Shloka 2

अक्षरब्रह्मयोग (Akṣara-Brahma-Yoga) — Knowledge of the Imperishable, Prakṛti, and Devotion

Devanagari script

श्रीभगवानुवाच संन्यास: कर्मयोगश्न नि:श्रेयसकरावुभौ । तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्‌ कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते

Transliteration

śrī-bhagavān uvāca: saṃnyāsaḥ karma-yogaś ca niḥśreyasa-karāv ubhau | tayos tu karma-saṃnyāsāt karma-yogo viśiṣyate ||

Translation

Der Erhabene sprach: „Sowohl Entsagung als auch der Yoga des Handelns führen zum höchsten Heil. Doch von beiden ist der Yoga des Handelns dem bloßen Aufgeben der Werke überlegen.“

Word by Word

श्रीभगवान्the Blessed Lord

उवाचsaid

संन्यासःrenunciation

कर्मयोगःyoga of action

चand

निःश्रेयसकरौleading to the highest good

उभौboth

तयोःof the two

तुbut

कर्मसंन्यासात्than renunciation of action

कर्मयोगःkarma-yoga

विशिष्यतेis superior/excels

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrī Bhagavān (Kṛṣṇa)

Saṃnyāsa

Karma-yoga

Niḥśreyasa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Both renunciation (saṃnyāsa) and selfless action (karma-yoga) can lead to the highest good (niḥśreyasa), but karma-yoga is praised as superior because it enables spiritual progress while one continues to perform one’s rightful duties without attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Kurukṣetra crisis, Arjuna seeks clarity about the best path. Kṛṣṇa responds by comparing renunciation and disciplined action, steering Arjuna toward karma-yoga as the practical and ethically grounded way to act rightly without being bound by action.