For those who do not renounce the fruits of action, action produces three kinds of results—pleasant, unpleasant, and mixed—even after death; but for those who renounce the fruits, there is no such result anywhere.
— Krishna
❋
Bhagavad Gita · 18.12
Hindi · हिन्दी
कर्मफलका त्याग न करनेवाले मनुष्योंको कर्मोंका इष्ट, अनिष्ट और मिश्रित ऐसे तीन प्रकारका फल मरनेके बाद भी होता है परन्तु कर्मफलका त्याग करनेवालोंको कहीं भी नहीं होता ॥
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Tap a word to focus on it.
अनिष्टम्unpleasantइष्टम्pleasantमिश्रम्mixedचandत्रिविधम्threefoldकर्मणःof actionफलम्fruit, resultभवतिbecomes, occursअत्यागिनाम्for those who do not renounceप्रेत्यafter deathन तुbut notसंन्यासिनाम्for renouncersक्वचित्anywhere, at any time
Read literallyunpleasant · pleasant · mixed · and · threefold · of action · fruit, result · becomes, occurs · for those who do not renounce · after death · but not · for renouncers · anywhere, at any time
Understanding the verse
✦
Actions bear pleasant, unpleasant and mixed fruit after death, Krishna says, except for those who renounced the fruit.
If you keep wanting the result of your actions, those actions keep producing effects for you. If you let go of results, that chain ends.
02
On the battlefield
Context & commentary
Krishna deepens the lesson on renunciation: action itself is unavoidable, but bondage comes from clinging to its fruit. That is why this verse distinguishes the renouncer from the one still tied to results.
03
In your life
What it looks like today
Years after lending money to a cousin, a woman still keeps score of every favour returned or missed. Krishna describes how that clinging keeps old actions producing new results, and how letting go of the fruit closes the account.
The takeaway
“Clinging to results keeps your actions coming back to you; letting go ends that chain.”
If you keep wanting the result of your actions, those actions keep producing effects for you. If you let go of results, that chain ends.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 18.12?
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Moksha Sanyasa Yoga" (Liberation through Renunciation).
Which chapter of the Bhagavad Gita contains verse 18.12?
Verse 12 sits in Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga, "Liberation through Renunciation". The chapter has 78 verses in total.
Why does Bhagavad Gita 18.12 matter today?
Years after lending money to a cousin, a woman still keeps score of every favour returned or missed. Krishna describes how that clinging keeps old actions producing new results, and how letting go of the fruit closes the account.
Actions bear pleasant, unpleasant and mixed fruit after death, Krishna says, except for those who renounced the fruit.
What this verse means
If you keep wanting the result of your actions, those actions keep producing effects for you. If you let go of results, that chain ends.
Context & commentary
Krishna deepens the lesson on renunciation: action itself is unavoidable, but bondage comes from clinging to its fruit. That is why this verse distinguishes the renouncer from the one still tied to results.
What it looks like today
Years after lending money to a cousin, a woman still keeps score of every favour returned or missed. Krishna describes how that clinging keeps old actions producing new results, and how letting go of the fruit closes the account.
“Clinging to results keeps your actions coming back to you; letting go ends that chain.”
Explore related themes: renunciation (14 verses), tyaga (14 verses), sannyasa (12 verses)