BG 5.6 — Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga — Sūtrakṛt-Gītā

Bhagavad Gītā 5.6Chapter 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · Mahābāho · anuṣṭubh

संन्यासस् तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः ।

योगयुक्तो मुनिर् ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥

saṃnyāsas tu mahābāho duḥkham āptum ayogataḥ

yoga-yukto munir brahma nacireṇādhigacchati

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

Renunciation without yoga is hard to achieve and brings only suffering, but the muni who is yoked through disciplined action reaches Brahman swiftly.

ekras · bhāṣya

Krishna names the difficulty plainly. "Samnyasa is hard to attain without yoga, mahabaho. The yoga-yukta muni reaches Brahman in no long time." The first half is the warning. Samnyasa — the formal renunciation of action — is duhkham aptum without yoga; not merely difficult, but inaccessible. The why is doctrinal across the panel and quietly unanimous.

Shankara: jnana-nishtha cannot arise where the antahkarana is unsettled, and karma-yoga is what settles it; without that prior cleansing, paramartha-samnyasa is not available, only its outer form.

Madhusudana sharpens the warning into a double fall — samnyasa taken without the chitta-shuddhi that karma-yoga produces strands the seeker between two stations: he no longer qualifies for karma, and jnana-nishtha has not yet arrived. Two fruits lost; both gates closed.

Shridhara names the standard objection the verse is answering. If karma-yogins reach jnana-nishtha through samnyasa eventually anyway, why not take samnyasa directly from the start? Krishna's reply is the second half of the verse. Yoga-yukto munir brahma nacirena adhigacchati. The muni already yoked through karma-yoga reaches Brahman nacirena — in no long time.

Madhusudana glosses nacirena as shighrameva — quickly, with no obstacle remaining, because the obstacle has already been removed in advance. The path is not faster because it is shorter; it is faster because the inner instrument is ready when the moment of release arrives.

Vedantadeshika catches a small but real worry the word nacirena is placed to dissolve: a reader might fear chirena — that even with yoga the arrival is delayed. The verse forecloses that fear.

Context

where

Chapter 5 · Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna · vocative Mahābāho

preceded by — BG 5.5

The destination reached by those who walk the path of knowledge is the same one reached by those who act without attachment, and whoever sees these two as one truly sees.

What's going on

Renunciation without yoga is hard to achieve and brings only suffering, but the muni who is yoked through disciplined action reaches Brahman swiftly.

Sūtras through this verse (63)

ŚaṅkaraclassicalB

Knowledge alone, with all action laid downbetween

3.4Mere not-doing is not renunciation at all.───→here5.6───→5.13Lay down all acts in mind; sit at ease, body free.

ĀnandagiriclassicalA

The two-niṣṭhā axisbetween

5.1Every clause tagged jñāna or karma.───→here5.6───→7.1First hexad ends, middle hexad opens.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

4.23Clinging to anything is what binds you.───→here5.6───→5.12Drop the wish for fruit, not the fruit itself.

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ŚaṅkaraclassicalD

The fit student vs the unfit studentstation

───→here5.6───→

Śaṅkaraclassicalshankara_jnana_nishtha

Shankara Jnana Nishthabetween · other

3.4Naishkarmya is not just non-doing───→here5.6───→5.13Nine-gated city, all karma laid down

ŚaṅkaraclassicalC

Knowledge plus action will not save youbetween

5.2Each path bears fruit by its own working.───→here5.6───→18.66The combined-path view named and dismantled.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemybetween

4.18See not-doing in doing, doing in not-doing.───→here5.6───→5.13Body-self confusion is the only error.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldbetween

4.18The post-knowledge actor does no action at all.───→here5.6───→5.8I do nothing at all, says the knower.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalK

Liberation while still embodiedbetween

2.72Standing in this state, one reaches Brahman..───→here5.6───→5.13Nine-gated city: body remains, doership does not.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingapproach

───→here5.6───→5.29Friend of all beings, the witness of every act.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalI

The lover and the knower are one personapproach

───→here5.6───→7.16Of the four devotees, the knower is dearest.

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

4.14Acts without clinging───→here5.6───→5.14Two tiers of rulership

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-rulebetween

4.24Every word for ritual points back to Viṣṇu.───→here5.6───→5.7'Self of all beings' just means the Lord.

