Chapter 5

Karma Sanyasa Yoga

कर्मसंन्यासयोग

Karm Sanyās Yog•“Path of Renunciation”•29 Verses

A Reading - Rantideb

Chapter 4 named two paths, renouncing action entirely or acting without attachment, without clearly saying which one to actually choose. Chapter 5 answers that directly: both lead to the same place, but acting without attachment is easier and gets there faster, since true renunciation without also mastering the mind rarely works in practice. Why this matters: it settles a debate a lot of people quietly have with themselves, should I withdraw from ambition and responsibility to grow, or should I stay fully engaged but change my relationship to it? In life, this is the chapter for anyone tempted to think peace requires opting out of their career, family, or obligations entirely. The teaching is that the quieter, more available path is staying engaged while releasing the emotional grip, and that this, not dramatic withdrawal, is actually the wise person's move.

Chapter Summary

The fifth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is "Karma Sanyasa Yoga". In this chapter, Krishna compares the paths of renunciation in actions (Karma Sanyas) and actions with detachment (Karma Yoga) and explains that both are means to reach the same goal and we can choose either. A wise person should perform his/her worldly duties without attachment to the fruits of his/her actions and dedicate them to God. This way they remain unaffected by sin and eventually attain liberation.

Verses in this Chapter (29)

Verse 1

अर्जुन उवाच संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि। यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्िचतम्।।5.1।।

Arjuna said, "O Krsna, you praise the renunciation of actions, and then you also praise Karma Yoga. Please tell me with certainty which of these is the superior one, leading to the ultimate good.

Verse 2

श्री भगवानुवाच संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ। तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते।।5.2।।

The Lord said, "Renunciation of actions and Karma Yoga both lead to the highest excellence; however, of the two, Karma Yoga surpasses renunciation of actions."

Verse 3

ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति। निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते।।5.3।।

He who neither hates nor desires, and is beyond the pairs of opposites, is to be understood as an ever-renouncer. Therefore, he is easily set free from bondage, O Arjuna.

Verse 4

सांख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः। एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम्।।5.4।।

Children, not the learned, speak of Sankhya and Yoga as distinct; however, he who is firmly set in one, attains the fruit of both.

Verse 5

यत्सांख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते। एकं सांख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति।।5.5।।

That state which is reached by the Sankhyans, the same is also attained by the Yogins; that is, the same state is achieved by those who are Karma Yogins. He alone is wise who perceives that the Sankhya and the Yoga are one and the same, due to their having the same result.

Verse 6

संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः। योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति।।5.6।।

But, O mighty-armed one, renunciation is hard to attain without practicing Yoga. The sage who contemplates and follows Yoga soon reaches the Brahman (the self or Atman).

Verse 7

योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते।।5.7।।

He who follows the Yoga and is pure in mind, who has subdued his self and has conquered his senses, and whose self has become the self of all beings, even while he is acting, remains untainted.

Verse 8

नैव किंचित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित्। पश्यन् श्रृणवन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपन् श्वसन्।।5.8।।

The one who knows the truth and is devoted to yoga should think, "I am not doing anything," even though they are seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, and breathing.

Verse 9

प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन्।।5.9।।

Speaking, discharging, grasping, opening, and closing his eyes, etc., he should always bear in mind that the senses operate among sense-objects.

Verse 10

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः। लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा।।5.10।।

He who acts without attachment, reposing all actions on Brahman (Prakṛti), is untouched by evil, just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.

Verse 11

कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि। योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वाऽऽत्मशुद्धये।।5.11।।

Yogins, renouncing attachment, do actions with merely the body, mind, intellect, and senses, for the purification of the self.

Verse 12

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्। अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते।।5.12।।

A yogi, renouncing the fruits of their actions, attains lasting peace. But the unsteady person who is attached to the fruits of their actions, being driven by desire, is bound.

Verse 13

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्।।5.13।।

The embodied self, mentally resigning all actions as belonging to the city of nine gates (i.e., the body) and becoming self-controlled, dwells happily, neither acting himself nor causing the body to act.

Verse 14

न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः। न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते।।5.14।।

The Lord of the body (the Self, i.e., the Jiva) does not create agency, nor actions, nor union with the fruits of actions in relation to the world of selves; only the inherent tendencies function.

Verse 15

नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः। अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः।।5.15।।

The all-pervasive One takes away neither the sin nor the merit of anyone. Knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, and creatures are thereby deluded.

Verse 16

ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः। तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम्।।5.16।।

But for those in whom this ignorance is destroyed by the knowledge of the Self, that knowledge, in their case, is supreme and shines brightly like the sun.

Verse 17

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः। गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः।।5.17।।

Those whose intellects pursue it, whose minds think about it, who undergo discipline for it, and who hold it as their highest object, have their impurities cleansed by knowledge and go from whence there is no return.

Verse 18

विद्याविनयसंपन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि। शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः।।5.18।।

The sages look with an equal eye on one endowed with learning and humility, a Brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.

Verse 19

इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः। निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद्ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः।।5.19।।

Here itself, those whose minds rest in equanimity overcome samsara. For the Brahman (individual self), when uncontaminated by Prakriti, is the same everywhere; therefore, they abide in Brahman.

Verse 20

न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्। स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः।।5.20।।

He who knows Brahman (individual self) and abides in Brahman, whose mind is steadfastly focused on the self and undeluded by body consciousness - he neither rejoices at gaining what is pleasant nor grieves on obtaining what is unpleasant.

Verse 21

बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्। स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते।।5.21।।

He whose mind is detached from external contact and finds happiness in the Self - he has his mind engaged in the contemplation of Brahman and enjoys undecaying bliss.

Verse 22

ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते। आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः।।5.22।।

For those pleasures that are born of contact are wombs of pain. They have a beginning and an end, O Arjuna; the wise do not rejoice in them.

Verse 23

शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात्। कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः।।5.23।।

He who is able, even here, before being released from the body, to bear the impulse generated by desire and anger, he is a Yogin (competent for self-realisation); he is the happy man.

Verse 24

योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः। स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति।।5.24।।

He whose joy is within, whose pleasure is within, and whose light is within - he is a yogin, who, having become Brahman, attains the bliss of Brahman.

Verse 25

लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः। छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः।।5.25।।

The sages, who are free from the pairs of opposites, whose minds are well subdued, and who are devoted to the welfare of all beings, become cleansed of all impurities and attain the bliss of Brahman.

Verse 26

कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम्। अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम्।।5.26।।

To those who are free from desire and wrath, who are accustomed to exerting themselves, whose thoughts are controlled, and who have conquered it - the beatitude of Brahman is close at hand.

Verse 27

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः। प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ।।5.27।।

Shutting off outward contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, realizing inward and outward breaths moving in the nostrils;

Verse 28

यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः। विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः।।5.28।।

The sage who has controlled his senses, mind, and intellect, who is intent on release as his final goal, freed forever from desire, fear, and wrath, is indeed liberated forever.

Verse 29

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्। सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति।।5.29।।

Knowing Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, as the Supreme Lord of all worlds, as the Friend of every being, he attains peace.

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Verses

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