On one occasion, when such mystic subjects were taught to Arjuna, he got puzzled and asked Krishna, "At one time You say that we should renounce all Karmas; at another time, You say that Karma-yoga has to be adopted. Now, tell me which among these two paths is the better? For this, Krishna answered thus:

"Sanyasa and Karma Yoga both lead you to the same goal of Liberation, O Arjuna! But, know this. There is greater joy in doing work than in giving up work. Sanyasa and Work are not contradictory; they are interdependent, complementary. By giving up work, man will only decline, without the progress derived from activity, and the training achieved through it. The real Sanyasi is he who does not desire one thing or hate another. The word Sanyasa can well be applied to work done without regard to success or failure, profit or loss, honour or dishonour, to any activity engaged in as offering to the Lord. Mere inactivity announced by the gerua cloth and the shaved head is no Sanyasa at all. He who has avoided the duality of joy and grief, of good and bad, he alone deserves the name. So, better than the giving up of Karma, is the renunciation of the fruits of actions; it also yields greater joy. That is the best path. Therefore, of these two, Sanyasa and Karma Yoga, whichever is followed, the fruit of the other too, can be won. For there is Ananda in Karma: there is Ananda too in Renunciation.

Sanyasa devoid of Karma Yoga will lead to grief. For, how can anyone get away from Karma? However much you may avoid Karma, is it not necessary at least to engage yourself in the remembrance of the Lord, in Dhyana or Japa? That too is Karma. If these are given up, there is no joy in life. Whoever he be, man has to do some Karma, whatever the form of the work. He who engages in Karma Yoga, renouncing all idea of action and following the discipline of silence, can, within a short time, realise Brahman. Karma will not stick to such. Karma for them is akin to breathing. Life is impossible without the Karma of breathing, so too for the Sadhaka, work is essential. Asanthi comes only when the fruit of action is desired. If the fruit is disregarded and joy is derived from the very Karma itself, than one gets Prashanthi. No one thinks of the results and benefits of the Karma of breathing, is it not? So too, when Karma is done, never worry about its result; that gives real Santhi.