The Yoga of Renunciation
Renunciation is not abandoning action but abandoning attachment to the fruits of action.
True renunciation (sannyasa) is internal, not external. One need not flee to forests to be a renunciate—the essence is performing action without selfish attachment. This democratizes spirituality, making it accessible to householders and workers, not just monastics. Research on intrinsic motivation confirms that those who work for the work itself, rather than external rewards, report greater satisfaction and creativity.
The renunciation of actions based on desire, the wise call as sannyasa. The sages call the abandonment of the fruits of all action as tyaga (renunciation).
Sri Aurobindo interprets this as the integration of active life with spiritual freedom—we can be in the world but not of it.
Bhagavad Gita
Written about in
- What the Bhagavad Gita says about letting go of results
Renunciation is redefined here. Giving up desire-driven action is one thing; giving up the fruits of all action is what the verse calls relinquishment.