Gita 18.12
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् | भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु संन्यासिनां क्वचित् ||१२||
aniṣṭam iṣṭaṁ miśraṁ ca tri-vidhaṁ karmaṇaḥ phalam | bhavaty atyāgināṁ pretya na tu sannyāsināṁ kvacit ||12||
In essence: Actions bear three kinds of fruit after death: painful, pleasant, and mixed—but only for those who have not renounced. For true renouncers, there is no binding fruit whatsoever.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Why does attachment make action produce binding fruit?"
Guru: "Attachment is the glue that connects action to the actor. When you claim an action—'I did this, it's mine'—you become responsible for its consequences. The ego that claims the action must receive the fruit. Without attachment, the action happens but no 'one' claims it. It's like the difference between signing a contract and observing someone else sign. Only the signer is bound by consequences."
Sadhak: "Even good actions create binding fruit?"
Guru: "Yes, if done with attachment. Good actions with attachment create pleasant binding—heavenly births, fortunate circumstances. But you must return when that merit is exhausted. Only unattached action is truly non-binding. The goal is not to replace bad fruit with good fruit but to transcend the entire fruit mechanism. Both golden chains and iron chains are chains."
Sadhak: "'Pretya'—after death. Does karma operate only after death?"
Guru: "It operates throughout, but 'pretya' emphasizes the continuity beyond death. In life, some karma ripens immediately; some waits. After death, accumulated karma determines the next birth. The point is that consequences follow the non-renouncer indefinitely—nothing is escaped by death. Only true renunciation breaks this chain, in life or through the manner of dying."
Sadhak: "If a true renouncer performs the same action as a non-renouncer, why are the consequences different?"
Guru: "Because the action is not truly 'the same.' Outwardly identical actions can be completely different internally. The non-renouncer acts thinking 'I do this for my benefit.' The renouncer acts thinking 'this is what ought to be done; results belong to the cosmic order.' The internal structure of the action differs entirely, and it is the internal that creates karma."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Contemplate: 'Every attached action today creates fruit that follows me beyond death. Every released action liberates.' This perspective elevates the stakes beyond immediate results. Today's choices shape not just this life but continuity beyond it. Let this understanding inform your intention for the day.
Watch actions as they create fruit: 'This action, done with claiming, creates bondage. This action, done as offering, creates freedom.' The mechanism operates in real-time. Each attachment deepens the groove; each release lightens the load. See this happening moment by moment.
Ask: 'What karmic fruit did I create today? More bondage or more freedom?' This is not for guilt but for clarity. Understanding consequences motivates practice. Celebrate releases; note attachments for future work. The path to freedom from fruit is itself walked through fruit-awareness.