Do or Don’t? Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Summary explained

        Welcome back to our Gita deep dive! Today, we are going to dive deeper in the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 summary.

Introduction

In the last chapter, Krishna urged Arjuna to rise above inaction and fulfill his duty as a warrior. But Arjuna, still grappling with the moral complexities of war, throws another curveball. He wonders – isn’t renunciation the true path to liberation?

You can read: Eternal Solutions for Modern Conflict: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Summary

The Chapter 5, titled Karma Sanyas Yoga (The Yoga of  Renunciation), dives into this very question. So be ready, as Krishna reveals the beautiful harmony between action and inaction, dispelling the confusion around karma and its role in achieving liberation.

The Duality Trap: Work vs. Renunciation

Arjuna perceives two distinct paths: action (karma) and renunciation (sanyas). He seeks guidance on which path leads to true liberation. Krishna explains that both paths are valid but working selflessly (karma yoga) is superior due to its practicality. As Renunciation comes from working continuously in devotion with the purified mind, which is not easy for everyone, Karma Yoga, working selflessly is superior in normal life.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Summary: Relevance in Modern Life

Krishna’s advice is crucial for our achievement-oriented world. We often get stressed about results, leading to burnout and anxiety. Chapter 5 reminds us to focus on the process, on doing our best with a sense of detachment from the outcome. This allows us to act with purpose and clarity, even amidst challenges.

Karma Yoga vs. Renunciation: Finding the Balance

Krishna emphasizes the importance of wisdom (jnana) through sanyas and selfless action (karma yoga).

Karma Yoga (The Path of Action):

• Selfless Action: Krishna advocates for performing one’s duties with devotion and detachment. This means engaging in activities without attachment to the results or the desire for personal gain.
• Practical Approach: For most people, engaging in selfless action is more practical and achievable than renouncing all actions. It allows individuals to remain active in the world while cultivating a spiritual mindset.
• Purification Through Work: By dedicating one’s actions to the Supreme and performing duties selflessly, the mind and heart are gradually purified, leading to spiritual growth and eventual liberation.

Renunciation (Sanyas):

• Wisdom and Knowledge (Jnana): Renunciation involves giving up all actions and dedicating oneself entirely to contemplation and the pursuit of spiritual knowledge. It requires a highly purified and disciplined mind.
• Challenging Path: Renunciation is challenging because it demands complete detachment from worldly activities and material desires. It is suitable for those who have already attained a significant level of spiritual maturity and self-control.
• Inner Realization: Through renunciation and deep meditation, individuals can achieve inner realization and direct experience of the Supreme, transcending the material world.

True Renunciation

True renunciation involves not desiring or hating the fruits of actions. A person who is free from these dualities can easily overcome material bondage and attain liberation.

Complementary Paths

Krishna clarifies that there is no real difference between the path of devotional service (karma yoga) and the analytical study of the material world (sankhya). Both paths, if followed sincerely, lead to the same spiritual realization.

Practical Devotion

Krishna highlights that merely renouncing actions without engaging in devotional service does not bring happiness. A person who works with devotion attains the Supreme quickly.

Characteristics of a Devotee

A devotee who works with a purified intellect, without attachment to the fruits of actions, dedicates all results to God. Such a person remains unaffected by sin, similar to how a lotus leaf remains untouched by water.

Divine Consciousness

Krishna explains that a person in divine consciousness, though engaged in various activities, always perceives themselves as separate from the actions. They understand that the material senses interact with their objects while the self remains detached.

Detachment

One who performs their duties without attachment and offers the results to the Supreme Lord remains unaffected by sin.

Purposeful Actions

Yogis act with their body, mind, and senses solely for purification, abandoning all attachments to outcomes.

Attaining Peace

A devoted soul who offers all results to Krishna attains unadulterated peace, whereas those who desire the fruits of their actions remain entangled in the material world.

The City of Nine Gates

Krishna compares the body to a city of nine gates where the soul resides. A person who mentally renounces all actions and controls their nature lives happily within this body, neither performing actions as an agent nor experiencing their results.

Take a look: “Neither performing actions as an agent nor experiencing their results”

Not the Agent:

Actions are performed by the body and senses, which are driven by the modes of material nature (gunas, which are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, all these will be explained in upcoming chapters). These actions include seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, and breathing. Even though actions are taking place, the enlightened person realizes that they are not the true agent of these actions. This understanding stems from the recognition that all actions are governed by the material nature and its inherent qualities, not by the self.

