Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18

The eighteenth is the last chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, and it is also the longest one among all chapters. Arjun starts by requesting Shri Krishna to explain the refusal. He also requests Krishna to light on sanyās and tyāg as both are related to "abandon."

A Sanyasi is a person who has abandoned his family and all social life to maintain his spiritual life. A Tyagi is a person who acts without any selfish motive or desire for his actions.

However, Shri Krishna is in favor of another type of sacrifice or renunciation. He declares that one should not run away from his prescribed duties assigned to a soul in a lifetime. One should perform his actions or duties without getting attached to their fruit or result.

Shri Krishna says that those who see themselves as the prime entity in their work are ignorant. Those who are enlightened beings don't see themselves as the doer, nor they enjoy their actions. They detach themselves from worldly results and perform their duties in the world as God assigns them.

Shri Krishna explains the types of knowledge and actions; he also mentions the types of performers in the world based on their gunas. Further, the Lord explains the traits of those who have attained perfection in spirituality and those who have attained the Brahman. He says that even such perfect yogis remain engaged in Bhakti or the devotion of God to attain the Brahma and God forever. He declares that only through loving devotion toward God can one reach the Supreme and his heavenly abode.

Krishna says that he resides in the heart of everyone and inspires the beings to perform duties as per their karma. He suggests that one should take shelter in him, think of him, and dedicate all their actions to him. The Supreme should be the prime goal of one's life; only then can one reach his heavenly abode. This is only his grace by which one can overcome all difficulties in the spiritual path; however, those who act with pride and don't lose the attachment fail.

Shri Krishna then concludes the chapter by telling Arjun that abandoning all the religiosity and surrendering to God is the only way to achieve God. However, he also suggests that he should share the knowledge only with the believers and not with the ones who are atheists. This is because such people use the knowledge to abandon all their duties and run away from their responsibilities in the name of devotion.

Enlightened with the ultimate knowledge of Shri Krishna, Arjun tells Shri Krishna that all his doubts and delusions are dispelled. Arjun gets ready to do his karma as being a warrior without attaching himself to its fruit. Sanjay, who narrates this whole conversation to Dhritarashtra, is amazed by such knowledge that he experiences goosebumps all over his body and gets filled with ecstasy.

He conveys to the King how he feels the deep joy upon recalling. He conveys to the King the deep joy and bliss he is experiencing upon recalling the cosmic form of Supreme. He then concludes the conversation with the divine song mentioning that the victory is always on God's side and His pure devotees. He sings how Absolute Truth defeats everything in Universe and eliminates all the darkness.

Arjun said: O Krishna, I want to understand the terms Sanyas and Tyag. I wish to know how these two differ.

The Supreme Divine Personality said: O Arjun, when you give up on the actions that are motivated by the desires, you are called a Sanyas. But, on the other hand, a Tyagi is the one who gives up all the fruit of his effort and acts selflessly.

Some people give up all their work, considering them evil, and some do not abandon the act of sacrifice, charity, and penance.

Now O Dear, you will know the right renunciation which a soul should do to get liberated.

Actions that revolve around sacrifice, charity, and penance should never be given up, and they must be performed. These acts purify one's soul and make the person wiser, even gradually.

A person should perform such activities without any expectations or rewards. Only such a kind of soul counts for liberation.

A person should never leave the duties prescribed to him or for which he is sent to the Earth. Ignorant people only do such an act of giving up on duties.

One who gives up on duties because they become discomfort is a sign of Rajasic Guna or passion mode. Such abandonment or sacrifice is never counted in the good books of the Lord.

When one performs actions as their duties without any expectation of reward, this is called the mode of goodness or Sattvic Guna.

Those people who don't disagree with their duties just because they are hard to perform, only such souls work in the mode of goodness.

For the living beings having a normal life, it is not possible to abandon all the activities entirely. However, people should leave the attachment to the results to begin their spiritual journey.

Those attached to the fruit of actions get troubled by its pleasant, unpleasant, and mixed nature even after death. However, those who completely detach themselves from the fruit of their effort yield no such happenings.

O Arjun, now hear from me the five factors which would explain how to stop the building of karma or stoping its cycle.

The five factors of action include the body, the doer, the senses, efforts, and Divine Providence.

No matter which kind of action you perform, these five factors always remain there. The ones who are not knowledgeable consider the soul as the only doer.

Those who are free from their egos and don't consider themselves the doer, those who are unattached to worldly things, such beings are not bound by actions.

The action happens when the knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower combine. The instrument of action, the act, and the doer who acts all three make an action happen.

O Arjun, when knowledge comes from the mode of goodness, the person sees the reality of the Supreme divine; he sees the imperishable Supreme with all living beings.

In goodness, a person performs the actions as per the scriptures, indicating karma without the expectation of its fruit.

Action that is performed with desire and selfish motive; an action that is full of pride and stress stays, such action is done in the mode of passion that never leads o liberation.

The action that is performed being deluded stays in the mode of ignorance. The action performed without thinking of anyone and disregarding the consequences always leads to injury and is within the Tamasic nature.

When they are free of egotism and attachment, such performer is influenced by the mode of goodness. Such a person doesn't attach himself to results, whether success or failure.

Whenever someone expects the results of the efforts and is desirous and greedy, and is affected by joy and sorrow, such soul lives in the passion mode.

