Verse 18.8
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् ।
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ॥
Transliteration
duḥkhamityeva yatkarma kāyakleśabhayāttyajet |
sa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃ naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhet ||
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3
Translation
He who abandons action on account of the fear of bodily trouble (because it is painful), does not obtain the merit of renunciation by doing such Rajasic renunciation.
From the owner's sheet · +1 more
One who gives up an action because it is painful, out of fear of bodily strain, performs a rajasic relinquishment and does not gain the fruit of relinquishment.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08 · +1 more
Word by word
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08
Explanation
The second form is rajasic relinquishment. A person gives up a duty because it is hard, out of fear of physical discomfort or strain. Such a person does not receive the fruit of true relinquishment. The motive is self-protection, not freedom. The verse names a very human tendency: dressing up avoidance as spiritual detachment. Krishna makes clear that giving up action to escape difficulty brings none of the peace that genuine letting go provides.
By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08