Gita 18.49
Moksha Sanyasa Yoga
असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः । नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां सन्न्यासेनाधिगच्छति ॥
asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra jitātmā vigata-spṛhaḥ naiṣkarmya-siddhiṁ paramāṁ sannyāsenādhigacchati
In essence: One whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who is self-conquered and free from longing, attains the supreme perfection of actionlessness through renunciation.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "What is naiṣkarmya-siddhi? Perfection of not-acting?"
Guru: "Not quite. It is the perfection of ACTION that is FREE from karmic consequence. The body may still act, but there is no 'doer' claiming the action, no attachment to results, no desire driving the action. Actions happen through the instrument but don't create new bondage. This is liberation-in-action, not liberation-from-action."
Sadhak: "How can intellect be unattached 'everywhere'? Don't we need some attachment to function?"
Guru: "Function doesn't require attachment. You can perform surgery without being attached to the outcome—focused, skillful, but internally free. You can raise children without attachment—loving, caring, but not dependent on them for your completeness. 'Sarvatra' (everywhere) means no exceptions: unattached to success and failure, praise and blame, gain and loss. This is not coldness but freedom."
Sadhak: "And 'conquering the self'—what self is conquered?"
Guru: "The ego-self that thinks 'I want,' 'I fear,' 'I must have.' This psychological self normally rules us—its desires drive our actions, its fears limit us. 'Jitātmā' means this self has been mastered. You are no longer at its mercy. You can observe its movements without obeying them automatically. The true Self—the witness—has taken its rightful position."
Sadhak: "Is sannyāsa here formal renunciation or something else?"
Guru: "It is inner sannyāsa—renunciation of attachment, doership, and longing. It may or may not include external renunciation. A householder who has these three qualities is a true sannyāsi. A monk in robes without them is not. The 'sannyāsena' here refers to the complete letting go that allows actionless action to manifest."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Set the intention: 'Today I practice asakti (non-attachment) in all situations. I will observe my longings (spṛhā) without acting on them automatically. I will notice where the lower self tries to control and not obey blindly.' This awareness is the beginning of conquest.
When attachment arises—to a particular outcome, to being right, to comfort—notice it. Label it: 'This is spṛhā; this is the self not yet conquered.' Don't force it away; just see it clearly. The seeing itself weakens its grip. Practice acting from clarity rather than from craving.
Review: 'Where was I attached today? Where did longing drive my actions? Where did I manage to act freely, without the ego's compulsion?' This honest assessment, without self-condemnation, gradually reveals the path to naiṣkarmya-siddhi.