5.1 Arjuna asks for a straight answer Arjuna speaks
संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि
यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्िचतम्
sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛiṣhṇa punar yogaṁ cha śhansasi
yach chhreya etayor ekaṁ tan me brūhi su-niśhchitam
You praise the renunciation of action, Krishna, and then you praise yoga. Which of the two is better? Tell me clearly.
Explanation
Arjuna has had enough of being given both answers.
Chapter 3 praised action, chapter 4 praised the renunciation of it, and he asks — almost impatiently — which one, told clearly.
The impatience is worth registering. This is the fourth time he has asked a version of what should I actually do, and the book keeps answering at a level above the question.
Word by word
- arjunaḥ uvācha
- Arjun said
- sanyāsam
- renunciation
- karmaṇām
- of actions
- kṛiṣhṇa
- Shree Krishna
- punaḥ
- again
- yogam
- about karm yog
- cha
- also
- śhansasi
- you praise
- yat
- which
- śhreyaḥ
- more beneficial
- etayoḥ
- of the two
- ekam
- one
- tat
- that
- me
- unto me
- brūhi
- please tell
- su-niśhchitam
- conclusively
Long-press or right-click the image to copy it. Nothing is uploaded — it is drawn here, on your device.