Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 5, Verse 2

श्रीभगवानुवाच । संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ । तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते

śrībhagavānuvāca | saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau | tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate

Translation

Renunciation and Yoga through action both lead to the highest bliss; but, of the two, Yoga through action is esteemed more than renunciation of action.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

saṃnyāsaḥ

renunciation

karmayogaḥ

action-yoga

ca

and

niḥśreyasakarau

(two) highest-happiness-makers

ubhau

both

tayoḥ

of these (two)

tu

indeed

karmasaṃnyāsāt

of action, than renunciation

karmayogaḥ

action-yoga

viśiṣyate

excels

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Saṃnyāsa and Karma-yoga, renunciation of actions and performance of actions, both lead to mokṣa, as giving rise to spiritual knowledge. Though both lead to mokṣa, yet, of the two means of attaining mokṣa, Karma-Yoga is better than mere — i.e., unaccompanied with knowledge — Karma-saṃnyāsa. The Lord does not mean that Karma-Yoga is superior to true Karma-saṃnyāsa; true Karma-saṃnyāsa, accompanied with knowledge, is a far higher path than Karma-Yoga, though the latter is easier than, and therefore preferable to, that Karma-saṃnyāsa which is unaccompanied with knowledge.