Moksha Sanyasa Yoga · Verse 1

Bhagavad Gita 18.1

Clear seeing begins with asking what must be separated.

Wisdom translation, edited by Ankur Shukla. Commentary AI-drafted, human-reviewed. Reviewed June 2026. Methodology →

अर्जुन उवाचसंन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम् ।
त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक्केशिनिषूदन ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
अर्जुन बोले हे महाबाहो हे हृषीकेश हे केशिनिषूदन मैं संन्यास और त्यागका तत्त्व अलगअलग जानना चाहता हूँ ॥
English
Arjuna said: O mighty-armed one, O master of the senses, O slayer of Kesi, I wish to know the distinct truth of renunciation and relinquishment.

What this verse means

Arjuna asks Krishna to explain the difference between renunciation and relinquishment.

Context & commentary

On the brink of the final teaching, Arjuna stops Krishna and asks for a clean distinction: what is renunciation, and what is relinquishment? The war still hangs in the air, but Arjuna wants the final framework before he acts.

Why this verse still matters

You are staring at two options that look similar but lead to very different lives. Before you quit, give up, or let go, you need to know what each one really means.

The takeaway

Real clarity begins by asking the right distinction.

Word-by-word translation

अर्जुन उवाच (Arjuna said) / संन्यासस्य (of renunciation) / महाबाहो (O mighty-armed one) / तत्त्वम् (the truth) / इच्छामि (I wish) / वेदितुम् (to know) / त्यागस्य (of relinquishment) / च (and) / हृषीकेश (O master of the senses) / पृथक् (separately) / केशिनिषूदन (O slayer of Kesi)

Explore related themes: viveka (15 verses), tyaga (14 verses), sannyasa (12 verses)

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