Chapter 18, Verse 12
अनिष्टमिष्टं मिश्रं च त्रिविधं कर्मण: फलम् | भवत्यत्यागिनां प्रेत्य न तु सन्न्यासिनां क्वचित् ॥12॥
aniṣhṭam iṣhṭaṁ miśhraṁ cha tri-vidhaṁ karmaṇaḥ phalam | bhavaty atyāgināṁ pretya na tu sannyāsināṁ kvachit
"The threefold results of actions—the undesirable, the desirable, and the mixed—accrue after death to those who do not resort to renunciation, but never to those who resort to monasticism (true renunciation of fruits)."
Key Insight:
The Bhagavad Gita teaches us through 18.12 that true peace is found when we align our actions with Dharma.
The Bhagavad Gita teaches us through 18.12 that true peace is found when we align our actions with Dharma.
Detailed Meaning
This verse explains the mechanics of Karma for two types of people: the 'Atyagis' (those attached to results) and 'Sannyasins' (those who have renounced the sense of doership and desire for fruits). For the attached, actions bear three types of fruit in the afterlife: 1) Anishtam (unpleasant/hellish), 2) Ishtam (pleasant/heavenly), and 3) Mishram (mixed/human). However, for the true renunciant who works without personal motive, no such karmic debt or 'fruit' is generated, leading to liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core message of Gita 18.12?
The threefold results of actions—the undesirable, the desirable, and the mixed—accrue after death to those who do not resort to renunciation, but never to those who resort to monasticism (true renunciation of fruits).