or wrong, stem from the five causes. Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna states that all actions—whether right or wrong, performed by body,

Shloka 18.14 “The body, the doer, the instruments, the functions, and the fifth, divine destiny—these are the causes.” Key Teaching: Five causes of action: body, doer, instruments, functions, destiny. Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna lists the five causes of action: the body, the doer, the instruments, the functions,

Shloka 18.13 “Learn from Me, O mightyarmed, these five causes for the accomplishment of all actions, as declared in the Sankhya system.” Key Teaching: Krishna introduces five causes of action per Sankhya philosophy. Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna asks Arjuna to learn the five causes of action, as

Shloka 18.12 “The threefold fruit of action—undesirable, desirable, and mixed—accrues to nonrenouncers after death, but not to renouncers.” Key Teaching: Nonrenouncers face threefold action fruits; renouncers do not. Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna states that nonrenouncers face undesirable, desirable, or mixed fruits of action after death, but renouncers

Shloka 18.11 “It is impossible for an embodied being to abandon all actions; but he who abandons the fruit of action is called a renouncer.” Key Teaching: True renunciation involves abandoning the fruit of action, not action itself. Theme: Guidance, Dharma, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna explains that an embodied being

Shloka 18.10 “The renouncer endowed with sattva, with doubts dispelled, neither hates disagreeable work nor clings to agreeable work.” Key Teaching: Sattvic renunciation avoids aversion or attachment to work. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna describes the sattvic renouncer as endowed with sattva, free of doubts, neither hating disagreeable work

Shloka 18.9 “When prescribed action is performed as duty, abandoning attachment and fruits, that renunciation is sattvic.” Key Teaching: Sattvic renunciation is performing duty without attachment. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna explains that performing prescribed actions as duty, without attachment or desire for fruits, is sattvic renunciation. This verse,

Shloka 18.8 “He who abandons action due to fear of bodily pain, performing rajasic renunciation, does not attain its fruit.” Key Teaching: Abandoning action due to fear is rajasic and fruitless. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna states that abandoning action due to fear of pain, driven by rajas, yields

Shloka 18.7 “Renunciation of prescribed duties is not proper; such abandonment, born of delusion, is tamasic.” Key Teaching: Abandoning prescribed duties out of delusion is tamasic. Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga. Description: Krishna explains that renouncing prescribed duties is improper, as such abandonment, driven by delusion, is tamasic. This verse, continuing