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BG 5.2 — 5.2 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 renunc
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श्रीभगवानुवाच |
संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ |
तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ||५-२||

śrībhagavānuvāca . saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau . tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate ||5-2||


5.2 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.

Word-by-word meanings

5.2 संन्यासः renunciation? कर्मयोगः Yoga of action? च and? निःश्रेयसकरौ leading to the highest bliss? उभौ both? तयोः of these two? तु but? कर्मसंन्यासात् than renunciation of action? कर्मयोगः Yoga of action? विशिष्यते is superior.Commentary 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 (renunciati

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

5.2 Ubhau, both, to be sure; sannyasah, renunciation of actions; ca, and; karma-yogah, Karma-yoga-their performance-; nihsreyasa-karau, lead to Liberation. Though both lead to Liberation by virtue of being the cause of the rise of Knowledge, even then, tayoh, between the two which are the causes of Liberation; Karma-yoga, tu, however; visisyate, excels; karma-sannyasat, over mere renunciation of actions. Thus He extols Karma-yoga. [Karma-yoga is better than renunciation of actions that is not based on Knowledge.] Why? In answer the Lord says:

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

5.2 The Blessed Lord said Both renunciation of actions and Karma-yoga lead to Liberation. Between the two, Karma-yoga, however, excels over renunciation of actions.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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