Verse-1
Chapter 18 — Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
Verse 1
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
|| Arjuna uvaacha ||
sannyāsasya mahābāho tattvamicchāmi veditum
tyāgasya ch hṛṣīkeśa pṛthakkeśiniṣūdana
🕉 English Translation
Bola tab Arjun Yun Bhagwaan se,
Hrishikesh ab yeh batao mujhe.
Hai sanyaas aur tyaag ka tatva jo,
Alag se iseh kaise samjhu prabho.
📜 Translation
English
Arjun said: O Mighty armed One! O Hrishikesh! O Slayer of demon Keshi! I desire to know the essence of renunciation and abandonment separately.
If there is the spirit of enquiry then solution will also be found. If the enquirer is full of faith, is also mature, honest, aware in the understanding of his query, and is also confident about the person to whom the query is addressed, then answer to such a query becomes a solution not just for the person enquiring but also for the enquirers at large. Here the enquirer is Arjun and to whom the query is addressed, is the One endowed with all knowledge, the world teacher incarnate, Lord Krishna Himself! Both of them are also the incarnations of the Man and the Supreme respectively. In such a situation their mutual dialogue can open up several paths for unravelling the truths for the benefit of mankind.
Even though Arjun is under the influence of delusion and grief, is somewhat bewildered and anguished yet is still full of faith and reverence towards the divinity and the might of the Lord. Mighty armed One, Knower of the inner state, Slayer of demon Keshi, these kinds of words used to address the Lord are all indicative of this state. Arjun has demonstrated this faith in the sixth chapter too-that You are the only one competent to remove my doubt.
Here in the form of a question Arjun has picked up two intricate and mysterious words-renunciation and abandonment. These words are in such context which states different beliefs, doubts, thoughts and logic. These words are associated with external activities sometimes and at other place their meaning is derived in accordance with different streams of thought and tradition. Somewhere as per different sects different meanings are drawn. In such a scenario, this query of Arjun is very significant. Arjun has categorically said-I desire to know separately the essence of these two words. The contemplation of the essential truth is the unique speciality of the Gita. Understand the essential truth to be comparable to the scanning of the body, which should make clear the actual situation prevailing inside the body.