A question · reflective in mood · a little context helps
“Clear seeing begins with asking what must be separated.”
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.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallyArjuna said · of renunciation · O mighty-armed one · the truth · I wish · to know · of relinquishment · and · O master of the senses · separately · O slayer of Kesi
Arjuna asks Krishna to explain the difference between renunciation and relinquishment.
Arjuna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Moksha Sanyasa Yoga" (Liberation through Renunciation).
Verse 1 sits in Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, "Liberation through Renunciation". The chapter has 78 verses in total.
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.
Did you like this verse?
It shifts the mind from vague spirituality to precise discernment before action.
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.
“Real clarity begins by asking the right distinction.”
Explore related themes: viveka (15 verses), tyaga (14 verses), sannyasa (12 verses)