Yoga through the Perfection of Renunciation and Surrender
Verse 18.10
न द्वेष्ट्यकुशलं कर्म कुशले नानुषज्जते।त्यागी सत्त्वसमाविष्टो मेधावी छिन्नसंशयः।।18.10।।
na dveṣhṭy akuśhalaṁ karma kuśhale nānuṣhajjate tyāgī sattva-samāviṣhṭo medhāvī chhinna-sanśhayaḥ
Word Meanings
na—neither; dveṣhṭi—hate; akuśhalam—disagreeable; karma—work; kuśhale—to an agreeable; na—nor; anuṣhajjate—seek; tyāgī—one who renounces desires for enjoying the fruits of actions; sattva—in the mode of goodness; samāviṣhṭaḥ—endowed with; medhāvī—intelligent; chhinna-sanśhayaḥ—those who have no doubts
Translation · English
The man of renunciation, pervaded by purity, intelligent, and with his doubts cut asunder, does not hate an unpleasant task nor is he attached to a pleasant one.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Bhagavan Krishna defines the true 'Tyagi' (renouncer) not as one who flees from the world, but as one who has transcended the dualistic trap of attraction and aversion. By stating that the renouncer neither hates the unpleasant task nor clings to the pleasant one, Krishna reveals the state of 'Samatvam'—perfect equanimity. This is not cold indifference, but a divine poise born from being 'sattva-samavishtah,' or saturated in the luminous mode of goodness. When one's consciousness is infused with Sattva, the illusory nature of worldly outcomes becomes transparent, leading to the wisdom of the 'medhavi' (the truly intelligent one).
True renunciation is not the abandonment of action, but the surrender of the ego's desire for specific results, allowing the seeker to remain anchored in the stillness of the Absolute despite the noise of worldly engagement.
Connected Verses
Confirms the state of the devotee who neither rejoices, nor hates, nor grieves, nor desires.
Describes the inner peace of the self-controlled person who remains equipoised in cold, heat, pleasure, and pain.
Illustrates how a person of renunciation performs action without attachment, remaining untouched by sin like a lotus leaf in water.
Establishes the foundational definition of Yoga as equanimity in both success and failure.
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