Bhagavad Gita · Karma Sannyasa YogaChapter 5, Shloka 6 (5.6)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
सन्न्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः
योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति
॥ 5.6 ॥
sannyāsastu mahābāho duḥkhamāptumayogataḥ
yogayukto munirbrahma nacireṇādhigacchati
Translation
"But, O mighty-armed one! Renunciation is hard to attain without yoga; the sage steadfast in yoga swiftly attains Brahman."
Interpretation
"Ayogataḥ" — without yoga. To reach renunciation, karma yoga is needed first.
Shankaracharya — "brahma" = renunciation. Saṃnyāsas tu pāramārthikaḥ … duḥkham āptuṃ prāptum ayogataḥ yogena vinā — true renunciation is hard to attain without yoga. Yoga-yuktaḥ vaidikena karma-yogena īśvara-samarpita-rūpeṇa phala-nirapekṣeṇa yuktaḥ — joined with karma yoga that is offered to Ishvara and indifferent to fruit; muniḥ mananāt īśvara-svarūpasya — a sage through contemplating Ishvara's nature; brahma here = saṃnyāsaḥ — on the basis of the Narayana Upanishad statement nyāsa iti brahmā, brahmā hi paraḥ — that is, paramārtha-saṃnyāsaṃ … na cireṇa kṣipram eva adhigacchati. That is why I said karma yoga is superior.
Acharya Ramanuja — ease and speed. Saṃnyāsaḥ jñāna-yogaḥ tu ayogataḥ karma-yogād ṛte prāptum aśakyaḥ — jnana yoga cannot be attained without karma yoga. Yoga-yuktaḥ … sukhena karma-yogaṃ sādhayitvā na cireṇa eva alpa-kālena eva brahma adhigacchati ātmānaṃ prāpnoti — the karma yogi, accomplishing karma yoga with ease, attains the self in a short time; jñāna-yoga-yuktas tu mahatā duḥkhena … cireṇa prāpnoti — the jnana yogi, with great difficulty and after a long time.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.