Bhagavad Gita 18.8 · Krishna
Quitting because it's hard
दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत्।
स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत्॥
duḥkhamityeva yatkarma kāyakleśabhayāttyajetsa kṛtvā rājasaṃ tyāgaṃ naiva tyāgaphalaṃ labhet
One who drops an action as painful, fearing bodily strain, makes a restless letting go, and gains nothing from it.
Words
- rajas
What it means
Krishna describes rajasic letting go. Dropping a duty because it's painful or tiring, fearing discomfort. It looks like freedom, but it's really aversion. Krishna says such letting go brings none of the peace true tyaga brings. We've only run from the hard part.
The story
Arjuna's reasons in chapter one were partly this, fear of pain and grief. Krishna isn't harsh. He just shows that running from pain doesn't free us.
In your life
Imagine someone who quit physiotherapy because it hurt, and lived with the injury for years. If something is hard but right, ask for support rather than quitting.
Running from discomfort isn't freedom.