18.1 Arjuna said: I wish to know, O mighty-armed messenger, the true meaning of renunciation and of relinquishment, and the difference between them.

18.2 Krishna, the messenger, conveyed the word of God: The sages understand renunciation to be the giving up of works done from desire; the wise declare relinquishment to be the giving up of the fruit of all works.

18.3 Some thinkers say that action should be given up as an evil; others say that acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up.

18.4 Hear My decision about relinquishment, O best of Bharatas; relinquishment is declared to be threefold.

18.5 Acts of sacrifice, charity and austerity should not be given up but should be performed; sacrifice to God, charity and austerity purify the wise.

18.6 But even these acts should be done giving up attachment and the desire for fruit; this, O son of Pritha, is My decided and highest judgement.

18.7 The renunciation of a prescribed duty is not right; giving it up through delusion is declared to be of darkness.

18.8 He who gives up a duty because it is painful, or from fear of bodily suffering, performs a relinquishment of passion and gains no reward from it.

18.9 When a prescribed duty is done because it ought to be done, O Arjuna, giving up attachment and the fruit, that relinquishment is held to be of goodness.

18.10 The wise man who relinquishes, filled with goodness, his doubts dispelled, neither hates a disagreeable task nor clings to an agreeable one.

18.11 It is impossible for an embodied being to give up action entirely; but he who gives up the fruit of action is called a true relinquisher.

18.12 Pleasant, unpleasant and mixed – threefold is the fruit of action that comes hereafter to those who do not relinquish; but none comes to those who renounce for God.

18.13 Learn from Me, O mighty-armed, the five factors for the accomplishment of all actions, as declared in the teaching of knowledge:

18.14 the body, the doer, the various instruments, the many and distinct activities, and fifth among them, the decree of God.

18.15 Whatever action a man undertakes with body, speech or mind, right or wrong, these five are its causes.

18.16 This being so, he who looks upon himself alone as the doer does not see, because of his untrained understanding.

18.17 He who is free from the notion of 'I am the doer', whose understanding is not tainted, even though he slays these people in a righteous war ordained by God, does not slay in sin and is not bound.

18.18 Knowledge, the object of knowledge and the knower form the threefold impulse to action; the instrument, the act and the doer form the threefold basis of action.

18.19 Knowledge, action and the doer are declared in the teaching of the qualities to be of three kinds, according to the distinction of qualities. Hear of them as they are.

18.20 That knowledge by which one sees the one Creator's imperishable sovereignty over all beings, undivided among the divided, know it to be of goodness.

18.21 That knowledge which sees in all beings separate entities of various kinds, each standing alone, know it to be of passion.

18.22 That which clings to one single effect as if it were the whole, without reason, without grasp of truth, narrow, is declared to be of darkness.

18.23 An action that is ordained, done without attachment, without love or hate, by one who does not seek its fruit, is called of goodness.

18.24 An action done with great strain by one who seeks to gratify his desires, or by one who is full of egotism, is declared to be of passion.

18.25 An action undertaken through delusion, without regard to consequences, loss, injury to others, or one's own ability, is declared to be of darkness.

18.26 A doer who is free from attachment, without egotism, full of steadfastness and zeal, unmoved by success or failure, is called of goodness.

18.27 A doer who is passionate, eager for the fruit of works, greedy, harmful, impure and moved by joy and sorrow, is declared to be of passion.

18.28 A doer who is undisciplined, vulgar, stubborn, deceitful, malicious, lazy, despondent and procrastinating is declared to be of darkness.

18.29 Hear now the threefold distinction of understanding and of steadfastness, according to the qualities, declared fully and separately, O winner of wealth.

18.30 That understanding which knows when to act and when to refrain, what is to be done and what is not, what is to be feared and what is not, what binds and what frees, is of goodness, O son of Pritha.

18.31 That understanding which wrongly knows right and wrong, what is to be done and what is not, is of passion, O son of Pritha.

18.32 That understanding which, enveloped in darkness, takes wrong for right and sees all things perversely, is of darkness, O son of Pritha.

18.33 The unwavering steadfastness by which, through discipline, one controls the activities of mind, breath and senses, is of goodness, O son of Pritha.

18.34 The steadfastness by which one holds to duty, pleasure and wealth, desiring their fruits through attachment, is of passion, O son of Pritha.

18.35 That by which a stupid man does not give up sleep, fear, grief, despondency and arrogance is of darkness, O son of Pritha.

18.36 Hear from Me now, O best of Bharatas, of the threefold happiness, in which one rejoices through long practice and comes to the end of sorrow:

18.37 that which is like poison at first but like nectar in the end, born of a clear knowledge of the soul and of God, is called happiness of goodness.

18.38 That which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, like nectar at first but like poison in the end, is held to be of passion.

18.39 That happiness which deludes the soul at the beginning and at the end, arising from sleep, sloth and heedlessness, is declared to be of darkness.

18.40 There is no being on earth, nor among the angels in heaven, that is free from these three qualities born of matter.

