VERSE 1
सन्न्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्‌ ।
त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ॥

sannyasasya maha-baho
tattvam icchami veditum
tyagasya ca hrsikesa
prthak kesi-nisudana

SYNONYMS
arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna said; sannyāsasya—renunciation; mahā-bāho—O mighty-armed one; tattvam—truth; icchāmi—I wish; veditum—to understand; tyāgasya—of renunciation; ca—also; hṛṣīkeśa—O master of the senses; pṛthak—differently; keśi-nisūdana—O killer of the Keśī demon.

TRANSLATION
Arjuna said, O mighty-armed one, I wish to understand the purpose of renunciation [tyāga] and of the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], O killer of the Keśī demon, Hṛṣīkeśa.

VERSE 2
काम्यानां कर्मणा न्यासं सन्न्यासं कवयो विदुः ।
सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः ॥

sri-bhagavan uvaca
kamyanam karmanam nyasam
sannyasam kavayo viduh
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
prahus tyagam vicaksanah

SYNONYMS
śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kāmyānām—with desire; karmaṇām—activities; nyāsam—renunciation; sannyāsam—renounced order of life; kavayaḥ—the learned; viduḥ—know; sarva—all; karma—activities; phala—of results; tyāgam—renunciation; prāhuḥ—call; tyāgam—renunciation; vicakṣaṇāḥ—the experienced.

TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord said, To give up the results of all activities is called renunciation [tyāga] by the wise. And that state is called the renounced order of life [sannyāsa] by great learned men.

VERSE 3
त्याज्यं दोषवदित्येके कर्म प्राहुर्मनीषिणः ।
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यमिति चापरे ॥

tyajyam dosa-vad ity eke
karma prahur manisinah
yajna-dana-tapah-karma
na tyajyam iti capare

SYNONYMS
tyājyam—must be given up; doṣavat—as an evil; iti—thus; eke—one group; karma—work; prāhuḥ—said; manīṣiṇaḥ—of great thinkers; yajña—sacrifice; dāna—charity; tapaḥ—penance; karma—work; na—never; tyājyam—is to be given up; iti—thus; ca—certainly; apare—others.

TRANSLATION
Some learned men declare that all kinds of fruitive activities should be given up, but there are yet other sages who maintain that acts of sacrifice, charity and penance should never be abandoned.

VERSE 4
निश्चयं श्रृणु में तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम ।
त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः सम्प्रकीर्तितः ॥

niscayam srnu me tatra
tyage bharata-sattama
tyago hi purusa-vyaghra
tri-vidhah samprakirtitah

SYNONYMS
niścayam—certainly; śṛṇu—hear; me—from Me; tatra—there; tyāge—in the matter of renunciation; bharata-sattama—O best of the Bhāratas; tyāgaḥ—renunciation; hi—certainly; puruṣa-vyāghra—O tiger among human beings; tri-vidhaḥ—three kinds; samprakīrtitaḥ—is declared.

TRANSLATION
O best of the Bhāratas, hear from Me now about renunciation. O tiger among men, there are three kinds of renunciation declared in the scripture

VERSE 5
यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत्‌ ।
यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणाम्‌ ॥

yajna-dana-tapah-karma
na tyajyam karyam eva tat
yajno danam tapas caiva
pavanani manisinam

SYNONYMS
yajña—sacrifice; dāna—charity; tapaḥ—penance; karma—activities; na—never; tyājyam—to be given up; kāryam—must be done; eva—certainly; tat—that; yajñaḥ—sacrifice; dānam—charity; tapaḥ—penance; ca—also; eva—certainly; pāvanāni—purifying; manīṣiṇām—even of the great souls.

TRANSLATION
Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.

VERSE 6
एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्‍गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च ।
कर्तव्यानीति में पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम्‌ ॥

etany api tu karmani
sangam tyaktva phalani ca
kartavyaniti me partha
niscitam matam uttamam

SYNONYMS
etāni—all this; api—certainly; tu—must; karmāṇi—activities; saṅgam—association; tyaktvā—renouncing; phalāni—results; ca—also; kartavyāni—as duty; iti—thus; me—My; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; niścitam—definite; matam—opinion; uttamam—the best.

TRANSLATION
All these activities should be performed without any expectation of result. They should be performed as a matter of duty, O son of Pṛthā. That is My final opinion.

