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18.2Krishna
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श्रीभगवानुवाच ।काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः ।सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः ॥

śrībhagavān uvāca |kāmyānāṃ karmaṇāṃ nyāsaṃ saṃnyāsaṃ kavayo viduḥ |sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ prāhus tyāgaṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ ||

श्रीभगवान् · śrībhagavān
the Blessed Lord
उवाच · uvāca
said
काम्यानाम् · kāmyānām
of desire-prompted, optional
न्यासम् · nyāsam
the laying down, giving up
कवयः · kavayaḥ
the wise seers
विदुः · viduḥ
know, understand
प्राहुः · prāhuḥ
they call
विचक्षणाः · vicakṣaṇāḥ
the discerning

The Blessed Lord said: The wise understand renunciation as laying down desire-driven actions; the discerning call relinquishment the giving up of the fruit of every action.

Original plain-language translation

Krishna's opening distinction is precise: saṃnyāsa concerns giving up a class of actions (those done from desire), while tyāga concerns giving up the fruit of all actions. The second is the deeper and more universal principle, and the chapter will keep returning to it. This verse echoes the karma-yoga teaching of 2.47 and sets the frame for everything that follows.

Reader's notes (original)