O Arjun, now I will describe the difference between intellect and determination as per the three modes of material nature. Hear them in detail.

The intellect remains within the goddess mode; when a person knows what is proper and improper, which is a duty and not, what is to be feared of and what is to be not, such person is led by goodness mode.

The intellect is confused between right and wrong and can't distinguish between them; such a soul is led by passion.

The intellect which lives in darkness perceives untruth to be the truth and stays irreligion, the mode of ignorance always leads such soul.

The mode of goodness is said to happen when the soul develops a steady mind through Yog. Such soul monitors the activity of its mind, senses and continues to do that.

The committed soul who performs a duty to get pleasure, wealth, and rewards are driven by the mode of passion.

The foolish soul remains in the mode of ignorance; such a soul doesn't give up on dreaming, fearing, grieving, despair, and self-importance.

And now, Arjun, hear the three kinds of happiness that a soul can rejoice in and can get to the end of all sufferings.

When happiness seems bitter at first but tastes like nectar, in the end, such happiness is derived from the mode of goodness.

However, when happiness seems like the nectar initially but tastes bitter in the end, like the poison always comes from the mode of passion.

The mode of happiness is when the nature of the self is covered from the beginning to the end and when it is derived from sleep, lethargy, negligence; such happiness is said to remain in the mode of ignorance.

Every person has his duties as per their gunas. Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras all have duties assigned to them as per their guna and not by birth.

The basic qualities of a Brahmin remain to be: restraint, austerity, purity, patience, integrity, knowledge, wisdom, and belief.

For a Kshatriya, the basic qualities are skilled in weaponry, leadership abilities, and large-heartedness in charity.

The qualities of a Vaishya are to become proficient in agriculture, dairy farming, and commerce. Serving others comes a natural duty to those who are Shudras.

Hence one fulfills their duties as prescribed by their qualities which brings human beings perfection in what they do.

O Arjun, now I will share how one can become perfect and clear the prescribed duties.

By pursuing one's natural occupation, he worships the Creator, which brings all entities into life and by which the whole Universe is run.

Krishna says that it is better to do one's dharma imperfectly than to perform others perfectly.

One should always perform duties as per their nature, and this way, you follow the path assigned to you by God.

The souls attend to the freedom and highest perfection who remain unattached to the results of their effort. Such beings have mastered their mind, so they don't expect anything in return.

Hear O Arjun, I shall now describe how one can attain Brahman after he has attained perfection.

One becomes prepared to attain Brahman when he is in the pure intellect and restrains his senses. When one can cast attractions aside, such a person eats lightly, enjoys solitude, peace, and engaged in meditation-like practices. The person remains free from ego, violence, selfishness, possessiveness; only then a person fits rightly to achieve the Brahman.

One who situates in Brahman comprises a calm mind; he never grieves and remains equal in pain and joy. Such a person becomes a yogi, and gradually he paves the path to get united with the Supreme.

A soul comes to know the True Me only when it has a loving devotion toward me. Such devotees, with their consistency, become able to enter into full consciousness and find me.

When my devotees take refuge in me and perform all their duties while sacrificing their results to me, they become eternal and come to my imperishable abode.

Hence I always say, Parth, that makes me your supreme goal. Remain absorbed in me and take shelter in me; let your intellect grow, and you will achieve complete consciousness.

The one who always remembers me overcome all the obstacles by my grace. When you don't have any pride and are not ignorant, you remain in me, and I remain in you.

A Kshatriya can't escape his basic nature, and that is to fight. Hence O Arjun, even if you say I shall not fight, you will be compelled to fight by your nature.

The Supreme power which resides in every living being motivates them to walk on their paths. The Lord directs the soul made of material energy.

O Bharat, surrendering yourself to me is the only possible way to get my grace and liberation from the material world.

I have explained to you the ultimate knowledge that has always been kept clandestine. So consider it and take action as per your understanding and wish.

O Bharat, I am again revealing you the ultimate knowledge because you are so dear to me. Always think of me, worship me, sacrifice the fruit of your karma to me, and I will certainly come to you.

You don't need to follow any varieties of dharma; simply surrender yourself to me, and I shall liberate you from this world. Arjun, don't share this knowledge with those who don't believe in me, who are not interested in listening to spiritual topics, or those who envy me.

Spreading the knowledge amongst my devotees is the greatest act of love one can perform. Such living beings will come to me without any doubt.

And I also announce that those who will study this sacred conversation of you and me will worship me; such is my view.

Even those who listen to this knowledge and if they don't have envy for me, will be liberated from this world and attain the heavenly abodes.

O Arjun, is your ignorance and delusion still there? Have you listened to me with complete focus?

Arjun said: O Lord, by Your grace, all my illusions are now dispelled. I am now situated in knowledge, and I am free from all the doubts. I shall now act as per your instructions and will perform my part for which I am born.

Sanjay said: This way, the conversation between Shri Krishna and Arjun took place listening to which my hairs have stood on the end.

By the grace of Ved Vyasa, I was able to listen to this most sacred and supreme Yog from the Lord himself.

I can recall this many times, O King, and every time, it gives me the same rejoice.

Remembering the cosmic form of Lord Krishna has thrilled me that I am crying in joy, and there is no end to my astonishment.

So wherever there is Shri Krishna and Arjun, there will be victory, prosperity, justice, and righteousness; this is certain.