The Yoga of Renunciation

Krishna defines what true renunciation means: a perpetual renunciant (nitya-sannyāsī) is one who neither hates (dveṣṭi) nor desires (kāṅkṣati). This is the key insight: true renunciation isn't physical withdrawal—it's inner detachment from likes and dislikes. The phrase 'nirdvandvaḥ' (free from pairs of opposites) means free from dualities like pleasure/pain, success/failure, praise/blame. When you're not pulled by desire or pushed by aversion, you're truly renounced—regardless of whether you're acting or not. This inner state is what matters, not physical withdrawal. Such a person is easily freed from bondage (bandhāt pramucyate) because they're not attached to outcomes.