MadhvaclassicalT2

Soul depends on Lord — the gap that does not closebetween

3.27Action is the modes'; the soul only seems to act.───→here5.6───→5.14The soul rules the inert; the Lord rules the soul.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

4.14He acts but does not cling to the act.───→here5.6───→5.14The Lord rules the modes; the soul rules the body.

MadhvaclassicalT7

Action and knowledge — never rivalsbetween

5.1Renouncing isn't quitting the householder's life.───→here5.6───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are one person, two names.

MadhvaclassicalT8

Direct vision — the only proximate causebetween

2.59The taste fades only when the source is seen.───→here5.6───→5.16Mediated knowing is just the first step.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

4.25'Divine' just means the Lord, named indirectly.───→here5.6───→5.7'Self of all' resolves to the Lord himself.

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathstation · v2 · station 5/9

───→here5.6───→

Ekrasmodernvairagya

Vairāgya — dispassion as instrumentbetween · v2

2.58Tortoise withdrawing───→here5.6───→5.27Senses excluded

Ekrasmodernparadox_of_doership

Paradox of doership — kartṛtvabetween · v2

3.27Modes act, ego claims───→here5.6───→5.13Nine-gated city

Ekrasmodernanger_management

Anger Managementbetween · other

3.37Kāma is the enemy───→here5.6───→5.23Endure the urge

ĀnandagiriclassicalC

Adhikāra: seeker vs. fulfilledbetween

5.1Two saṃnyāsas: fruit and means.───→here5.6───→6.46Yogin vs. jñānin: not synonyms.

ĀnandagiriclassicalD

Praśna-bīja chapter openingsbetween

5.1Recap-then-question becomes the rule.───→here5.6───→7.1Lord answers a question Arjuna did not ask.

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologybetween

5.1Body-residue karma vs. fruit-bearing karma.───→here5.6───→18.1Tyāga and saṃnyāsa named distinct.

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhibetween

4.18Action-in-inaction: the upādhi seen. Anchor.───→here5.6───→5.13All actions renounced by mind alone.

MadhusūdanaclassicalA

Three groups of six: you, the Lord, the joiningbetween

5.1Two chapters settled action and knowing.───→here5.6───→7.1First six unfold 'you,' middle six unfold 'that.'

MadhusūdanaclassicalB

Different students need different teachingsbetween

5.1Not combined, not optional; distributed by fitness.───→here5.6───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are one under two views.

MadhusūdanaclassicalC

Action purifies before knowing can landbetween

5.1Action for the ignorant: purification's only door.───→here5.6───→6.1Renouncing too lives by purity of mind.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherbetween

5.1Neither combined, nor optionally substituted.───→here5.6───→5.13The knower's body acts; the knower does not.

RamsukhdasclassicalC

Desire is the root — not actionbetween

3.43Use intellect to slay the enemy within.───→here5.6───→5.12Renounce the wish for fruit, not the fruit.

RamsukhdasclassicalG

Equanimity in everythingbetween

2.48Yoga itself is just sameness of mind.───→here5.6───→5.18See a sage, a cow, a dog as one.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

5.4Insight and practice are not two paths.───→here5.6───→6.46The lover outranks every other yogi.

RamsukhdasclassicalK

The body is not yoursbetween

3.27The modes act, but ego claims the deed.───→here5.6───→5.8The knower thinks, 'I do nothing at all.'

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here5.6───→

Ekrasmodernmeditation

Meditation — the dhyāna tourapproach · v2

───→here5.6───→6.10Solitary seat

Ekrasmodernbhakti

Bhakti — devotion pathapproach · v2

───→here5.6───→7.16Four kinds of bhakta

ĀnandagiriclassicalI

Bhakti carries jñāna, never parallelapproach

───→here5.6───→7.1Upāsya and tat-pada in apposition. Anchor.

ĀnandagiriclassicalJ

Prakṛti is never autonomousapproach

───→here5.6───→7.4Two-fold prakṛti is the Lord's own power.

MadhusūdanaclassicalE

Devotion is how knowing actually arrivesapproach

───→here5.6───→7.1The chapter elaborates the prior bhajana-line.

