Devanagari
अर्जुन उवाच
सन्न्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि ।
यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
arjuna uvāca
sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa
punar yogaṁ ca śaṁsasi
yac chreya etayor ekaṁ
tan me brūhi su-niścitam
Synonyms
arjunaḥ uvāca
—
Arjuna said
;
sannyāsam
—
renunciation
;
karmaṇām
—
of all activities
;
kṛṣṇa
—
O Kṛṣṇa
;
punaḥ
—
again
;
yogam
—
devotional service
;
ca
—
also
;
śaṁsasi
—
You are praising
;
yat
—
which
;
śreyaḥ
—
is more beneficial
;
etayoḥ
—
of these two
;
ekam
—
one
;
tat
—
that
;
me
—
unto me
;
brūhi
—
please tell
;
su-niścitam
—
definitely.
Translation
Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
1. Arjuna said: You praise both giving up action and performing action through karma-yoga. Please tell me definitely, which of the two is better.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
1. Arjuna said: You praise both giving up action and performing action through karma yoga. Please tell me definitely, which of the two is better.
Purport
In this Fifth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that work in devotional service is better than dry mental speculation. Devotional service is easier than the latter because, being transcendental in nature, it frees one from reaction. In the Second Chapter, preliminary knowledge of the soul and its entanglement in the material body were explained. How to get out of this material encagement by buddhi-yoga, or devotional service, was also explained therein. In the Third Chapter, it was explained that a person who is situated on the platform of knowledge no longer has any duties to perform. And in the Fourth Chapter the Lord told Arjuna that all kinds of sacrificial work culminate in knowledge. However, at the end of the Fourth Chapter, the Lord advised Arjuna to wake up and fight, being situated in perfect knowledge. Therefore, by simultaneously stressing the importance of both work in devotion and inaction in knowledge, Kṛṣṇa has perplexed Arjuna and confused his determination. Arjuna understands that renunciation in knowledge involves cessation of all kinds of work performed as sense activities. But if one performs work in devotional service, then how is work stopped? In other words, he thinks that sannyāsa, or renunciation in knowledge, should be altogether free from all kinds of activity, because work and renunciation appear to him to be incompatible. He appears not to have understood that work in full knowledge is nonreactive and is therefore the same as inaction. He inquires, therefore, whether he should cease work altogether or work with full knowledge.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
In the fifth chapter the Lord explains that karma as superior to jṣāna, because it strengthens jṣāna, and explains knowledge of Paramātmā, along with qualities such as seeing things with equal vision.
Being worried about the contradiction between the two statements at the end of the previous chapter, Arjuna asks a question.
In verse 41 of the last chapter you spoke of renouncing karma by jṣāna arising from karma-yoga (yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇam) but in verse 42 You again spoke of taking up karma-yoga (yogam ātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata). It is not possible to perform both renunciation of action and karma-yoga at once because there is essential contradiction between the two, just as there is contradiction between remaining stationary and moving. Therefore the man of knowledge should either renounce karma or perform karma-yoga. Since I do not understand Your intention, I am asking. Among these two, which one is better? Please tell that definitely to me.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
In the fifth chapter Hari speaks of the superiority of karma over jṣāna, because of such reasons as easy performance. He also speaks about giving up performance of karma yoga by one who is pure.
In the second chapter, speaking to the person desiring liberation, and having explained that realization of ātmā is a cause of liberation, Kṛṣṇa explained the necessity of niṣkāma karma as means towards that. In the third and fourth chapters He explained that there is no actions for that person who has attained realization of ātmā with yas tv ātma-ratir eva syāt (3.17 ), and sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha (4.33) Finally he again advised Arjuna to perform niṣkāma karma with tasmād ajṣāna-saṁbhūtaṁ (BG 4.42)
Arjuna now has a question concerning this. You praise the renunciation of actions, jṣāna yoga, a process for stopping the activities of the senses. But You also speak of yoga, performance of action, engaging the senses in action. It is not possible to perform both at once, because of the opposite nature of the two, like non-moving and moving, or darkness and light. I cannot understand your desire—whether one who has attained jṣāna should renounce actions or perform them. Therefore I am asking you. Please tell me definitely which is better, renouncing actions or engaging in actions.
Surrender Unto Me
Srila Prabhupada explains in his Purport: "In the Second Chapter, preliminary knowledge of the soul and its entanglement in the material body were explained. How to get out of this material encagement by buddhi‑yoga, or devotional service, was also explained therein. In the Third Chapter, it was explained that a person who is situated on the platform of knowledge no longer has any duties to perform. And in the Fourth Chapter the Lord told Arjuna that all kinds of sacrificial work culminate in knowledge. However, at the end of the Fourth Chapter, the Lord advised Arjuna to wake up and fight, being situated in perfect knowledge. Therefore, by simultaneously stressing the importance of both work in devotion and inaction in knowledge, Krsna has perplexed Arjuna and confused his determination. Arjuna understands that renunciation in knowledge involves cessation of all kinds of work performed as sense activities. But if one performs work in devotional service, then how is work stopped? In other words, he thinks that sannyasa, or renunciation in knowledge, should be altogether free from all kinds of activity, because work and renunciation appear to him to be incompatible. He appears not to have understood that work in full knowledge is nonreactive and is therefore the same as inaction. He inquires, therefore, whether he should cease work altogether or work with full knowledge."
Now, Krsna had made Arjuna not understand this point. We may understand something but that is due to having Srila Prabhupada's Purports. But Arjuna on the battlefield amidst all the excitement of Krsna's words he doesn't understand. But since all this dialogue is taking place for our benefit, what is going on is that Krsna is making this point, stressing it again and again until we clearly understand it.
The question is: should a person who has acquired knowledge work or not? If knowledge is superior, if sacrifice ends in knowledge, when we get knowledge should we still continue to perform sacrifice (or work)? This is the question.