Path of Meditation
Verse 6.2
यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव। न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन।।6.2।।
yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava na hyasannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaśhchana
Word Meanings
yam—what; sanyāsam—renunciation; iti—thus; prāhuḥ—they say; yogam—yog; tam—that; viddhi—know; pāṇḍava—Arjun, the son of Pandu; na—not; hi—certainly; asannyasta—without giving up; saṅkalpaḥ—desire; yogī—a yogi; bhavati—becomes; kaśhchana—anyone
Translation · English
Do you, O Arjuna, know that Yoga is what they call renunciation; no one indeed becomes a Yogi who has not renounced their thoughts.
Deep Meaning · English
In this pivotal verse, Lord Krishna revolutionizes the concept of 'sannyasa' (renunciation), stripping it of its external rituals and definitions. Arjuna likely associates renunciation with the abandonment of work or the withdrawal into ascetic isolation. Krishna, however, equates true renunciation with Yoga itself, clarifying that the essence of spiritual life lies not in changing one's external circumstances, but in the radical transformation of the internal volition. The term 'sankalpa' here refers to the mental projection of desire—the egoic planning and attachment to the fruits of action that binds the soul to the cycle of samsara. Krishna asserts that one cannot be a true yogi as long as these deep-seated mental seeds of craving persist. To be a yogi is to cultivate a state of mind where the 'will' is no longer driven by egoic desire but is surrendered to the Divine. This is not a rejection of activity, but a rejection of the 'doer's' possessiveness over the outcome of that activity. Thus, the internal renunciation of personal agenda is the absolute prerequisite for the meditative state, transforming the act of living itself into a continuous, inward-turning sacrifice.
True renunciation is the sacrifice of egoic desire (sankalpa), not the abandonment of action, for one cannot reach the state of union (Yoga) while still clinging to the outcomes of their own mental projections.
Connected Verses
Krishna further clarifies the nature of Sannyasa, explicitly defining it as the renunciation of the fruit of all actions.
This verse directly expands on 6.2, defining the specific point at which a person is said to be established in Yoga.
This echoes the sentiment that the one who neither hates nor desires is the perpetual renouncer, regardless of their external life.
It establishes the foundation of Yoga as equanimity in success and failure, which requires the renunciation of attachment to results.
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