MadhusūdanaclassicalF

Every middle chapter opens with a bow to the teacherapproach

───→here5.6───→7.1A bow to the bliss-cloud, Nanda's son, opens seven.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartapproach

───→here5.6───→6.30See Me everywhere, I am never lost.

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)between

5.1A four-clause summary of all of 2 through 4.───→here5.6───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are the same person.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalA

The carama-śloka as retroactive bracketbetween

2.12From here to 18.66: one Krishna-utterance.───→here5.6───→5.16Knowledge dispels what mā śucaḥ will close.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

5.5The fruit of either is one and the same.───→here5.6───→6.1The renouncer and yogi are one figure.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalH

Mā śucaḥ — the inclusio of evolving griefbetween

2.11First grief — chapter-1 cowardice — closed.───→here5.6───→5.16Knowledge-darkness cleared — not yet refuge.

VallabhaclassicalC

Drop the doer, not the deedbetween

5.1Arjuna asks the wrong question. first.───→here5.6───→6.1Real renouncing keeps the act alive.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

5.1Single-verse prelude sets sannyāsa-yoga eka.───→here5.6───→6.1Prelude binds yoga to puṣṭi-bhakti.

VallabhaclassicalE

Three paths, one teaching orderbetween

5.5Where one path goes, the other reaches too.───→here5.6───→6.1The two paths are one through fruit-renouncing act.

RāmānujaclassicalA

World as the Lord's body (antaryāmin)approach

───→here5.6───→7.4Two natures of the Lord: matter and selves.

RāmānujaclassicalE

Bhakti as continuous recollectionapproach

───→here5.6───→7.17I am dearest to him.

RāmānujaclassicalF

Two prakṛtis · jīva as eternal aṃśaapproach

───→here5.6───→7.4Lower nature: matter.

RāmānujaclassicalJ

Śeṣa-śeṣī · pati-vrata simileapproach

───→here5.6───→7.18He is My self; I cannot hold without him.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalB

Prapatti — bhakti's access for those the long path defeatsapproach

───→here5.6───→7.14Those who take refuge cross the māyā.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalI

9.24 — the standing citation for ārādhyaapproach

───→here5.6───→7.21Deity-worship: His self-arrangement of grace.

VallabhaclassicalB

Grace alone — the technical markapproach

───→here5.6───→7.18The wise one is Myself, by grace alone.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentaryapproach

───→here5.6───→6.47Six chapters of aphorism close at this verse.

ŚrīdharaclassicalE

Inner cleansing reconciles work and knowingbetween

5.5See sāṅkhya and yoga as one — see truly.───→here5.6───→8.7Without a clean mind, steady remembrance fails.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spinebetween

5.1Settling the doubt: renounce or work?───→here5.6───→6.1Pure mind is not yet release: now meditate.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homeapproach

───→here5.6───→6.47Be a devotee: that is the meaning.

ŚrīdharaclassicalH

The grammar of single-pointednessapproach

───→here5.6───→7.14Undivided love crosses the great mist.

Gauravmodernkarma_yoga_hand

Karma Yoga Handbetween

3.27Palm, kartala. Akartritva, non-doership. 'Prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani s───→here5.6───→5.18Ring finger. Samadrishti. 'Vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastini, shuni ch

Gauravmodernthree_yogas_braid

Three Yogas Braidbetween

5.5'Yat sankhyaih prapyate sthanam tad yogair api gamyate.' The place reached by sa───→here5.6───→6.46'Tapasvibhyo'dhiko yogi jnanibhyo'pi mato'dhikah, karmibhyash chadhiko yogi tasm

Śabda · lemmas (13 unique · 13 occurrences)

अयोगतः ayoga — (a- + yoga: yoga; union) · ablative masculine singular noun
ब्रह्म brahman — Brahman (the Absolute); also: the Veda; sacred utterance · accusative neuter singular noun · also at 1.1, 2.72, 3.14, 3.15, 4.21, 4.24 +40
नचिरेण nacireṇa — before long, soon (na + cireṇa)
दुःखम् duḥkham — sorrow, suffering (adv./n. form)

show all 13

संन्यासः saṃnyāsa — renunciation, casting off (sam- + ni- + √as 'throw down') · nominative masculine singular noun
तु tu — but, on the other hand (particle)
महा mahat — great, large; the cosmic intellect (mahattattva) · compound
बाहो bāhu — arm · vocative masculine singular noun
आप्तुम् āp — to obtain, reach (verbal root) · infinitive
योग yoga — yoga; union, discipline, application · compound
युक्तः √yuj — to yoke, join, engage in (verbal root) · nominative masculine singular participle noun
मुनिः muni — sage, silent ascetic (from √man 'think') · nominative masculine singular noun · also at 10.26
अधिगच्छति adhi-√gam — (adhi- + gam: to go) · present indicative 3rd person singular verb

