Bhagavad Gita BG 18.1
Chapter 18, Verse 1 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अर्जुन उवाच संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् । त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ॥
arjuna uvaca sannyasasya maha-baho tattvaM icchami veditum tyagasya ca hrishikesa prthak keshi-nisudana
Meaning
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one (Maha-baho), O Hrishikesha, O Slayer of Keshi — I desire to know the truth (tattva) of sannyasa and of tyaga, separately.
Understanding
Arjuna's opening question of Ch18 — the Gita's final chapter — is a request for precise philosophical distinction. The Gita has repeatedly praised both renunciation and action; Arjuna wants the final clarification: what exactly is sannyasa (formal renunciation, literally 'laying down' — nyasa) versus tyaga (relinquishment, releasing the fruit)? He addresses Krishna by three names: Maha-baho (mighty-armed — a warrior epithet, acknowledging Krishna's power), Hrishikesha (lord of the senses — acknowledging Krishna's mastery), and Keshi-nisudana (slayer of the demon Keshi — acknowledging Krishna's divine victory). The triple address signals the gravity of the question — this is the final, most important clarification Arjuna seeks before surrender.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| संन्यासस्य | sannyasasya | of sannyasa (sam = complete, nyasa = laying down, renouncing) |
| तत्त्वम् | tattvam | the truth, the essence, the 'that-ness' of a thing |
| त्यागस्य | tyagasya | of tyaga (from tyaj = to relinquish, to give up) |
| पृथक् | prthak | separately, distinctly, one by one |
| हृषीकेश | hrishikesa | O Lord of the senses (hrishika = senses, isha = lord) |
| अर्जुन उवाच | arjuna uvāca | Arjuna said |
| संन्यासस्य | sannyāsasya | of renunciation |
| महाबाहो | mahā-bāho | O mighty-armed one |
| इच्छामि | icchāmi | I wish |
| वेदितुम् | veditum | to know |
| त्यागस्य | tyāgasya ca | and of renunciation |
| हृषीकेश | hṛṣīkeśa | O Hrishikesha (master of senses) |
| पृथक् | pṛthak | separately, distinctly |
| केशि-निषूदन | keśi-niṣūdana | O slayer of the Keshi demon |