punar yogam ca samsasi

yac chreya etayor ekam

tan me bruhi su-niscitam

arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna said; sannyāsam—renunciation; karmaṇām—of all activities; kṛṣṇa—O Kṛṣṇa; punaḥ—again; yogam—devotional service; ca—also; śaṁsasi—You are praising; yat—which; śreyaḥ—is beneficial; etayoḥ—of these two; ekam—one; tat—that; me—unto me; brūhi—please tell; suniścitam—definitely.

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?

nihsreyasa-karav ubhau

tayos tu karma-sannyasat

karma-yogo visisyate

śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Personality of Godhead said; sannyāsaḥ—renunciation of work; karma-yogaḥ—work in devotion; ca—also; niḥśreyasa-karau—all leading to the path of liberation; ubhau—both; tayoḥ—of the two; tu—but; karma-sannyāsāt—in comparison to the renunciation of fruitive work; karma-yogaḥ—work in devotion; viśiṣyate—is better.

The Blessed Lord said: 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 works.

yo na dvesti na kanksati

nirdvandvo hi maha-baho

sukham bandhat pramucyate

jñeyaḥ—should be known; saḥ—he; nitya—always; sannyāsī—renouncer; yaḥ—who; na—never; dveṣṭi—abhors; na—nor; kāṅkṣati—desires; nirdvandvaḥ—free from all dualities; hi—certainly; mahā-bāho—O mighty-armed one; sukham—happily; bandhāt—from bo