Bhagavad Gita BG 18.8
Chapter 18, Verse 8 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् । स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥
duhkham ity eva yat karma kAya-klesha-bhayAt tyajet sa krtva rajasam tyagam naiva tyaga-phalam labhet
Meaning
One who abandons action saying 'it is painful' and from fear of bodily trouble — performing rajasic renunciation — does not obtain the fruit of renunciation.
Understanding
Rajasic tyaga (renunciation): duhkham ity eva yat karma kAya-klesha-bhayAt tyajet (one who abandons action on the grounds that 'it is painful' and from kAya-klesha-bhaya — fear of bodily discomfort or trouble). Sa krtva rajasam tyagam (performing rajasic renunciation — the motivation is self-comfort, avoiding pain, not wisdom). Naiva tyaga-phalam labhet (does not obtain the fruit of renunciation at all). The rajasic pattern: using 'renunciation' as a disguise for avoiding difficulty. The real fruit of renunciation (freedom from karma's binding) cannot be obtained this way because the renunciation is driven by desire (the desire to avoid pain) rather than by wisdom. This contrasts with sattvic renunciation (v9-10): abandoning the fruit while engaging with action, giving up the ego-doership.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| दुःखम् | duhkham | painful, suffering-producing |
| कायक्लेशभयात् | kAya-klesha-bhayAt | from fear of bodily discomfort (kaya=body, klesha=pain/trouble, bhaya=fear) |
| राजसम् त्यागम् | rajasam tyagam | rajasic renunciation (renunciation motivated by rajas/ego) |
| त्यागफलम् | tyaga-phalam | the fruit/result of renunciation (the liberation from karma's binding) |
| दुःखम् | duḥkham iti eva | thinking as painful |
| यत् | yat karma | which action |
| काय-क्लेश-भयात् | kāya-kleśa-bhayāt | out of fear of bodily trouble |
| त्यजेत् | tyajet | one abandons |
| सः | saḥ | he |
| कृत्वा | kṛtvā | having done |
| राजसम् | rājasam | in passion |
| त्यागम् | tyāgam | renunciation |
| न | na eva | does not indeed |
| त्याग-फलम् | tyāga-phalam | the fruit of renunciation |
| लभेत् | labhet | obtain |
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