The Gita brings action and renunciation into harmony by redefining what it means to renounce. Rather than praising mere physical withdrawal from the world, it presents true sannyasa as an inner state of freedom from attachment. Renunciation becomes primarily mental: the relinquishing of the sense of “I am the doer” and the craving for specific outcomes, even while one continues to act. In this way, the text shifts the focus from outer lifestyle to inner disposition, making it clear that simply abandoning duties does not amount to genuine spiritual renunciation.

This reconciliation is articulated through karma yoga, the disciplined practice of performing one’s dharmic duties without desire for personal gain. Action is not rejected; instead, it is transformed into a means of liberation when carried out as nishkama karma—work done without attachment to its fruits and offered to the Divine as yajna, or sacred sacrifice. Such action, grounded in buddhi yoga, rests on the insight that the eternal Self is not the true agent of deeds; all activity belongs to prakriti, or nature, while consciousness remains untouched. When understood in this way, the life of engagement in the world can embody the very detachment that external renunciates seek.

The Gita thus presents two orientations—outer renunciation and selfless action—but insists that, when rightly understood, both can culminate in the same realization. The decisive factor is not whether one lives as a householder or as a monk, but whether one has relinquished egoic attachment and dedicated all action to the Divine. A renunciate who still clings inwardly to desires falls short, while a person immersed in worldly responsibilities may attain liberation through steady, unattached service. By teaching that inner renunciation within action is superior and more accessible for most, the Gita integrates karma and sannyasa into a single, coherent path toward spiritual freedom.