VERSE 7
नियतस्य तु सन्न्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते ।
मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः ॥

niyatasya tu sannyasah
karmano nopapadyate
mohat tasya parityagas
tamasah parikirtitah

SYNONYMS
niyatasya—prescribed duties; tu—but; sannyāsaḥ—renunciation; karmaṇaḥ—activities; na—never; upapadyate—is deserved; mohāt—by illusion; tasya—of which; parityāgaḥ—renunciation; tāmasaḥ—in the mode of ignorance; parikīrtitaḥ—declared.

TRANSLATION
Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If, by illusion, one gives up his prescribed duties, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

VERSE 8
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत्‌ ।
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत्‌ ॥

duhkham ity eva yat karma
kaya-klesa-bhayat tyajet
sa krtva rajasam tyagam
naiva tyaga-phalam labhet

SYNONYMS
duḥkham—unhappy; iti—thus; eva—certainly; yat—that which; karma—work; kāya—body; kleśa—troublesome; bhayāt—out of; tyajet—fear; saḥ—that; kṛtvā—after doing; rājasam—in the mode of passion; tyāgam—renunciation; na eva—certainly not; tyāga—renounced; phalam—results; labhet—gain.

TRANSLATION
Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation.

VERSE 9
कार्यमित्येव यत्कर्म नियतं क्रियतेअर्जुन ।
सङ्‍गं त्यक्त्वा फलं चैव स त्यागः सात्त्विको मतः॥

karyam ity eva yat karma
niyatam kriyate ‘rjuna
sangam tyaktva phalam caiva
sa tyagah sattviko matah

SYNONYMS
kāryam—must be done; iti—thus; eva—thus; yat—that which; karma—work; niyatam—prescribed; kriyate—performed; arjuna—O Arjuna; saṅgam—association; tyaktvā—giving up; phalam—result; ca—also; eva—certainly; saḥ—that; tyāgaḥ—renunciation; sāttvikaḥ—in the mode of goodness; mataḥ—in My opinion.

TRANSLATION
But he who performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all attachment to the fruit-his renunciation is of the nature of goodness, O Arjuna.

VERSE 10
न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते ।
त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः॥

na dvesty akusalam karma
kusale nanusajjate
tyagi sattva-samavisto
medhavi chinna-samsayah

SYNONYMS
na—never; dveṣṭi—hates; akuśalam—inauspicious; karma—work; kuśale—in auspicious; na—nor; anuṣajjate—becomes attached; tyāgī—the renouncer; sattva—goodness; samāviṣṭaḥ—absorbed in; medhāvī—intelligent; chinna—cut up; saṁśayaḥ—all doubts.

TRANSLATION
Those who are situated in the mode of goodness, who neither hate inauspicious work nor are attached to auspicious work, have no doubts about work.

VERSE 11
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः ।
यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ॥

na hi deha-bhrta sakyam
tyaktum karmany asesatah
yas tu karma-phala-tyagi
sa tyagity abhidhiyate

SYNONYMS
na—never; hi—certainly; deha-bhṛtā—of the embodied; śakyam—possible; tyaktum—to renounce; karmāṇi—activities of; aśeṣataḥ—altogether; yaḥ tu—anyone who; karma—work; phala—result; tyāgī—renouncer; saḥ—he; tyāgī—the renouncer; iti—thus; abhidhīyate—it is said.

TRANSLATION
It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up all activities. Therefore it is said that he who renounces the fruits of action is one who has truly renounced.

VERSE 12
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम्‌ ।
भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्वचित्‌ ॥

anistam istam misram ca
tri-vidham karmanah phalam
bhavaty atyaginam pretya
na tu sannyasinam kvacit

SYNONYMS
aniṣṭam—leading to hell; iṣṭam—leading to heaven; miśram ca—or mixture; tri-vidham—three kinds; karmaṇaḥ—work; phalam—result; bhavati—becomes; atyāginām—of the renouncer; pretya—after death; na tu—but not; sannyāsinām—of the renounced order; kvacit—at any time.

TRANSLATION
For one who is not renounced, the threefold fruits of action-desirable, undesirable and mixed-accrue after death. But those who are in the renounced order of life have no such results to suffer or enjoy.