Shloka 18
Karma-Saṃnyāsa–Karma-Yoga Saṃvāda
Renunciation and the Discipline of Action
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थों नाकृतेनेह कश्नन । न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय:
naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaścana | na cāsya sarvabhūteṣu kaścid arthavyapāśrayaḥ ||
For that great-souled person, in this world there is no personal end to be gained by performing action, nor is there any end to be gained by refraining from action. Nor does he depend upon any being whatsoever for the sake of self-interest.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A truly accomplished person has no selfish purpose to fulfill either by acting or by not acting, and does not rely on others for personal gain; action, if undertaken, is grounded in dharma rather than need, reward, or dependence.
In the Bhīṣma Parva’s battlefield discourse context, the speaker articulates an ethical ideal: the great-souled person stands beyond personal profit in both action and renunciation, indicating a model of inner freedom amid the demands of duty.