|| 18.7 ||

नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते। मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः।।

niyatasya tu sannyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyate mohāt tasya parityāgas tāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ

niyatasya (prescribed) tu (but) sannyāsaḥ (renunciation) karmaṇaḥ (of work) na (never) upapadyate (is appropriate) mohāt (out of illusion) tasya (of that) parityāgaḥ (renunciation) tāmasaḥ (in the mode of ignorance) parikīrtitaḥ (is declared).

Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If one gives up his prescribed duties because of illusion, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

Kṛṣṇa addresses ‘False Renunciation’. He says that giving up one’s ‘Niyata’ or prescribed duties is never appropriate. If someone quits their job or abandons their responsibilities out of ‘Moha’ (illusion or confusion), such renunciation is considered to be in the mode of Ignorance (Tamas). It is not a spiritual act; it is just a mistake. Many people think that being ‘spiritual’ means dropping all worldly ties. But Kṛṣṇa says if you do this while still being confused about the truth, you are just being irresponsible. A Tamasic renouncer might leave his family and live as a beggar because he is too lazy to work, and then call himself a ‘monk’. This is an insult to the tradition. Real renunciation is about changing the heart, not about running away from the office. It teaches us that we should fulfill our roles in life. Our ‘Niyata Karma’ is our classroom. By doing our duty with a spiritual intent, we grow. If we quit because we are confused or lazy, we miss the lesson. We should always check: “Am I leaving this duty because I have truly transcended it, or am I just trying to escape the hard work?” Sincerity is the first rule of the path.