Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 6

Chapter 5 – Karma Sanyasa Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः ।
योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥

Transliteration

saṃnyāsastu mahābāho duḥkhamāptumayogataḥ .
yogayukto munirbrahma nacireṇādhigacchati ॥

Meaning

But renunciation, O mighty-armed, is hard to attain without Yoga; the sage steadfast in Yoga reaches Brahman before long.

Word meanings

संन्यासः – renunciation
तु – but
महाबाहो – O mighty-armed
दुःखम् – hard, painful
आप्तुम् – to attain
अयोगतः – without Yoga
योगयुक्तः – one steadfast in Yoga
मुनिः – the sage, the thoughtful one
ब्रह्म – Brahman
नचिरेण – before long
अधिगच्छति – attains

Anvaya (word order)

महाबाहो, संन्यासः तु अयोगतः दुःखम् आप्तुम् (भवति); योगयुक्तः मुनिः नचिरेण ब्रह्म अधिगच्छति ।

Explanation

This verse completes the thought of the previous ones with a plain warning. "But renunciation, O mighty-armed, is hard to attain without yoga; the sage who is yoked in yoga reaches Brahman before long." The Lord says that sannyasa, giving up the sense of doing and the claim to the fruits, is not something that can be declared; it has to be earned through the practice of yoga, that is, disciplined action done as an offering.

The word "duhkham", difficult or painful, tells the truth about premature renunciation. A person may put on the robes of a renunciate or retire from worldly responsibility, but if the mind has not been trained, restless wants simply follow him into solitude. He then suffers the dryness of an empty routine, dissatisfied with the world he left and unable to enter the peace he sought. On the other hand, one whose mind has been refined through years of selfless service finds that renunciation happens naturally; there is nothing left to give up.

Shankara explains that sannyasa here means renouncing action as such, which cannot be accomplished without first practising karma-yoga; the one who is established in karma-yoga is a muni, a man of reflection, who reaches Brahman, the Self, quite soon, through the purity gained. Ramanuja takes sannyasa as the path of knowledge, in which the seeker contemplates the Self, and holds it to be difficult without the earlier karma-yoga; the karma-yogi, being "yoga-yukta" and a muni, soon reaches the Self. Madhva similarly emphasises that real renunciation is attained only with proper preparation and devotion.

"Na cirena", before long, is an encouraging phrase. The Lord does not say that karma-yoga takes endless ages. It prepares the mind, and when the mind is ready, the vision of the Self comes quickly, like fruit ripening on a tree that has been patiently tended. Notice that the person is also called a "muni", one who reflects, which indicates that this yogi of action is not a mindless worker but a thoughtful one.

A modern parallel is the athlete. Few would advise a beginner to attempt the hardest manoeuvres without years of training; his enthusiasm would only injure him. Training in selfless action, with attention and offering, is the preparation that makes the highest inner freedom possible and safe. This verse looks back to 3.4 and ahead to 6.2 and 6.3, where the Lord says that sannyasa and yoga are really the same, and that action is the means for the one who is climbing.

Context

Verses 5.2–5.5 stated the superiority of Karma Yoga and the unity of the two paths. Verse 5.6 explains the reason, and 5.7 will describe the state of the Karma Yogi.

Life lesson

In haste for a high ideal do not skip the first step. Cleanse the mind first through duties performed; that becomes the natural base of higher practice.

Key terms

Ayoga: without Yoga, in the absence of Karma Yoga
Yoga-yukta muni: a thoughtful seeker engaged in Karma Yoga
Brahman: the Supreme Reality, the ultimate nature of the Self