Verse 18.12
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मणः फलम् | भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्वचित् ||१२||
Transliteration (IAST)
aniṣṭam iṣṭaṁ miśraṁ ca tri-vidhaṁ karmaṇaḥ phalam | bhavaty atyāgināṁ pretya na tu sannyāsināṁ kvacit ||12||
Word-by-Word Meanings
Translation
The threefold fruit of action - undesirable, desirable, and mixed - accrues after death to those who have not renounced, but never to those who have truly renounced.
Commentary
Krishna explains the consequence of non-renunciation: karmic fruits bind the soul to future births. Shankaracharya clarifies that 'pretya' (after death) refers to the next life where accumulated karma manifests. Those who practice true tyaga are freed from this cycle. Ramanuja notes this motivates the practice of detachment by showing its liberating consequence.