Chapter 5 Study Plan: Karma Sannyasa Yoga |...

Chapter Overview

Chapter 5 resolves Arjuna's lingering confusion: Which is better - renunciation of action (sannyasa) or performing action with yoga? Krishna's answer is profound: both lead to liberation, but karma yoga is easier and more practical for most people.

The key insight is that true renunciation is internal, not external. One who works without attachment, offering all to the Supreme, achieves the same peace as one who formally renounces action. The chapter culminates with a description of the liberated sage who finds happiness within and attains brahma-nirvana (liberation in Brahman).

Key Themes

Action vs. Renunciation: Both paths lead to liberation; neither is inherently superior
Internal Renunciation: True sannyasa is giving up attachment, not just external action
The Lotus Leaf: Acting in the world while remaining unaffected, like water on a lotus
Equal Vision: Seeing the same Self in all beings - the learned brahmin, the outcast, the animal
Brahma-nirvana: Liberation achieved by those established in Brahman

Key Verses to Study

Verse 5.2 - Karma Yoga is Better

sannyasah karma-yogash cha nihshreyasa-karav ubhau

"The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of work."

Krishna's practical recommendation: karma yoga is more accessible and less prone to self-deception.

Verse 5.7 - The Pure Soul

yoga-yukto vishuddhatma vijitatma jitendriyah

"One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled."

The marks of a karma yogi: purity, self-control, universal love - yet freedom from entanglement.

Verse 5.10 - The Lotus Leaf

brahmany adhaya karmani sangam tyaktva karoti yah

"One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water."

The famous lotus metaphor: fully in the world yet completely unaffected by it.

Verse 5.18 - Equal Vision

vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini

"The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste."

The test of spiritual realization: seeing the same Self in all beings, regardless of external form.

Verse 5.24 - Happiness Within

yo 'ntah-sukho 'ntar-aramas tathantar-jyotir eva yah

"One whose happiness is within, whose activity is within, whose aim is inward, is the perfect mystic. He is liberated in the Supreme and ultimately attains the Supreme."

Three "inwards": inner happiness, inner activity, inner light. Complete self-sufficiency.

Verse 5.29 - The Friend of All

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-maheshvaram

"A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries."

The chapter's conclusion: knowing God as friend and benefactor of all brings ultimate peace.

Comparing Sannyasa and Karma Yoga

Aspect	Sannyasa (Renunciation)	Karma Yoga (Action)
External	Withdraws from action	Engages in action
Internal	Renounces attachment	Renounces attachment
Difficulty	Harder without yoga	Easier for most
Result	Liberation	Liberation
Key Insight	The essential renunciation is the same in both: giving up attachment, not action itself.

The Path to Inner Peace (5.24-28)

The final verses describe the state of one who has achieved liberation:

Inner happiness (5.24): Joy that doesn't depend on external circumstances
Inner activity: The mind absorbed in contemplation, not restless seeking
Inner light: Self-illuminating awareness, not dependent on external knowledge
Freedom from desire and anger (5.26): The two great disturbers of peace
Control of senses, mind, intellect (5.28): Complete mastery of the instruments
Liberation as the only goal (5.28): Moksha is the constant aim, not temporary pleasures

This culminates in brahma-nirvana (5.24-26) - liberation in Brahman. The word "nirvana" (extinction) refers to the ending of separate ego-existence and merging into the infinite.

Reflection Questions

In your own life, do you lean more toward withdrawal (sannyasa) or engagement (karma yoga)? Why?
What would it feel like to act like a lotus leaf - fully participating but internally unaffected?
Can you think of someone you know who embodies the "equal vision" of 5.18? What do they seem like?
Where does your happiness currently come from - mostly internal or external sources?
What would change if you truly believed that God is "the friend of all beings" (5.29)?
How do desire and anger disturb your peace? What triggers them most?

Practical Applications

Lotus leaf practice: During daily activities, visualize yourself as a lotus - in the water but not wet
Equal vision exercise: Practice seeing the same life force in different beings you encounter
Inner happiness check: Notice when your mood depends on external events; practice detaching
Desire-anger watch: Track what triggers these emotions; practice responding vs. reacting
Friend of all meditation: Meditate on God as the well-wisher of all, including your "enemies"

Key Sanskrit Terms

Sannyasa (संन्यास): Renunciation - giving up attachment to action and results
Brahma-nirvana (ब्रह्मनिर्वाण): Liberation in Brahman; extinction of ego in the Absolute
Sama-darshana (समदर्शन): Equal vision - seeing the same Self in all
Antah-sukha (अन्तःसुख): Inner happiness - joy independent of externals
Shanti (शान्ति): Peace - the state of one liberated from desire and anger
Suhrit (सुहृत्): Well-wisher, friend - how Krishna describes God's relation to all

Study Completion Checklist

Read the full chapter in the Srimad Gita App
Memorize verse 5.10 (the lotus leaf teaching)
Understand why karma yoga is recommended over sannyasa for most
Practice equal vision with people you find difficult
Identify three sources of your happiness and evaluate: internal or external?
Meditate on the final verse (5.29) about God as the friend of all

Karma Sannyasa Yoga