Bhagavad-gītā 5.2
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाच संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ। तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते।।5.2।।
śhrī bhagavān uvācha sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaśh cha niḥśhreyasa-karāvubhau tayos tu karma-sannyāsāt karma-yogo viśhiṣhyate
Both renunciation and performance of action lead to freedom: of these, performance of action is superior to the renunciation of action.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| śhrī-bhagavān uvācha | the Supreme Lord said |
| sanyāsaḥ | renunciation |
| karma-yogaḥ | working in devotion |
| cha | and |
| niḥśhreyasa-karau | lead to the supreme goal |
| ubhau | both |
| tayoḥ | of the two |
| tu | but |
| karma-sanyāsāt | renunciation of actions |
| karma-yogaḥ | working in devotion |
| viśhiṣhyate | is superior |
Keep the verse in view while connecting śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Lord said), ubhau (both), and viśhiṣhyate (is superior). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to renunciation within responsible work. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 5.2.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Compare renunciation of work with renunciation of attachment and examine the chapter’s account of inner freedom.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
Both renunciation and performance of action lead to freedom
- 2
of these, performance of action is superior to the renunciation of action
- 3
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha: the Supreme Lord said
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture inner renunciation.
Link
Use the line starts: śhrī bhagavān / sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaśh / tayos tu.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
Turn this reading into a study record
Save it, return from memory, and write one idea in your own words. Your record stays in this browser unless you export it.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 5.2, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 5.2 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 5.2 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 5.2 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 5.2, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition