Word meanings
- yam
- what
- sanyāsam
- renunciation
- iti
- thus
- prāhuḥ
- they say
- yogam
- yog
- tam
- that
- viddhi
- know
- pāṇḍava
- Arjun, the son of Pandu
- na
- not
- hi
- certainly
- asannyasta
- without giving up
- saṅkalpaḥ
- desire
- yogī
- a yogi
- bhavati
- becomes
- kaścana
- anyone
Translations
Do you, O Arjuna, know that Yoga is what they call renunciation; no one indeed becomes a Yogi who has not renounced their thoughts.
O Arjuna, renunciation is indeed what is known as right action. No one can become spiritually enlightened who has not renounced all desires.
That which they call monasticism, know that to be Yoga, O Pandava, for nobody who has not given up expectations can be a yogi.
हे अर्जुन ! लोग जिसको संन्यास कहते हैं, उसीको तुम योग समझो; क्योंकि संकल्पोंका त्याग किये बिना मनुष्य कोई-सा भी योगी नहीं हो सकता।Commentary
Sankalpa is the working of the imagining faculty of the mind that makes plans for the future and guesses the results of plans so formed. No one can become a Karma Yogi who plans and schemes and expects fruits for his actions. No devotee of action who has not renounced the thought of the fruits of his actions can become a Yogi of steady mind. The thought of the fruits will certainly make the mind unsteady. Lord Krishna eulogises Karma Yoga here because it is the means or an external aid (Bahiranga Sadhana) to Dhyana Yoga.
Karma Yoga is a steppingstone to Dhyana Yoga. It leads to the Yoga of Meditation in due course. In order to encourage the practice of Karna Yoga it is stated here that Karma Yoga is Sannyasa. (Cf.V.4)