Diya Scripture guide
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5: Renunciation and Action
Read all 29 verses of Bhagavad Gita chapter 5, The Yoga of Renunciation of Action, in Sanskrit with transliteration and English translation.
The short answer
Chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita, traditionally titled The Yoga of Renunciation of Action, has 29 verses.
In Diya's summary: Krishna reconciles inner renunciation with outward action. Below are all 29 verses of chapter 5 in Sanskrit, each with a transliteration and Diya's English translation.
Bhagavad Gita chapter 5 in English
Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.
| Sanskrit and transliteration | English |
|---|---|
| 5.1 संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि। यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम्॥ saṃnyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punaryogaṃ ca śaṃsasi | yacchreya etayorekaṃ tanme brūhi suniścitam || | Renunciation of action, O Krishna, you commend, and again, its performance. Which is the better one of these? Do you tell me decisively. |
| 5.2 संन्यासः कर्मयोगश्च निःश्रेयसकरावुभौ। तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते॥ saṃnyāsaḥ karmayogaśca niḥśreyasakarāvubhau | tayostu karmasaṃnyāsātkarmayogo viśiṣyate || | Both renunciation and performance of action lead to freedom: of these, performance of action is truly superior to the renunciation of action. |
| 5.3 ज्ञेयः स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ्क्षति। निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते॥ jñeyaḥ sa nityasaṃnyāsī yo na dveṣṭi na kāṅkṣati | nirdvandvo hi mahābāho sukhaṃ bandhātpramucyate || | Know as a perpetual renunciant the one who neither hates nor desires; free from opposites, O mighty-armed, such a person is easily released from bondage. |
| 5.4 साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बालाः प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिताः। एकमप्यास्थितः सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम्॥ sāṅkhyayogau pṛthagbālāḥ pravadanti na paṇḍitāḥ | ekamapyāsthitaḥ samyagubhayorvindate phalam || | Children, not the wise, speak of knowledge and performance of action, as distinct. One who truly lives in one, gains the fruits of both. |
| 5.5 यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते। एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति॥ yatsāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṃ tadyogairapi gamyate | ekaṃ sāṅkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati || | The plane which is reached by the Jnanins is also reached by the Karmayogins. Who sees knowledge and performance of action as one, he sees. |
| 5.6 संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दुःखमाप्तुमयोगतः। योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति॥ saṃnyāsastu mahābāho duḥkhamāptumayogataḥ | yogayukto munirbrahma nacireṇādhigacchati || | Renunciation is difficult to attain without yoga, O mighty-armed; the sage disciplined in yoga quickly reaches Brahman. |
| 5.7 योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रियः। सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते॥ yogayukto viśuddhātmā vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ | sarvabhūtātmabhūtātmā kurvannapi na lipyate || | One disciplined in yoga, purified in self, self-mastered, and with senses conquered—seeing the Self in all beings—remains untainted even while acting. |
| 5.8 नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित्। पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन्॥ naiva kiñcitkaromīti yukto manyeta tattvavit | paśyañśṛṇvanspṛśañjighrannaśnangacchansvapañśvasan || | The knower of Truth, centred in the Self, should think, "I do nothing at all," though seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, and breathing. |
| 5.9 प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्णन्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि। इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन्॥ pralapanvisṛjangṛhṇannunmiṣannimiṣannapi | indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu vartanta iti dhārayan || | Though speaking, letting go, holding, opening and closing the eyes, he remains convinced that it is truly the senses that move among sense-objects. |
