Chapter 18, Verse 1
Moksha Sanyaas Yoga — Sanskrit shloka, transliteration, word meanings, English translation, and commentary.
Original Sanskrit verse
Transliteration
Word meanings
arjunaḥ uvācha—Arjun said; sanyāsasya—of renunciation of actions; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one; tattvam—the truth; ichchhāmi—I wish; veditum—to understand; tyāgasya—of renunciation of desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; cha—and; hṛiṣhīkeśha—Krishna, the Lord of the senses; pṛithak—distinctively; keśhī-niṣhūdana—Krishna, the killer of the Keshi demon
English translation
Arjuna said, "O mighty-armed Hrishikesa, I desire to know the essence or truth of renunciation and abandonment severally, O slayer of Kesi."
— Swami Sivananda
Listen to Shloka 18.1
Commentary
The teaching of the whole of the GitaSastra is summed up beautifully in this discourse. This last discourse is a brief masterly summary of all that is told in the previous chapters. Arjuna wishes to know the distinction between Sannyasa and Tyaga. Kesi was an Asura whom Lord Krishna slew. So Lord Krishna is addressed as Kesinishudana by Arjuna. The words Sannyasa and Tyaga have been used here and there in the preceding discourses but their connotations are not lucidly distinguished. Therefore Lord Krishna clearly explains to Arjuna the right significance of the two terms in the following verse.
Commentary by Swami Sivananda
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