Bhagavad-gītā 18.8
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दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत्।स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत्।।18.8।।
duḥkham ity eva yat karma kāya-kleśha-bhayāt tyajet sa kṛitvā rājasaṁ tyāgaṁ naiva tyāga-phalaṁ labhet
To avoid an action out of fear of physical suffering, as it is likely to be painful, is to act out of passion, and the benefit of renunciation will not be gained.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| duḥkham | troublesome |
| iti | as |
| eva | indeed |
| yat | which |
| karma | duties |
| kāya | bodily |
| kleśha | discomfort |
| bhayāt | out of fear |
| tyajet | giving up |
| saḥ | they |
| kṛitvā | having done |
| rājasam | in the mode of passion |
| tyāgam | renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions |
| na | never |
| eva | certainly |
| tyāga | renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions |
| phalam | result |
| labhet | attain |
Phalam Fruit or reward Moksha or emancipation which is the reward of renunciation of all actions accompanied with wisdom. Determination and persistence are reired for the performance of religious duties and actions.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Follow the great recapitulation through renunciation, action, knowledge, duty, devotion, refuge and Sañjaya’s conclusion.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaWhatever action one may relinquish merely as being painful, out of fear of physical suffering, he, having resorted to renunciation based on rajas, will surely not acquire the fruits of renunciation.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaHe who renounces acts that are painful out of fear of bodily suffering performs a Rajasika abandonment; however, he does not gain the fruit of such abandonment.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaPhalam Fruit or reward Moksha or emancipation which is the reward of renunciation of all actions accompanied with wisdom. Determination and persistence are reired for the performance of religious duties and actions.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
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- 1
To avoid an action out of fear of physical suffering, as it is likely to be painful, is to act out of passion
- 2
the benefit of renunciation will not be gained
- 3
duḥkham: troublesome
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