Shloka

श्रीभगवानुवाच |
संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ |
तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ||५-२||

Transliteration

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

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

5.2. The Bhagavat said Both renunciation and the Yoga of action effect salvation. But, of these two, the Yoga of action is better than renunciation of action.

Shri Purohit Swami

5.2 Lord Shri Krishna replied: Renunciation of action and the path of right action both lead to the highest; of the two, right action is the better.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

5.2 Samnyasah etc. Renunciation and the Yoga of action-not only one, but two-are mentioned here. Happily joining together they yield salvation. (However), the superiority of the Yoga [over the renunciation] is due to the fact that but for the Yoga, renunciation does not exist.

Sri Ramanuja

5.2 The Lord said Even while granting that some persons are competent for the practice of Jnana Yoga exclusively, it has to be conceded that renunciation, i.e., Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga can be practised as independent of each other in the pursuit of the highest excellence. Still, of these two, Karma Yoga excels over the renunciation of actions, i.e., Jnana Yoga.

Sri Krsna explains why this is so.

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:

Swami Adidevananda

5.2 The Lord said Renunciation of actions and Karma Yoga, both lead to the highest excellence. But, of the two, Karma Yoga excels the renunciation of actions.

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.

Swami Sivananda

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.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

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 (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)