दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् ।
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
जो कुछ कर्म है, वह दुःखरूप ही है ऐसा समझकर कोई शारीरिक क्लेशके भयसे उसका त्याग कर दे, तो वह राजस त्याग करके भी त्यागके फलको नहीं पाता ॥
English
If someone gives up action thinking it is only suffering and fearing bodily strain, that renunciation is passionate, and it brings no fruit of renunciation.
What this verse means
Giving up your responsibilities because they feel hard is not true renunciation. It is a restless, fear-driven rejection of effort.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Arjuna is still trapped between action and retreat. Krishna corrects a subtle mistake: abandoning duty because it feels painful is not purity, only fear in disguise. That kind of giving up brings no inner gain.
Why this verse still matters
You quit the hard conversation, then tell yourself you are “protecting your peace.” The body may feel safer, but the mind knows the move was avoidance, not freedom.
The takeaway
Real letting go is clear and strong, not scared and avoidant.
Word-by-word translation
दुःखम् (suffering) / इति एव (just so) / यत् (which) / कर्म (action) / कायक्लेश-भयात् (from fear of bodily strain) / त्यजेत् (would abandon) / सः (that one) / कृत्वा (having done) / राजसम् (passionate) / त्यागम् (renunciation) / न (not) / एव (indeed) / त्याग-फलम् (fruit of renunciation) / लभेत् (would obtain)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Moksha Sanyasa Yoga — Liberation through Renunciation, which contains 78 verses.
Explore related themes: rajas (21 verses), tyaga (14 verses), karma (11 verses)