Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verse 2 (5.2)
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Verse 2 (5.2)
श्रीभगवानुवाच
संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ । तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते | | ५-२ | |
śhrī bhagavān uvācha saṁnyāsaḥ karmayogaśhcha niḥśhreyasakarāvubhau tayostu karmasaṁnyāsātkarmayogo viśhiṣhyate
Word-by-word guide:
Line 0:
- श्री
(Sri)— श्री(the Blessed Lord said) - भगवान्
(Bhagavan)— भगवान(the Blessed Lord said) - उवाच
(uvacha)— बोले(the Blessed Lord said)
Line 1:
- संन्यासः
(sannyasah)— संन्यास(renunciation) - कर्मयोगः
(karma-yogah)— कर्म योग(and Karma Yoga) - च
(cha)— और कर्म योग(and Karma Yoga) - निःश्रेयसकरौ
(nihshreyasa-karau)— परम कल्याण देने वाले(both lead to the highest good) - उभौ
(ubhau)— दोनों परम कल्याण देते हैं(both lead to the highest good)
Line 2:
- तओ
(tayoh)— परंतु उनमें(but between them) - तु
(tu)— परंतु उनमें(but between them) - कर्मसंन्यासात्
(karma-sannyasat)— कर्म संन्यास से(Karma Yoga is better than renouncing action) - कर्मयोगः
(karma-yogah)— कर्म योग(and Karma Yoga) - विशिष्यते
(vishishyate)— कर्म योग कर्म संन्यास से श्रेष्ठ है(Karma Yoga is better than renouncing action)
English: Krishna said: Letting go of action and the path of right action both lead to the highest; of the two, right action is the better.
Learnings from Shloka 2:
- Selfless Action is Superior:: Performing our duties with the right attitude is more practical and effective than escaping from them.
- Shared Ultimate Goal:: Both paths ultimately lead to the same spiritual liberation and inner peace.
Gita/Sanskrit Language Quiz
Practice this shloka vocabularyMatch Sanskrit words from shloka 5.2 with their Hindi and English meanings.
Practice vocabulary
Krishna explains that while both the path of physical renunciation (Sannyasa) and the path of selfless action (Karma Yoga) lead to liberation, selfless action is superior. For most people, completely abandoning action is impractical and mentally challenging, whereas performing one's duty selflessly naturally purifies the mind and leads to the same goal.