18-1

अर्जुन उवाच -
संन्यासस्य महाबाहो तत्त्वम् इच्छामि वेदितुम् ।
त्यागस्य च हृषीकेश पृथक् केशि निषूदन ॥ १ ॥

arjuna uvAca -
saMnyAsasya mahAbAho tattvam icchAmi veditum |
tyAgasya ca hRSIkeza pRthak kezi niSUdana || 1 ||

अर्जुन उवाच [arjuna uvAca] Arjuna said - इच्छामि [icchAmi] I would like वेदितुम् [veditum] to know तत्त्वम् [tattvam] the true nature संन्यासस्य [saMnyAsasya] of renunciation, च [ca] as well as त्यागस्य [tyAgasya] the true nature of ‘letting go’ पृथक् [pRthak] distinctly. हृषीकेश [hRSIkeza] O Lord, you are the Self in everything, controlling all, महाबाहो [mahAbAho] you have mighty arms, केशि निषूदन [kezi niSUdana] you have destroyed Keshi.

Keshi is the name of a demon. This word represents everything that goes against virtue and things that stand in the way of virtuous people. The Lord destroys such things.

Renunciation and the practice of ‘letting it go’ are specified as means to achieve Moksha .

It is said in the महानारायण [mahAnArAyaNa] - ‘Freedom from death comes by letting go. It does not come with deeds, wealth or by having followers. Those who practice the art of ‘letting go’ know the essence of the Upanishads. They get purified by being with renunciation. At the end of life, they are in the Lord’s abode. They attain the Lord, who is supreme. The Lord is beyond those who have gained freedom from death’.

In this way, the scriptures seem to use the phrases ‘letting go’ and ‘renunciation’ interchangeably. Hence, the question if they are same or different.

In this quest of purpose, what do we let go of?

Arjuna asks - I would like to know the true nature of this ‘renunciation’ and how it’s different from ‘letting go’. To elaborate: Do the phrases ‘renunciation’ and ‘letting go’ mean the same, or are they different? If they are different, I’d like to know their characteristics and their distinctions. On the other hand, if they mean the same thing, let me know its nature.

The Lord now starts acknowledging the discussions where they appear distinct. He later clarifies that their characteristics are the same and describes those characteristics.