18.41 The callings of the learned, the protectors, the traders and the labourers, O conqueror of foes, are distributed according to the qualities and abilities God has given each person, not according to birth.

18.42 Serenity, self-restraint, austerity, purity, patience, uprightness, knowledge, wisdom and faith in God are the work of the learned, born of their nature.

18.43 Heroism, vigour, steadfastness, skill, not fleeing in battle, generosity and just leadership are the work of the protectors, born of their nature.

18.44 Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the work of the traders, born of their nature; work of service is the work of the labourers, born of their nature; and the noblest among all of them before God is the most righteous.

18.45 Each man, devoted to his own work, attains perfection. Hear how one devoted to his own work finds perfection:

18.46 by worshipping, through his own work, Him from whom all beings come forth and by whom all this is encompassed, a man attains perfection.

18.47 Better is one's own duty, though imperfectly done, than the duty of another well performed; doing the work given by one's own nature, one incurs no sin.

18.48 One should not give up the work suited to one's nature, O son of Kunti, though it has its faults; for all undertakings are clouded by faults, as fire by smoke.

18.49 He whose understanding is unattached everywhere, who is self-controlled and free from desire, attains by renunciation the supreme perfection of freedom from bondage to action.

18.50 Learn from Me in brief, O son of Kunti, how he who has attained perfection attains to the One, which is the highest consummation of knowledge:

18.51 endowed with a purified understanding, controlling himself with steadfastness, turning away from sound and other objects of sense, casting aside love and hatred,

18.52 dwelling in solitude, eating little, controlling speech, body and mind, ever devoted to meditation and remembrance of God, taking refuge in detachment,

18.53 abandoning egotism, force, arrogance, desire, anger and possession, free from the sense of 'mine' and tranquil, he is fit to draw near to the One.

18.54 Having drawn near to the One, serene in soul, he neither grieves nor desires; regarding all beings alike, he attains supreme devotion to Me.

18.55 Through devotion he comes to know Me as I truly am, in My greatness and My nature; then, knowing Me in truth, he enters into My nearness.

18.56 Doing all actions always, taking refuge in Me, by My grace he reaches the eternal, imperishable abode.

18.57 Surrendering all actions to Me in your heart, holding Me as the highest goal, resorting to the discipline of understanding, fix your mind constantly on Me.

18.58 Fixing your mind on Me, you will overcome all obstacles by My grace; but if through egotism you will not listen, you will perish.

18.59 If, in your egotism, you think 'I will not fight', vain is your resolve; your own nature will compel you.

18.60 Bound by your own work, born of your nature, O son of Kunti, what through delusion you do not wish to do, you will do even against your will.

18.61 God, the Lord, is near to the heart of all beings, O Arjuna; by His power He moves all beings as if mounted on a machine.

18.62 Take refuge in Him alone with all your being, O Bharata; by His grace you will attain supreme peace and the eternal abode.

18.63 Thus has been revealed to you the knowledge more secret than all secrets; reflect on it fully, and then do as you wish.

18.64 Hear again My supreme word, the most secret of all; you are dearly loved by Me, therefore I will tell you what is good for you.

18.65 Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me alone, bow down to Me; so shall you come to Me. I promise you truly, for you are dear to Me.

18.66 Abandon all other ways and all other objects of worship, and submit to Me alone; I will free you from all sins; do not grieve.

18.67 This should never be spoken by you to one without discipline, or without devotion, or to one who does not wish to hear, or who speaks ill of Me.

18.68 He who teaches this supreme secret to My devotees, showing the highest devotion to Me, will without doubt come to Me.

18.69 There is none among men who does Me dearer service than he, nor shall there be any other on earth dearer to Me than he.

18.70 And he who studies this sacred dialogue of ours will have worshipped Me through the sacrifice of knowledge; such is My word.

18.71 And the man who, full of faith and free from malice, only hears it, he too shall be released and shall attain the blessed realms of the righteous.

18.72 Has this been heard by you, O son of Pritha, with an attentive mind? Has your delusion of ignorance been dispelled, O winner of wealth?

18.73 Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed, and by God's grace, O messenger Acyuta, I have regained my memory; I stand firm, my doubts dispelled; I will do as God commands.

18.74 Sanjaya said: Thus I heard this wondrous dialogue between Vasudeva, the messenger of God, and the great-souled son of Pritha, which makes my hair stand on end.

18.75 By the grace of Vyasa I heard this supreme secret, this teaching, revealed by God through Krishna, His messenger, in person.

18.76 O King, as I remember again and again this wondrous and holy dialogue between Keshava and Arjuna, I rejoice again and again.

18.77 And as I remember again and again the most wondrous majesty of God that was shown to Arjuna, great is my amazement, O King, and I rejoice again and again.

18.78 Wherever there is Krishna, the messenger of God, master of discipline, and wherever there is Arjuna, the archer, there, I believe, are good fortune, victory, prosperity and sound justice.