Chapter 5 Verse 3
Karm Sanyās Yog
ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति। निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते।।5.3।।
jñeyaḥ sa nitya-sannyāsī yo na dveṣhṭi na kāṅkṣhati nirdvandvo hi mahā-bāho sukhaṁ bandhāt pramuchyate
Word Meanings
| jñeyaḥ | should be considered |
| saḥ | that person |
| nitya | always |
| sanyāsī | practising renunciation |
| yaḥ | who |
| na | never |
| dveṣhṭi | hate |
| na | nor |
| kāṅkṣhati | desire |
| nirdvandvaḥ | free from all dualities |
| hi | certainly |
| mahā-bāho | mighty-armed one |
| sukham | easily |
| bandhāt | from bondage |
| pramuchyate | is liberated |
Translation
He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he is easily freed from bondage.
Philosophical Significance
Core Meaning
A true renunciate is not only someone who leaves the world outwardly, but someone who has let go inside. He does not cling to desires or push away what he dislikes.
Being "free from pairs of opposites" means staying steady in both pleasure and pain, success and failure, praise and blame. When the mind no longer swings between attraction and aversion, it naturally becomes free from the bonds that keep it restless.
This inner balance — neither wanting nor hating — makes liberation simple. Freedom comes from calm steadiness, not from escaping life’s duties.
Life Application
- Notice one strong desire or one common dislike today; practice not immediately acting on it. Pause and breathe before responding.
- Do your daily tasks without chasing results; focus on right effort rather than outcome.
- Build small habits of equanimity: short meditation, mindful breathing, or calmly observing emotions without judgment.
Reflection Question
What one attachment or aversion could I loosen today to feel more peaceful?