Krishna says, "Those whose intellect (𝒃𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒉𝒊) is not attached everywhere (𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖), have conquered the self, and are free from desires through renunciation attain the perfection of 'freedom from 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖' (𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙮𝙖-𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙝𝙞)" (18.49). Earlier, it was made clear that every 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 (action) carries a blemish (18.48). At the same time, there is no escape from 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 as our survival becomes impossible without performing 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙨 (3.8). In these perplexing scenarios, this verse gives three paths to attain freedom from 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖-𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙝𝙖𝙣 (bondage of action). 

The first path is the non-attachment of intellect everywhere. Our intellect is habitual of getting attached to multiple things, people and situations. We have different thought processes and yardsticks for each attachment making us poly-psychic. It is a journey of moving from multiple attachments to one attachment. The final stage is not to have any attachment or detachment as both are the same at the core. Krishna termed this as 𝙑𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙍𝙖𝙖𝙜 which is beyond 𝙍𝙖𝙖𝙜 and 𝙑𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙖𝙜 (4.10); 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙩𝙞 which is beyond 𝘼𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙩𝙞 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙠𝙩𝙞. 

The second one is conquering the self. Krishna earlier called them 𝙨𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙖-𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙖 (stoic)(2.56) and also says we are our friend as well as enemy (6.5). If one conquers self, one is a friend to oneself and doesn't need any external sensual pleasures or else makes themselves their own enemies. 

The third one is the renunciation. So much is said about renunciation in the Bhagavad Gita. While Arjun was trying to renounce 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 of participating and fighting the war, Krishna says we should renounce hatred and desires while performing 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙨 but not 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙨 (5.3). 

Krishna earlier cautioned that even the wise are confounded about the subtleties of 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 and 𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖 (4.16). In this verse, he gives the path of non-attachment, conquering self and renunciation to attain freedom from 𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙖.

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