Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 1

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 6 - Dhyana Yoga - Sloka 1

Karma Yoga is Kara Sanyasa 1-9

 Sudama & Krishna @ Sandipani ashram

Shri Bhagavan Uvacha

Anashritah karma phalam karyam karma karoti yah I

Sa sanyasi cha yogi cha na niragnirah chakriyah II sloka 1

श्री भगवान उवाच

अनाश्रितः कर्म फलं कार्यं कर्म करोति यः ।

स सन्यासी च योगी च न निर् अग्निः चाक्रियः ।। श्लोक १

The Blessed Lord said 

He who discharges his duty without seeking its fruit, he is a sanyasin, he is a yogi; not he who is without sacred fire and without rites.

People in general have a misconception about sanyasa.  That the sanyasin should not shoulder any responsibility and that he should be a drone, is the prevalent notion. Lighting fire is a symbol of performing yagna. The general wrong belief is that the sanyasin is not to do any altruistic work. Arjuna's plea that he would not engage himself in the impending war and that he would beat a retreat and live on holy alms, is an example of this wrong idea. But the Lord's contention is different. What he upholds is the true practice of vedanta. No person should ever discard action. Each has his duty and it has to be well executed. Among the doers of duty, he is a sanyasi, he is a yogi, who discharges duty for duty's sake and in no way attached to the fruits of his action. Because of the renunciation of attachment to work and its effect, he is a sanyasin and because of his doing the duty very efficiently  he is a karma yogi.

What is then the relationship between karma sanyasa and karma yoga? The explanation comes in the next sloka.