Not the Experiencer:

Similarly, the individual does not claim ownership or enjoyment of the results of actions. Since the self is not performing the actions, it is also not entitled to the fruits of those actions. The fruits are also a result of the interplay of material nature.

Nature of Actions

The embodied soul does not initiate actions or create outcomes; these are driven by the modes of material nature. The Supreme Lord does not assign anyone’s sinful or pious deeds; ignorance clouds the true knowledge of embodied beings, leading to confusion.

Enlightenment

When one is enlightened with knowledge, ignorance is destroyed, and understanding illuminates everything, like the sun lighting up the day.

Firm Devotion

Fixing one’s intelligence, mind, faith, and refuge in the Supreme purifies all doubts, leading directly to the path of liberation.

Equal Vision of the Wise

Wise sages, endowed with true knowledge, see all beings with equal vision, whether a learned Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, or a dog-eater (outcaste).

Conquest of Birth and Death

Those established in equanimity and sameness conquer the cycles of birth and death and are situated in Brahman, free from flaws.

Transcendental Consciousness

A person who neither rejoices in gains nor laments losses, who is self-intelligent and clear-minded, resides in transcendence.

Inner Joy

A liberated person seeks joy within, finding unlimited happiness by concentrating on the Supreme rather than material sense pleasures.

Avoiding Material Pleasures

An intelligent person avoids sources of misery arising from material senses. Such pleasures have a beginning and end, and the wise do not find happiness in them.

Control Over Senses

One who can control the urges of material senses and suppress desires and anger finds happiness in this world.

Perfect Mystic

A person whose happiness and activities are directed inwardly is a perfect mystic, liberated in the Supreme, and eventually attains the Supreme.

Beyond Dualities

Those free from doubts and dualities, who are engaged in the welfare of all beings, achieve liberation in the Supreme.

Liberation Through Self-control

Individuals who control anger and material desires, who are self-disciplined and strive for perfection, are assured of liberation in the Supreme soon.

Practicing Self-control

To achieve liberation, a transcendentalist must focus inwardly by ignoring external sensory distractions and concentrating their focus between the eyebrows. By regulating their breath and controlling their mind, senses, and intellect, they become free from desires, fear, and anger. A sage who maintains this state consistently lives in true freedom, having mastered their inner world.

Peace from Material Miseries

One who understands Krishna as the ultimate beneficiary of sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all realms, and the true friend of all beings, attains peace from material miseries.

=> Here are some Key Verses which are easy to understand:

1. “The Supreme Lord said: Both the path of renouncing actions (karm sanyas) and the path of performing actions with devotion (karm yog) lead to the ultimate spiritual goal. However, working in devotion (karm yog) is superior to renouncing actions (karm sanyas).”

–  Verse 5.2

2. “Those who practice karma yoga, without craving or disliking anything, are considered spiritually detached (renounced) even while engaged in the world. Free from the pull of opposites like pleasure and pain, they effortlessly break free from the bondage of material existence.”

–  Verse 5.3

3. “Achieving complete detachment from worldly actions (complete renunciation, Karm Sanyaas) without first engaging in them with devotion (Karm Yog) is challenging, Arjuna. However, those skilled in the path of devoted action (Karm Yog) quickly reach the highest spiritual goal (the Supreme).”

– Verse 5.6

4. “Those who practice karma yoga, possess pure minds, and have mastered their thoughts and senses, perceive the divine essence within all beings. Despite engaging in various activities, they remain unaffected by the material world.”

– Verse 5.7

5. “Those dedicated to the path of action understand that they are not the true doer of any activity. While engaged in the ordinary functions of life—seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, moving, sleeping, breathing, speaking, eliminating, grasping, and opening or closing the eyes—they remain detached. They recognize by divine consciousness that these actions are simply the play of the senses interacting with their objects. Their wisdom allows them to perceive that their true self is beyond these activities.”

– Verse 5.8 – 5.9

Let’s understand deeply, “the actions are simply the play of the senses interacting with their objects.”

• Senses and Their Functions:

1. 1. • Our body has various senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Each sense has a specific function and interacts with corresponding objects in the environment.
      • For example, the eyes see colors and shapes, the ears hear sounds, the skin feels textures and temperatures, the nose smells odors, and the tongue tastes flavors.

