Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 5: Renunciation in Action
Bhagavad Gita 5.1
संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि ।
यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥
saṃnyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punaryogaṃ ca śaṃsasi | yacchreya etayorekaṃ tanme brūhi suniścitam ||
Krishna, you praise the renunciation of actions, and then again you praise yoga. Tell me for certain which one of the two is better.
Modern context
Arjuna has heard two things praised, giving up action and acting with discipline, and they sound like opposites. He asks for one clear answer. The wish is very human. When we are under strain we want a rule and not a balance. Much of this chapter shows that the two paths were never opposed, and that what looked like a contradiction came from taking the words too literally.