Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18, Verse 4
निश्चयं शृणु मे तत्र त्यागे भरतसत्तम | त्यागो हि पुरुषव्याघ्र त्रिविधः संप्रकीर्तितः ||
niścayaṁ śṛṇu me tatra tyāge bharata-sattama tyāgo hi puruṣa-vyāghra tri-vidhaḥ saṁprakīrtitaḥ
O best of the Bharatas, hear My conclusive determination regarding relinquishment. O tiger among men, relinquishment is indeed declared to be of three kinds.
Krishna now gives his authoritative teaching on relinquishment. 'Niścayaṁ śṛṇu me'—hear My conclusive determination. He addresses Arjuna as 'bharata-sattama' (best of the Bharatas) and 'puruṣa-vyāghra' (tiger among men), showing respect and affection. 'Tyāgo hi tri-vidhaḥ saṁprakīrtitaḥ'—relinquishment is indeed declared to be of three kinds. This is the key teaching: there are three types of relinquishment (tyaga), not just one. Understanding this distinction helps clarify what should actually be relinquished. The three kinds will be explained in the following verses, showing that relinquishment isn't simple—it has different forms based on what's being relinquished and why. This sets up the detailed teaching about the three types of tyaga that follows.