• Interaction as Automatic Process:

1. 1. • These interactions between senses and their objects happen automatically and naturally. The eyes automatically see what is in front of them; the ears automatically hear the sounds around them.

• Play of Senses:

1. 1. • The phrase “play of senses” suggests that these interactions are like a game or performance. They happen without conscious effort or intention from the deeper self. It’s as if the senses are actors playing their roles on the stage of life.
      • For example, when you see a flower, your eyes are merely performing their function by detecting light and color, and your brain processes this information as the image of a flower.

• Not the True Self:

1. 1. • The true self, or Atman, is beyond these sensory interactions. It is the observer of these actions, not the performer.
      • This means that while the body and mind are engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, etc., the true self remains separate and unaffected by these activities.

• Detachment from Actions:

1. • By understanding that these sensory interactions are just the natural functions of the body, one can remain detached from them. This detachment leads to a state where one does not identify with these actions or their results.
   • For example, if you understand that it is your ears that hear a loud noise, and not your true self, you won’t be disturbed or affected by the noise on a deeper level.

Recognizing that the senses are merely interacting with their objects as a natural and automatic process allows you to see these actions as separate from your true self. This perspective helps in maintaining detachment and achieving a state of inner tranquility.

6. “Individuals who perform their duties without personal gain, dedicating their actions to Supreme power, remain unaffected by negative consequences (sin). Similar to a lotus leaf that remains untouched by water.”

– Verse 5.10

7. “The united person, in harmony with the Divine, finds ultimate peace by offering the fruits of their actions as a devotion. In contrast, the individual disconnected from the Divine, driven by personal desires and attachment to outcomes, becomes entangled in the complexities of worldly existence.”

– Verse 5.12

8. “Those who have mastered self-control and detachment reside happily within the city of nine gates (physical body), free from the illusion of being the doer or cause of their actions.”

– Verse 5.13

The City of Nine Gates

The city of nine gates is a metaphor for the human body.

In this analogy, the nine gates refer to the body’s nine natural openings:

• Two eyes
• Two nostrils
• Two ears
• Mouth
• Anus
• Genitals

The idea is that a person who has achieved self-control and detachment can reside peacefully within this physical body without being attached to the sensory experiences or actions that occur through these gates. They understand that the body is merely a temporary vessel and that their true self is beyond these physical limitations.

9. “The sense of agency, the nature of actions, and their subsequent results do not originate from a divine source. These are all manifestations of the material world, governed by the three fundamental qualities or modes of material nature (gunas).”

– Verse 5.14

Sense of Agency:

• This refers to the feeling or belief that one is the initiator or doer of actions. People often think, “I am doing this,” or “I am responsible for that.”
• The explanation suggests that this sense of being the doer does not come from a divine source but from the individual’s mind and ego. It is a result of the interplay of the gunas. 

Human Responsibility:

• Individuals are responsible for their own actions and the consequences that follow. The divine does not interfere with or dictate these actions.

Material Nature:

• Actions and their results are influenced by the laws of material nature, such as cause and effect, rather than being directly controlled by a divine being.

That’s why, in the upcoming chapters Krishna emphasizes adopting sattva (goodness) guna (out of three) because it naturally leads to good deeds and minimizes sinful actions. By understanding that the sense of agency and actions are influenced by the gunas, individuals can strive to cultivate sattva, thereby aligning their actions with purity, wisdom, and spiritual growth.

10. “God does not claim responsibility for anyone’s actions, whether bad (sinful) or good. However, the living beings are confused and deluded because their true knowledge is hidden by ignorance.”

– Verse 5.15

11. “To those whose ignorance has been dispelled by self knowledge, the Supreme Reality becomes clear, much like the sun (When the sun rises, everything becomes clear and illuminated.).”

– Verse 5.16

12. “Individuals whose minds are fully devoted to God, with unwavering faith in the divine as the ultimate goal, attain spiritual liberation. Their sins are eradicated by the illuminating power of divine knowledge, propelling them towards a state of eternal bliss (from where there is no cycle of rebirth or return).”

– Verse 5.17

13. “Those enlightened by divine knowledge perceive all beings with equal vision, a Brahmin (priest class), a cow, an elephant, a dog, and an outcaste.”

