5.1
अर्जुन उवाच संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि । यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥
arjuna uvāca sannyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punaryogaṃ ca śaṃsasi | yacchreya etayorekaṃ tanme brūhi suniścitam ||
Translation
Arjuna said: O Krishna, you praise renunciation of actions and also the yoga of action. Tell me decisively which one of these two is the better.
Interpretation
Arjuna is confused by the apparent contradiction — Krishna has praised both renunciation (sannyasa) and selfless action (karma yoga). He asks for a definitive answer. This question is the central tension of the fifth chapter, and Krishna's answer — that both lead to the same goal — is one of the Gita's most liberating teachings.