Bhagavad Gita — Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Shloka 4
Moksha Sannyasa Yoga
निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम । त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः संप्रकीर्तितः ॥ १८.४ ॥
niścayaṃ śṛṇu me tatra tyāge bharatasattama | tyāgo hi puruṣavyāghra trividhaḥ saṃprakīrtitaḥ || 18.4 ||
O best of the Bharatas, hear from Me the settled truth regarding renunciation; for, O tiger among men, renunciation has been declared to be threefold.
हे भरतश्रेष्ठ! त्याग के विषय में मेरा निश्चय सुनो; क्योंकि हे पुरुषसिंह! त्याग तीन प्रकार का कहा गया है।
Hear my determination regarding relinquishment, O best of the Bharatas; for relinquishment, O tiger among men, is declared to be threefold.
The verse signals a forthcoming typology (threefold tyāga), typically correlated with the three guṇas. Epithets are honorific and rhetorical.
FAQs
By classifying tyāga, the text implies that ‘renunciation’ is not one mental act but varies by motivation and clarity, inviting self-assessment of one’s reasons for letting go.
The threefold scheme typically rests on guṇa theory, linking cosmological-psychological qualities to ethical and spiritual practice.
This verse functions as a transition: Krishna moves from reporting opinions to presenting a structured account of tyāga.
It encourages distinguishing healthy detachment from avoidance or burnout, and recognizing that similar outward choices can arise from very different inner states.