– Verse 5.18

14. “Those who maintain equanimity in all circumstances transcend the cycle of rebirth. Embodying flawless qualities of Brahman (Absolute Truth), they are situated in Absolute Truth.”

– Verse 5.19

15. “Those who are established in Brahman (Absolute Truth, Divine), having steady intellect (having equanimity) and free from delusion, neither delights when receiving something pleasant nor grieve when encountering something unpleasant.”

– Verse 5.20

16. “Those who transcend attachment to material pleasures discover inner bliss through union with the divine. Immersed in a state of constant meditation of Divine (Brahman), they experience infinite happiness derived from their connection to the Supreme.”

– Verse 5.21

17. “Sensory pleasures, arising from contacts (with the senses and its objects), might seem enjoyable to those entangled in worldly pursuits, but they ultimately lead to suffering. Such pleasures have fleeting nature, a beginning and an end, so the wise man does not take pleasure in them.”

– Verse 5.22

18. “Those whose sins have been eliminated, who have transcended duality, who have controlled their minds and who are dedicated themselves to the well-being of all beings, attain liberation and union with the Divine.”

– Verse 5.25

19. “Holy persons who have conquered desire and anger, mastered their minds, and are self-realized, are assured of immediate and ultimate liberation.”

– Verse 5.26

20. “By detaching from external objects and focusing the eyes and vision between the eyebrows, and by balancing the inward and outward breaths through the nostrils, one gains control over the mind, senses, and intellect. This practice frees the transcendentalist from desire, fear, and anger, and in this state he is certainly liberated.”

– Verse 5.27 – 5.28

In these two verses, Krishna gave the straight forward steps in order to control our mind, senses and intellect. So, one should follow these steps at the very beginning.

External objects refer to anything outside of oneself that can be perceived through the senses, such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensations. These include material possessions, people, events, and experiences that can attract or distract the mind and senses. Detaching from external objects means withdrawing attention and emotional investment from these sensory stimuli to focus inwardly on spiritual or inner development.

21. “A person who understands that I am (Krishna) the recipient of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all realms, and the true friend of all beings, finds peace.”

– Verse 5.29

Key Teachings of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 for Modern Life

1. Balance Between Action and Renunciation:

   – Both action (karma yoga) and renunciation (sanyas) can lead to liberation.

   – In modern life, it’s important to find a balance between fulfilling duties and maintaining inner detachment.

2. Selfless Action:

   – Perform duties without attachment to the results.

   – Focus on doing your best in every task, and let go of the desire for specific outcomes.

3. Detachment from Results:

   – Avoid being overly concerned with success or failure.

   – This helps reduce stress and anxiety, allowing for a more peaceful and focused approach to life.

4. Equality and Compassion:

   – See everyone with equal vision, beyond social, economic, or physical differences.

   – Treat all beings with respect and compassion, fostering a more harmonious society.

5. Inner Peace through Devotion:

   – Offer the fruits of your actions to a higher purpose or the greater good.

   – This sense of devotion and higher purpose brings inner peace and fulfillment.

6. Wisdom and Equanimity:

   – Strive to maintain a calm and balanced mind, regardless of external circumstances.

   – Develop the wisdom to see beyond immediate challenges and view them as part of a larger, meaningful journey.

7. Living in the Present:

   – Engage fully in the present moment, without being distracted by past regrets or future anxieties.

   – This mindfulness enhances the quality of your actions and your overall well-being.

8. Service to Others:

   – Dedicate part of your efforts to the welfare of others.

   – Serving the community and contributing to the common good leads to personal growth and societal harmony.

9. Inner Self-Discipline:

   – Cultivate self-discipline to control desires and impulses.

   – This helps in achieving personal goals and maintaining a balanced life.

10. Ultimate Peace through Recognition:

    – Ultimate peace comes from recognizing Krishna (or the Supreme Power) as the Supreme and true friend of all.

    – Understanding this interconnectedness and divine relationship fosters a deep sense of unity and harmony with the world.

Conclusion

Chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita emphasizes the importance of selfless action and detachment. Krishna teaches that both renunciation and action can lead to liberation, but working with devotion is more practical for most people. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, cultivating wisdom, and serving others, one can attain true peace and liberation.

        If you have any comment, doubt or question, feel free to leave in the comment section at the bottom.

Must Read How can we control our mind according to Bhagavad Gita?

If you want to read this summary offline then, you can download the pdf version below:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5 Summary pdf