Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]"O Kṛṣṇa, Thou praisest both renunciation of action and the performance of action. Tell me definitely which of these two is the better."
BG 5.1
अर्जुन उवाच। संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि। यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम्॥५-१॥
arjuna uvāca | sannyāsaṃ karmaṇāṃ kṛṣṇa punar yogaṃ ca śaṃsasi | yac chreya etayor ekaṃ tan me brūhi su-niścitam || 5.1 ||
"Arjuna asks: You praise both renunciation and action — tell me decisively which is truly better."
All public-domain translations
6 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]"O Krishna, Thou praisest renunciation of actions and also the Yoga of action; tell me definitely which one is the better of the two."
Annie Besant & Bhagavan Das, The Bhagavad Gītā (1905)
[5]"O Krishna, Thou praisest renunciation of works and again Yoga. Which one of these two is better? Tell me the one certain (way)."
William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)
[6]"O Krishna, thou praisest the renunciation of actions and also the practice of devotion. Tell me which of these two is preferable."
Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)
[7]"Yet, Krishna! at one time thou dost extol Surcease of works, and then at other times Service through works. Of these twain plainly tell Which is the better way? make this thing clear."
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]"O Krishna! thou praisest abandonment of actions, and again devotion [to action]. Tell me with certainty, which one of these two is better."