In this chapter, Shree Krishna compares karm sanyās yog (the path of renunciation of actions) with karm yog (the path of work in devotion). He says: we can choose either of the two paths, as both lead to the same destination. However, he explains that the renunciation of actions is rather challenging and can only be performed flawlessly by those whose minds are adequately pure. Purification of the mind can be achieved only by working in devotion. Therefore, karm yog is a more appropriate path for the majority of humankind.
The karm yogis with a purified intellect perform their worldly duties without any attachment to its fruit. They dedicate all their works and its results to God. Just as a lotus leaf that floats on water does not get wet, the karm yogis also remain unaffected by sin. They are aware that the soul resides within the body that is like a city with nine gates. Therefore, they do not consider themselves to be the doer nor the enjoyer of their actions. Endowed with the vision of equality, they look equally upon a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater. Seated in the Absolute Truth, such truly learned people develop flawless qualities similar to God. The ignorant worldly people do not realize that the pleasures they strive to relish from their sense objects are the very source of their misery. However, the karm yogis do not get any joy from such worldly pleasures. Instead, they enjoy the bliss of God, who resides inside them.
Lord Shree Krishna then describes karm sanyās yog or the path of renunciation. He says that the karm sanyāsīs control their mind, intellect, and senses by performing several austerities. By shutting out all their thoughts of external pleasures, they become free from fear, desire, and anger. And by including devotion to God in all their austerities, they attain long-lasting peace.
Bhagavad Gita 5.1 View commentary »
Arjun said: O Shree Krishna, You praised karm sanyās (the path of renunciation of actions), and You also advised to do karm yog (work with devotion). Please tell me decisively which of the two is more beneficial?
Bhagavad Gita 5.2 View commentary »
The Supreme Lord said: Both the path of karm sanyās (renunciation of actions) and karm yog (working in devotion) lead to the supreme goal. But karm yog is superior to karm sanyās.
Bhagavad Gita 5.3 View commentary »
The karm yogis, who neither desire nor hate anything, should be considered always renounced. Free from all dualities, they are easily liberated from the bonds of material energy.
Bhagavad Gita 5.4 View commentary »
Only the ignorant speak of sānkhya (renunciation of actions, or karm sanyās) and karm yog (work in devotion) as different. Those who are truly learned say that by applying ourselves to any one of these paths, we can achieve the results of both.
Bhagavad Gita 5.5 View commentary »
The supreme state that is attained by means of karm sanyās is also attained by working in devotion. Hence, those who see karm sanyās and karm yog to be identical, truly see things as they are.
Bhagavad Gita 5.6 View commentary »
Perfect renunciation (karm sanyās) is difficult to attain without performing work in devotion (karm yog), O mighty-armed Arjun, but the sage who is adept in karm yog quickly attains the Supreme.
Bhagavad Gita 5.7 View commentary »
The karm yogis, who are of purified intellect, and who control the mind and senses, see the Soul of all souls in every living being. Though performing all kinds of actions, they are never entangled.
Bhagavad Gita 5.8 – 5.9 View commentary »
Those steadfast in karm yog, always think, “I am not the doer,” even while engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, moving, sleeping, breathing, speaking, excreting, grasping, and opening or closing the eyes. With the light of divine knowledge, they see that it is only the material senses that are moving amongst their objects.
Bhagavad Gita 5.10 View commentary »
Those who dedicate their actions to God, abandoning all attachment, remain untouched by sin, just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.
Bhagavad Gita 5.11 View commentary »
The yogis, while giving up attachment, perform actions with their body, senses, mind, and intellect, only for the purpose of self-purification.
Bhagavad Gita 5.12 View commentary »
Offering the results of all activities to God, the karm yogis attain everlasting peace. Whereas those who, being impelled by their desires, work with a selfish motive become entangled because they are attached to the fruits of their actions.
Bhagavad Gita 5.13 View commentary »
The embodied beings who are self-controlled and detached reside happily in the city of nine gates free from thoughts that they are the doers or the cause of anything.
Bhagavad Gita 5.14 View commentary »
Neither the sense of doership nor the nature of actions comes from God; nor does He create the fruits of actions. All this is enacted by the modes of material nature (guṇas).
Bhagavad Gita 5.15 View commentary »
The omnipresent God does not involve Himself in the sinful or virtuous deeds of anyone. The living entities are deluded because their inner knowledge is covered by ignorance.
Bhagavad Gita 5.16 View commentary »
But for those whose ignorance is destroyed by divine knowledge, the Supreme Entity is revealed, just as the sun illumines everything when it rises.
Bhagavad Gita 5.17 View commentary »
Those whose intellect is fixed in God, who are completely absorbed in God, with firm faith in Him as the supreme goal, such persons quickly reach the state from which there is no return, their sins having been dispelled by the light of knowledge.
Bhagavad Gita 5.18 View commentary »
The truly learned, with the eyes of divine knowledge, see with equal vision a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.
Bhagavad Gita 5.19 View commentary »
Those whose minds are established in equality of vision conquer the cycle of birth and death in this very life. They possess the flawless qualities of God, and are therefore seated in the Absolute Truth.
Bhagavad Gita 5.20 View commentary »
Established in God, having a firm understanding of divine knowledge and not hampered by delusion, they neither rejoice in getting something pleasant nor grieve on experiencing the unpleasant.
Bhagavad Gita 5.21 View commentary »
Those who are not attached to external sense pleasures realize divine bliss in the self. Being united with God through Yog, they experience unending happiness.
Bhagavad Gita 5.22 View commentary »
The pleasures that arise from contact with the sense objects, though appearing as enjoyable to worldly-minded people, are verily a source of misery. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, so the wise do not delight in them.
Bhagavad Gita 5.23 View commentary »
Those persons are yogis, who before giving up the body are able to check the forces of desire and anger; and they alone are happy.
Bhagavad Gita 5.24 View commentary »
Those who are happy within themselves, enjoying the delight of God within, and are illumined by the inner light, such yogis are united with the Lord and are liberated from material existence.
Bhagavad Gita 5.25 View commentary »
Those holy persons, whose sins have been purged, whose doubts are annihilated, whose minds are disciplined, and who are devoted to the welfare of all beings, attain God and are liberated from material existence.
Bhagavad Gita 5.26 View commentary »
For those sanyāsīs, who have broken out of anger and lust through constant effort, who have subdued their mind, and are self-realized, liberation from material existence is both here and hereafter.
Bhagavad Gita 5.27 – 5.28 View commentary »
Shutting out all thoughts of external enjoyment, with the gaze fixed on the space between the eye-brows, equalizing the flow of the incoming and outgoing breath in the nostrils, and thus controlling the senses, mind, and intellect, the sage who becomes free from desire, fear, and anger, always lives in freedom.
Bhagavad Gita 5.29 View commentary »
Having realized Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all the worlds and the selfless friend of all living beings, My devotee attains peace.
