18-12

अनिष्टम् इष्टम् मिश्रम् च त्रिविधम् कर्मणः फलम् ।
भवति अत्यागिनाम् प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनाम् क्वचित् ॥ १२ ॥

aniSTam iSTam mizram ca trividham karmaNaH phalam |
bhavati atyAginAm pretya na tu saMnyAsinAm kvacit || 12 ||

कर्मणः फलम् [karmaNaH phalam] The outcome of actions प्रेत्य भवति [pretya bhavati] will happen त्रिविधम् [trividham] in three ways अत्यागिनाम् [atyAginAm] to those who haven’t

let-go

अनिष्टम् [aniSTam] undesirable, इष्टम् [iSTam] desirable च मिश्रम् [ca mizram] and a mix of both. तु [tu] However, न क्वचित् [na kvacit] none of these happen संन्यासिनाम् [saMnyAsinAm] to those who have let-go .

Undesirable outcomes torture us. Desirable outcomes reward us. Other outcomes such as wealth, food or a family come with a mix of both desirable and undesirable moments.

These three types of outcomes happen to people who haven’t let-go of possessiveness towards their actions, to people who haven’t let-go of outcomes and the misconception that they make things happen. These outcomes happen to them after they have committed the action - in this life or in succeeding ones.

However, none of these happen to those who have let-go: There is indeed no outcome that stands in the way of achieving Moksha for those who have let the three types of outcomes go.

Just as worship can be done every day to deserve things needed for our livelihood and our desires, it can be done to deserve Moksha as well. This is the distinction asserted over here.

Working to earn Moksha is illustrated in बृहदारण्यक [bRhadAraNyaka], 4-4-22: ‘People who pursue the Lord wish to know Him through the statements in the Vedas, through worship, charity, discipline and by controlling their hunger’.

This practice of ‘letting go’ of the outcome of the actions we do, ‘letting go’ of possessiveness towards them and the misconception that we’re the ones who make things happen - this ‘letting go’ is the same as the term ‘renunciation’ mentioned in the scriptures.

Next, the Lord describes the method to stay free of the misconception that we’re the ones who make things happen - By placing doer-ship in the Lord, who is supreme and is present as the Self inside. In this way a person lets possessiveness go, even in actions that are associated with clear outcomes.

When we do something, it’s the Lord Himself initiating activities with the Self that belongs to Him, with a body and organs that belong to Him, with His breath, for the purpose of His amusement.

For example, the experience of satisfying our hunger is an outcome of actions like earning and eating. The outcomes that are experienced by the Self, along with the actions that achieve it, belong to the Lord Himself.