A core teaching · reflective in mood · a little context helps
“Freedom means neither resisting the hard nor craving the pleasant.”
One who neither rejects unwholesome action nor clings to wholesome action is a wise renunciate, free of doubt and established in clear seeing.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallydoes not hate · unwholesome · action · in wholesome · not · clings · renunciate · filled with clarity · wise · cut free of doubt
A truly wise renunciate does not hate difficult actions and does not become attached to good ones. Such a person is steady, clear, and free of doubt.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Moksha Sanyasa Yoga" (Liberation through Renunciation).
Verse 10 sits in Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, "Liberation through Renunciation". The chapter has 78 verses in total.
You take the job nobody wants because it matters, but you do not build your identity around being the hero. You do what must be done without craving praise or resenting the task.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts renunciation from avoidance to freedom from reaction, so action can stay clean under any condition.
What this verse means
A truly wise renunciate does not hate difficult actions and does not become attached to good ones. Such a person is steady, clear, and free of doubt.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna has been told that real renunciation is not escape. Krishna now sharpens the point: a person who has seen clearly neither hates difficult work nor clings to pleasant work. That steadiness is true renunciation.
Why this verse still matters
You take the job nobody wants because it matters, but you do not build your identity around being the hero. You do what must be done without craving praise or resenting the task.
“You stop fighting reality and stop grasping at approval. That inner release makes action cleaner.”
Explore related themes: vairagya (51 verses), sattva (26 verses), tyaga (14 verses)