The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran

chapter eighteen
╭ Freedom & Renunciation
T HIS FINAL CHAPTEr of the Gita
roams over many subjects, beginning with a discussion of the
merits of renunciation versus the life of personally involved
action. To begin with, Arjuna asks about two words commonly
used for renunciation in Sanskrit, sannyasa and tyaga .
Both words come from roots meaning to give up or abandon.
Sannyasa acquired the specialized meaning of giving up
ordinary life to live the austere, wandering life of a homeless
pilgrim. A sannyasi is a monk: one who does not participate
in family life and has withdrawn from society. In a sense, he
has withdrawn from life. Krishna does not recommend this
kind of renunciation. In fact, he says it is impossible for anyone
to “give up” in this way, for as long as we have a body,
we have to do a certain amount of work just to maintain it.
Krishna does not advise dropping out of life, and the Gita is
primarily aimed at people who live “in the world” yet desire
genuine spiritual fulfillment.
The kind of renunciation Krishna recommends is tyaga,
251 ╯