Chapter 5, Verse 6 (Bhagavad Gita 5.6)
Chapter 5: Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Renunciation
Sanskrit Shloka
संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः। योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति
Transliteration
sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho duḥkham āptum ayogataḥ yoga-yukto munir brahma na chireṇādhigachchhati
Word Meanings
sanyāsaḥ—renunciation; tu—but; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed one; duḥkham—distress; āptum—attains; ayogataḥ—without karm yog; yoga-yuktaḥ—one who is adept in karm yog; muniḥ—a sage; brahma—Brahman; na chireṇa—quickly; adhigachchhati—goes
Translation
But renunciation, O mighty-armed one, is difficult to attain without Karma Yoga; the sage who is steadfast in Yoga quickly attains the Supreme Brahman.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse addresses the psychological barrier to true renunciation, clarifying that abandoning external activities is meaningless if the ego remains attached to the fruits of action. Yoga, in this context, acts as the purifying fire that burns away selfish desires, making the mind subtle enough to grasp the Absolute. By acting without ego-driven expectations, one shifts their identity from the limited performer to the witnessing consciousness. This internal alignment transforms daily existence into a spiritual practice, allowing the practitioner to dissolve their individual sense of self into the ocean of Brahman with remarkable speed. It teaches us that spiritual liberation is not a retreat from the world, but a shift in the quality of our engagement with it.