Verse 5.2

संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ ।

तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥

5.2

Transliteration

saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau |

tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

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.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

renunciation
the yoga of action
and
lead to the highest good
both

of the two
but
than renunciation of action
the yoga of action
is superior

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Krishna gives the clear answer Arjuna asked for, while keeping both paths honoured. Renunciation (sannyāsa) and the yoga of action both lead to niḥśreyasa, the supreme good. Yet karmayoga is better than the formal renunciation of action. Traditions read this preference in different ways. Some say karmayoga is better for Arjuna and for most people, since it is easier and purifies the mind. Others take it as a general ranking. In context, the verse tells Arjuna plainly that he should not abandon action.