अर्जुन उवाच ।संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि ।यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥
arjuna uvāca |sannyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṃ ca śaṃsasi |yac chreya etayor ekaṃ tan me brūhi suniścitam ||
- संन्यासम् · sannyāsam
- renunciation
- कर्मणाम् · karmaṇām
- of actions
- कृष्ण · kṛṣṇa
- O Krishna
- योगम् · yogam
- karma-yoga, disciplined action
- शंससि · śaṃsasi
- you praise
- श्रेयः · śreyaḥ
- the better, most beneficial
- ब्रूहि · brūhi
- tell
- सुनिश्चितम् · suniścitam
- for certain, decisively
“Arjuna said: You praise both the renunciation of actions, O Krishna, and then again disciplined action. Tell me decisively which one of these two is better.”
— Original plain-language translation
Arjuna asks for a clear verdict after Chapter 4 seemed to praise both giving up action and acting in knowledge. The question opens Chapter 5 and lets Krishna rank the two paths. His answer keeps both as valid but calls karma-yoga the safer road.
— Reader's notes (original)