| 5.10 ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः। लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा॥ brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ | lipyate na sa pāpena padmapatramivāmbhasā || | One who performs actions by placing them in Brahman and abandoning attachment is not stained by wrongdoing, just as a lotus leaf is not wetted by water. |
| 5.11 कायेन मनसा बुद्ध्या केवलैरिन्द्रियैरपि। योगिनः कर्म कुर्वन्ति सङ्गं त्यक्त्वात्मशुद्धये॥ kāyena manasā buddhyā kevalairindriyairapi | yoginaḥ karma kurvanti saṅgaṃ tyaktvātmaśuddhaye || | Karma-yogis perform action with body, mind, senses, and intellect, abandoning attachment for purification of the heart. |
| 5.12 युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम्। अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते॥ yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm | ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate || | The well-poised, forsaking the fruit of action, attains peace, born of steadfastness. the unbalanced one, led by desire, is bound by being attached to the fruit (of action). |
| 5.13 सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी। नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन्॥ sarvakarmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī | navadvāre pure dehī naiva kurvanna kārayan || | The self-controlled embodied one inwardly renounces all actions and rests happily in the city of nine gates, neither acting nor causing action. |
| 5.14 न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः। न कर्मफलसंयोगं स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते॥ na kartṛtvaṃ na karmāṇi lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ | na karmaphalasaṃyogaṃ svabhāvastu pravartate || | The Lord creates neither agency nor actions for the world, nor the connection between action and its fruit; rather, one's own nature operates. |
| 5.15 नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः। अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः॥ nādatte kasyacitpāpaṃ na caiva sukṛtaṃ vibhuḥ | ajñānenāvṛtaṃ jñānaṃ tena muhyanti jantavaḥ || | The all-pervading Lord takes on neither anyone's sin nor merit. Knowledge is veiled by ignorance, and beings are deluded by that. |
| 5.16 ज्ञानेन तु तदज्ञानं येषां नाशितमात्मनः। तेषामादित्यवज्ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति तत्परम्॥ jñānena tu tadajñānaṃ yeṣāṃ nāśitamātmanaḥ | teṣāmādityavajjñānaṃ prakāśayati tatparam || | But whose ignorance is truly destroyed by the knowledge of Self,—that knowledge of theirs, like the sun, reveals the Supreme (Brahman). |
| 5.17 तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः। गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः॥ tadbuddhayastadātmānastanniṣṭhāstatparāyaṇāḥ | gacchantyapunarāvṛttiṃ jñānanirdhūtakalmaṣāḥ || | People who have their intellect absorbed in That, whose self is That, whose steadfastness is in That, whose consummation is That, their impurities cleansed by knowledge, they attain to Non-return (Moksha). |
| 5.18 विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि। शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिताः समदर्शिनः॥ vidyāvinayasampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini | śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ samadarśinaḥ || | The wise see with equality a learned and humble brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and one who eats dogs. |
| 5.19 इहैव तैर्जितः सर्गो येषां साम्ये स्थितं मनः। निर्दोषं हि समं ब्रह्म तस्माद्ब्रह्मणि ते स्थिताः॥ ihaiva tairjitaḥ sargo yeṣāṃ sāmye sthitaṃ manaḥ | nirdoṣaṃ hi samaṃ brahma tasmādbrahmaṇi te sthitāḥ || | Existence has been conquered by them, even in this world, whose mind rests in evenness, since Brahman is even and without imperfection: therefore they indeed rest in Brahman. |
| 5.20 न प्रहृष्येत्प्रियं प्राप्य नोद्विजेत्प्राप्य चाप्रियम्। स्थिरबुद्धिरसम्मूढो ब्रह्मविद्ब्रह्मणि स्थितः॥ na prahṛṣyetpriyaṃ prāpya nodvijetprāpya cāpriyam | sthirabuddhirasammūḍho brahmavidbrahmaṇi sthitaḥ || | Resting in Brahman, steady in intellect and free from delusion, the knower of Brahman neither rejoices at the pleasant nor grieves at the unpleasant. |
| 5.21 बाह्यस्पर्शेष्वसक्तात्मा विन्दत्यात्मनि यत्सुखम्। स ब्रह्मयोगयुक्तात्मा सुखमक्षयमश्नुते॥ bāhyasparśeṣvasaktātmā vindatyātmani yatsukham | sa brahmayogayuktātmā sukhamakṣayamaśnute || | With the heart unattached to external objects, he realizes the joy that is in the Self. With the heart devoted to the meditation of Brahman, he attains un-decaying happiness. |
| 5.22 ये हि संस्पर्शजा भोगा दुःखयोनय एव ते। आद्यन्तवन्तः कौन्तेय न तेषु रमते बुधः॥ ye hi saṃsparśajā bhogā duḥkhayonaya eva te | ādyantavantaḥ kaunteya na teṣu ramate budhaḥ || | Pleasures born of contact are indeed wombs of suffering; they have a beginning and an end, O son of Kunti. The wise do not delight in them. |
| 5.23 शक्नोतीहैव यः सोढुं प्राक्शरीरविमोक्षणात्। कामक्रोधोद्भवं वेगं स युक्तः स सुखी नरः॥ śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṃ prākśarīravimokṣaṇāt | kāmakrodhodbhavaṃ vegaṃ sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ || | Whoever can withstand here, before leaving the body, the impulse born of desire and anger is a yogi and a happy person. |
| 5.24 योऽन्तःसुखोऽन्तरारामस्तथान्तर्ज्योतिरेव यः। स योगी ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं ब्रह्मभूतोऽधिगच्छति॥ yo’ntaḥsukho’ntarārāmastathāntarjyotireva yaḥ | sa yogī brahmanirvāṇaṃ brahmabhūto’dhigacchati || | One whose happiness is within, whose delight is within, and whose light is within—that yogi, becoming Brahman, attains liberation in Brahman. |
| 5.25 लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषयः क्षीणकल्मषाः। छिन्नद्वैधा यतात्मानः सर्वभूतहिते रताः॥ labhante brahmanirvāṇamṛṣayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ | chinnadvaidhā yatātmānaḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ || | With imperfections exhausted, doubts dispelled, senses controlled, engaged in the good of all beings, the rishis obtain absolute freedom. |
| 5.26 कामक्रोधवियुक्तानां यतीनां यतचेतसाम्। अभितो ब्रह्मनिर्वाणं वर्तते विदितात्मनाम्॥ kāmakrodhaviyuktānāṃ yatīnāṃ yatacetasām | abhito brahmanirvāṇaṃ vartate viditātmanām || | Because ascetics free from desire and anger, self-controlled and self-knowing, the peace of Brahman lies on every side. |
| 5.27 स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः। प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ॥ sparśānkṛtvā bahirbāhyāṃścakṣuścaivāntare bhruvoḥ | prāṇāpānau samau kṛtvā nāsābhyantaracāriṇau || | One shuts out external objects, fixes the gaze between the eyebrows, and makes the currents of Prana and Apana even within the nostrils. |
| 5.28 यतेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिर्मुनिर्मोक्षपरायणः। विगतेच्छाभयक्रोधो यः सदा मुक्त एव सः॥ yatendriyamanobuddhirmunirmokṣaparāyaṇaḥ | vigatecchābhayakrodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ || | With senses, mind, and intellect controlled, with Moksha as the supreme goal, freed from desire, fear, and anger—such a person of meditation is free for ever. |
| 5.29 भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम्। सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति॥ bhoktāraṃ yajñatapasāṃ sarvalokamaheśvaram | suhṛdaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ jñātvā māṃ śāntimṛcchati || | Knowing Me as the enjoyer of sacrifice and austerity, the great Lord of all worlds and friend of all beings, one attains peace. |
You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 5 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.
Previous chapter: Chapter 4: Wisdom in Action. Next chapter: Chapter 6: The Discipline of Meditation.
Related reading
Questions people ask
How many verses are in Bhagavad Gita chapter 5?
Chapter 5 has 29 verses.
What is chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita called?
Its traditional title is The Yoga of Renunciation of Action. Diya calls it Renunciation and Action.
What is Bhagavad Gita chapter 5 about?
In Diya's summary: Krishna reconciles inner renunciation with outward action.
Research notes
Sources
Follow the reading behind this article through the references below. Each source represents its own author, institution, or tradition.
- Bhagavad Gita chapter 5 (Diya Gita library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
- Bhagavad Gita chapter titles (Diya Gita library)
DiyaPublished by Houdini Apps, LLC
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