संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः।
योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति।।5.6।।
But, O mighty-armed one, renunciation is hard to attain without (Karma-) yoga. The meditative man equipped with yoga attains Brahman without delay.
Osho’s Commentary
Now a very practical and psychological insight. Krishna says that true renunciation, sannyas, is difficult to attain without Karma Yoga. Why? Because if one simply tries to renounce action, but the inner desires and attachments are still present, then this renunciation becomes a form of suppression. It becomes a struggle, an inner conflict. You may leave the world, but the world will follow you into your cave, in your mind. The path of Karma Yoga is a process of purification. By acting without desire for the fruit, the ego slowly dissolves. The attachments are washed away. When the consciousness is thus purified, renunciation happens on its own. It is no longer an effort; it is a natural flowering. It is like a child growing up. He doesn’t have to make a great effort to renounce his toys. One day, he simply loses interest. He has outgrown them. The Karma Yogi, through desireless action, outgrows the world of ego. Then sannyas is not a difficult struggle; it is a joyful dropping. He who is established in this yoga, says Krishna, attains the supreme reality without delay.