Bhagavad Gita 5.2श्री भगवानुवाच संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ।तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥
śhrī bhagavān uvācha sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaśh cha
niḥśhreyasa-karāvubhau tayos tu karma-sannyāsāt karma-yogo viśhiṣhyate
Sanskrit recitation
Renounce the clinging, not the work · 5.1–5.12 · Teaching
Translation
The Blessed Lord said, "Renunciation and the Yoga of action both lead to the highest bliss; but of the two, the Yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action."
Hindi translation
श्रीभगवान् बोले -- संन्यास (सांख्ययोग) और कर्मयोग दोनों ही कल्याण करनेवाले हैं। परन्तु उन दोनोंमें भी कर्मसंन्यास- (सांख्ययोग-) से कर्मयोग श्रेष्ठ है।
Meaning
Sannyasa (renunciation of action) and Karma Yoga (performance of action) both lead to Moksha or liberation or the highest bliss. Though both lead to Moksha, yet of the two means of attaining to Moksha, Karma Yoga is better than mere Karma Sannyasa (renunciation of action) without the knowledge of the Self.But renunciation of actions with the knowledge of the Self is decidedly superior to Karma Yoga.Moreover, Karma Yoga is easy and is therefore suitable to all. (Cf.III.3V.5VI.46)
After Swami Sivananda
Renounce the clinging, not the work· 5.1–5.12→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 5.1Arjuna said, "O Krishna, you praise renunciation of actions and also yoga. Please tell me…
5.2The Blessed Lord said, "Renunciation and the Yoga of action both lead to the highest…
- 5.3He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasi who neither hates nor desires; for, free from…
- 5.4Children, not the wise, speak of knowledge and the Yoga of action, or the performance of…
- 5.5That place which is reached by the Sankhyas or the Jnanis is also reached by the Yogis…
- 5.6But, O mighty-armed Arjuna, renunciation is hard to attain without Yoga; the sage who is…
- 5.7He who is devoted to the path of action, whose mind is pure, who has conquered the self,…
- 5.8I do nothing at all," thus would the harmonized knower of Truth think, seeing, hearing,…
- 5.9Speaking, letting go, seizing, opening, and closing the eyes, one should be convinced that…
- 5.10He who does actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by…
- 5.11Yogis, having abandoned attachment, perform actions only through the body, mind,…
- 5.12The one who is united (the well-poised or harmonized) having abandoned the fruit of action…
Word-by-word→
- tu
- but
- cha
- and
- ubhau
- both
- tayoḥ
- of the two
- sanyāsaḥ
- renunciation
- karma-yogaḥ
- working in devotion
- viśhiṣhyate
- is superior
- karma-sanyāsāt
- renunciation of actions
- niḥśhreyasa-karau
- lead to the supreme goal
- śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
- the Supreme Lord said
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