Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 2

श्रीभगवानुवाच । काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं संन्यासं कवयो विदुः । सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणाः

śrībhagavānuvāca | kāmyānāṃ karmaṇāṃ nyāsaṃ saṃnyāsaṃ kavayo viduḥ | sarvakarmaphalatyāgaṃ prāhustyāgaṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ

Translation

Sages understand 'saṃnyāsa' to be the renouncement of interested works; the abandonment of the fruits of all works, the learned declare, is 'tyāga.'

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

kāmyānām

of desireful

karmaṇām

of actions

nyāsam

renouncing

sannyāsam

renunciation

kavayaḥ

poets

viduḥ

know

sarvakarmaphalatyāgam

of all, of works, of fruits, of renunciation

prāhuḥ

declare

tyāgam

abandonment

vicakṣaṇāḥ

the wise

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

A few sages understand by 'saṃnyāsa' the abandonment of kāmya-karmāṇi, of works (such as the Aśvamedha, Horse-sacrifice) accompanied with a desire for fruits. The learned declare that 'tyāga' means abandonment of the fruits of all the works that are performed — nitya and naimittika, ordinary and extra-ordinary duties — i.e., of the fruits that may accrue to the performer. The meaning of the two words is one and the same so far as the general idea is concerned, namely, abandonment.