श्री भगवानुवाच
संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ।
तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते।।5.2।।
The Blessed Lord said, “Both renunciation of actions and Karma-yoga lead to liberation; however, Karma-yoga excels over renunciation of actions.”
Osho’s Commentary
Krishna says, “Both paths lead to the ultimate good, Arjuna.” First, understand this. Both Karma-Sannyas, the renunciation of action, and Nishkama Karma, renunciation in action, lead to the same peak. But then he adds something more, something specifically for Arjuna. He says, “Yet, of the two, the yoga of action is superior.” He even says it is simpler. This is a direct, personal response to Arjuna’s being. For a man like Arjuna—an extrovert, a warrior, a man whose whole life has been a whirlwind of action—to suddenly renounce all action would be difficult. It would go against his very grain. But for him to continue acting, while renouncing the desire for the fruit of action, is a simpler, more natural path. Krishna is a master psychologist. He is not giving a universal dogma. He is looking into Arjuna’s soul and prescribing the path that is most beneficial for him. One man is an introvert, another an extrovert. One is a poet, another a warrior. The path must be chosen according to one’s own intrinsic nature, one’s swabhava. For you, Arjuna, the path of desireless action is simpler, and therefore, superior.