arjuna uvāca sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṁ ca śaṁsasi yac chreya etayor ekaṁ tan me brūhi su-niścitam
"Arjuna said: O Krishna, you praise both renunciation of action and yoga of action. Tell me decisively which one is better."
What This Means:
Arjuna is still confused. Krishna has praised both paths—giving up action (sannyasa) AND performing action through yoga. So which is it? Arjuna wants a clear, definitive answer: which path should I take?
Going Deeper:
This question reflects a common spiritual dilemma. Should I leave the world and meditate, or stay engaged and act? Arjuna wants Krishna to pick one, but the answer will be more nuanced—showing that the apparent contradiction dissolves at a deeper level of understanding.
How To Apply This:
You might feel pulled between withdrawing from the world (meditation retreats, simplifying life) and engaging fully (career, family, service). The tension is real. Krishna is about to show that this isn't an either/or choice but a matter of understanding what true renunciation means.
Key Sanskrit Terms: