Gita 06.02 – Renunciation of matter and connection with spirit share the same purpose
yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur
yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava
na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo
yogī bhavati kaścana (Bg 6.2)
Word-for-word:
yam — what; sannyāsam — renunciation; iti — thus; prāhuḥ — they say; yogam — linking with the Supreme; tam — that; viddhi — you must know; pāṇḍava — O son of Pāṇḍu; na — never; hi — certainly; asannyasta — without giving up; saṅkalpaḥ — desire for self-satisfaction; yogī — a mystic transcendentalist; bhavati — becomes; kaścana — anyone.
Translation:
What is called renunciation you should know to be the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, O son of Pāṇḍu, for one can never become a yogī unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.
Explanation:
yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur: That which people speak of as renunciation,
yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava: know that to be yoga, O Pāṇḍava.
na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo: For without giving up the desire for enjoyment,
yogī bhavati kaścana: no one can become a yogī.
The previous verse makes an astonishing assertion—the sannyāsī and the yogī are the same person. Kṛṣṇa now explains in what sense the two are equal.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa often presents His teachings by assigning multiple shades of meaning to the same word or by using a word in a new sense according to the context. Normally, sannyāsa is equated with the sannyāsa-āśrama, the renounced order of life. Here, however, Kṛṣṇa gives it a different meaning.
He defines sannyāsa as the renunciation of desires—asannyasta-saṅkalpaḥ. People are generally eager to renounce duties, but Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that renouncing desires is far more important. Without giving up desires, He says, no one can truly become a yogī.
Thus, one who has renounced desires is also a genuine renunciate, for such a person has embraced the essence of renunciation. In this way, the renunciate and the yogī are understood to be equivalent.
Yoga, as we know, means connection—connection with a higher spiritual reality. Such a connection is not possible without proper channeling and discipline in one’s interaction with matter. As long as the material realm is not addressed, and one remains attached to or entangled in the material level of existence, one cannot become an authentic yogī.
Sannyāsa essentially means disconnection from matter, while yoga means connection with spirit. In this sense, both promote the same ultimate purpose. Kṛṣṇa highlights this commonality by explaining that yoga—connection with a higher spiritual reality, connection with God—cannot be practiced without the renunciation of desires (na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo).
As long as one harbors desires for bodily gratification, especially unregulated indulgence, one remains bound within material existence. The true way forward is to elevate our consciousness beyond the material level and establish ourselves on the spiritual plane.
Things become confusing because we usually understand the word “yoga” to mean higher connection—a connection with spiritual truth. In that sense, the distinction seems simple—sannyāsa is disconnection from matter, and yoga is connection with spirit, both serving the same ultimate purpose.
However, the difficulty arises in the context of the Bhagavad-gītā, where the word “yoga” is repeatedly used in relation to action. For example, in 3.3, while contrasting two paths, Kṛṣṇa says:
loke ’smin dvi-vidhā niṣṭhā
purā proktā mayānagha
jñāna-yogena sāṅkhyānāṁ
karma-yogena yoginām
He equates the word “yogī” with those who practice karma-yoga—those who act. With this in mind, if yoga means action and sannyāsa means renunciation, then how can the two be reconciled? To understand this, we must note that Kṛṣṇa is speaking of asannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana—the karma-yogī. As the flow of the Gītā shows, such a karma-yogī gradually progresses to aṣṭāṅga-yoga, and from there advances to bhakti-yoga by the end of the chapter.
For the karma-yogī described here, the path is slower, because at this stage he does not yet have the connection with bhakti, and therefore lacks the powerful upward pull of higher taste and the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Still, the karma-yogī must give up desire. In this sense, yoga as detached action inherently includes the requirement of renouncing desire. That is Kṛṣṇa’s point—without renouncing desire, one cannot be a yogī. Without renouncing desire, one remains merely a karmī (fruitive worker) or a bhogī (materialistic enjoyer).
Kṛṣṇa says that a yogī is one who works, but with detachment.
In conclusion, Kṛṣṇa here uses the word “sannyasa” not in the sense of the sannyāsa-āśrama, but as an attitude—a disposition of detachment, a ‘state of mind’ rather than a ‘state of being’ in a particular āśrama. Sannyāsa means renunciation ‘within,’ while yoga means ‘detached action.’ Hence, in this verse, Kṛṣṇa explains that what is known as renunciation is the same as detached action, because without renunciation of desire, detached action is not possible.
The point Kṛṣṇa is conveying to Arjuna is that one should not prematurely renounce action in this world. Rather, one should continue to act, and through action gradually reach the maturity required to authentically embrace the path of yoga.
If one tries to jump into the path of yoga prematurely, there will be difficulty. Kṛṣṇa explains this in the third chapter (3.5–7), where He analyzes karma-yoga and contrasts it with false renunciation, describing such a person as mithyācārī (3.6).
To avoid this danger, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes to Arjuna that it is better to perform one’s duties in a spirit of renunciation, rather than abandoning work altogether.
Thank you.
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