Bhagavad Gita BG 18.7
Chapter 18, Verse 7 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते । मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस् तामसः परिकीर्तितः ॥
niyatasya tu sannyasah karmano nopapadyate mohat tasya parityagas tamasah parikirtitah
Meaning
Renunciation of obligatory action is not proper. Abandoning it through delusion is declared to be tamasic.
Understanding
Chapter 18 opens with Arjuna's question on renunciation, and Krishna sorts renunciation by the three gunas. This verse gives the tamasic type: giving up niyata karma, the action one is bound to do, through moha (delusion). Obligatory action is not to be dropped; what the Gita asks to be given up is clinging to its fruit (18.9). The rajasic type follows in 18.8.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| नियतस्य | niyatasya | of the obligatory |
| तु | tu | indeed |
| संन्यासः | sannyasah | renunciation |
| कर्मणः | karmanah | of action |
| न | na | not |
| उपपद्यते | upapadyate | is proper, is fitting |
| मोहात् | mohat | out of delusion |
| तस्य | tasya | of it |
| परित्यागः | parityagah | abandonment |
| तामसः | tamasah | tamasic |
| परिकीर्तितः | parikirtitah | is declared |
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