Bhagavad Gita 18.7 · Krishna
Walking away in confusion
नियतस्य तु संन्यासः कर्मणो नोपपद्यते।
मोहात्तस्य परित्यागस्तामसः परिकीर्तितः॥
niyatasya tu saṃnyāsaḥ karmaṇo nopapadyatemohāttasya parityāgastāmasaḥ parikīrtitaḥ
Giving up one's rightful duty is not right. Abandoning it out of confusion is called heavy.
Words
- tamas
What it means
Krishna describes tamasic letting go. Walking away from a real duty out of confusion or denial. It looks like renunciation, but it's really avoidance, a heavy fog dressed up as freedom. Duties that are truly ours aren't meant to be dropped because we feel lost.
The story
This is what Arjuna nearly did in chapter one, dropping his bow in confusion. Krishna names it plainly, without shame, so Arjuna won't confuse it with wisdom.
In your life
Think of someone ignoring unopened bills, telling themselves they're letting go of money worries. That's tamas, not freedom. Open one thing you've been avoiding this week.
Avoidance isn't letting go.