नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते ।मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः ॥
niyatasya tu saṃnyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate |mohāt tasya parityāgas tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ ||
- नियतस्य · niyatasya
- of prescribed, obligatory
- तु · tu
- but
- संन्यासः · saṃnyāsaḥ
- renunciation, abandonment
- कर्मणः · karmaṇaḥ
- of action
- न · na
- not
- उपपद्यते · upapadyate
- is fitting, is right
- मोहात् · mohāt
- from delusion, confusion
- तस्य · tasya
- of it
- परित्यागः · parityāgaḥ
- abandonment
- तामसः · tāmasaḥ
- of tamas, dark
- परिकीर्तितः · parikīrtitaḥ
- declared
“The renunciation of prescribed duty is not fitting; abandoning it out of delusion is declared dark, tamasic relinquishment.”
— Original plain-language translation
The first of the three kinds of tyāga: neglect of duty from confusion or laziness dressed up as renunciation. Krishna refuses to dignify mere avoidance as spiritual — motive decides the quality of the giving up. Arjuna's own impulse to flee the battle would fall squarely here.
— Reader's notes (original)