Bhagavad Gita BG 5.2
Chapter 5, Verse 2 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ । तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात् कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥
sannyasah karma-yogash ca nihshreyasa-karav ubhau tayos tu karma-sannyasat karma-yogo vishishyate
Meaning
Both renunciation and karma yoga lead to the highest good (liberation). But of the two, karma yoga is superior to renunciation of action.
Understanding
Krishna's decisive answer: both paths are nihshreyasa-kara (lead to the supreme good — liberation). But karma yoga vishishyate (excels, is superior) over mere karma-sannyasa (outward renunciation). Why? Because true sannyasa — inner non-attachment — is actually achieved through karma yoga. Simply giving up action without inner purification achieves nothing; it may even create more bondage through pride in one's renunciation.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| निःश्रेयसकरौ | nihshreyasa-karau | both leading to the highest good (liberation) |
| उभौ | ubhau | both |
| कर्मसंन्यासात् | karma-sannyasat | than renunciation of action (outer) |
| विशिष्यते | vishishyate | excels, is superior, is better |
| श्रीभगवान् उवाच | śrī bhagavān uvāca | The Blessed Lord said (speaker attribution) |
| कर्मयोगश्च | karma-yogaś ca | and karma yoga (the yoga of action) |
| तयोः | tayoḥ | of these two |
| तु | tu | but / however (one is better) |