Praśna · so what (7)

01If karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga ultimately lead to the same Brahman, what does it mean that one path is described as causing 'suffering' — is the suffering epistemic (confusion), motivational (effort without grace), or ontological (falling between two stools)?
02Madhva reads the muni as one who has conquered kāma and krodha through yoga-yukta action — does that mean the renunciant title is earned only after the fruit of yoga, not before? What does this imply for staged sādhana?

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03Śaṅkara equates paramārtha-sannyāsa with Brahman itself (citing 'nyāsa iti brahmā') — so is 'reaching Brahman' in this verse redundant, or is it pointing to realization as distinct from the formal act of renunciation?
04Rāmānuja says jñāna-yoga without karma-yoga causes 'great suffering' and takes longer — does this imply that the path of grace and service is literally more efficient, or is it a motivational claim about what most jīvas can sustain?
05Vallabha insists one cannot renounce what has not been fully done — how does this interact with the Advaita position that the world of action is ultimately mithyā (apparent)? Is the disagreement empirical or metaphysical?
06All six commentators agree that karma-yoga excels bare renunciation for most practitioners — yet the Gītā never fully forecloses direct sannyāsa. What is the precise condition under which direct renunciation would be superior, and which commentator most clearly names it?
07Śrīdhara's Vārtika citation warns that even formal renunciants can be 'outward-minded and quarrelsome' — does this mean the problem with early sannyāsa is sociological (bad culture in renunciant orders) or psychological (unresolved saṃskāras)?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When you are tempted to quit a demanding role abruptly — a draining job, a difficult relationship, a creative project — notice whether the impulse is genuine inner readiness or avoidance dressed as detachment. Śaṅkara's point: premature withdrawal without inner purification leaves the antaḥkaraṇa (inner faculty) as turbulent as before, so the 'freedom' gained is illusory. Do the work with full surrender of the fruit first; the real letting-go will then happen from clarity, not exhaustion.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Before stepping back from any sustained practice or responsibility, ask whether you have actually built the inner steadiness that makes stepping back possible. Rāmānuja's framing: jñāna-yoga attempted without the ease that karma-yoga builds requires 'great suffering' for a slower arrival. In daily terms: practice gratitude and dedicated service in your current role — that ease is the preparation for any deeper transition, not a substitute for it.

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Dvaita

Madhva's ruby-and-rice image is a practical test: if the fruit you are harvesting from your current effort is merely 'not too painful,' you are not yet working at the scale your capacity permits. Re-orient each day's work toward the large, Hari-ward purpose you are actually capable of serving; small consolation prizes from misdirected effort are not neutral — they are opportunity costs measured against liberation.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha's principle — you cannot renounce what you have not yet fully done — applies directly to half-finished projects, unresolved conversations, and commitments left in limbo. Dropping them prematurely is not detachment; it is incompleteness. Bring samatva (equanimity) into the doing itself; the natural endpoint of completed action is genuine release, not the anxious pseudo-release of walking away mid-stream.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's Vārtika warning about renunciants who remain 'outward-minded and quarrelsome' is a mirror for anyone who has adopted an identity of withdrawal — spiritual, professional, or personal — without the inner work. The test is not the label but the citta: is the mind actually quieter and clearer, or is it still reactive and outward-seeking under a new costume? Use service as the honest diagnostic before claiming the renunciant posture.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana names the double fall explicitly: forced renunciation disqualifies you from both karma (action) and Brahman (knowledge), leaving you stranded. In practical terms, this is the person who quits their structured discipline without having built the inner clarity that makes unstructured practice fruitful — and then finds they can neither return to the discipline nor advance without it. Honor the sequence: purify through engaged action first, and the transition to a quieter life will be stable rather than a crisis.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 5, Verse 6: Krishna to Arjuna — Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga