Sankhya Yoga 2.5

Verse 2.5

गुरूनहत्वा हि महानुभावान्

श्रेयो भोक्तुं भैक्ष्यमपीह लोके |

हत्वार्थकामांस्तु गुरूनिहैव

भुञ्जीय भोगान् रुधिरप्रदिग्धान् || 5||

gurūnahatvā hi mahānubhāvān

śhreyo bhoktuṁ bhaikṣhyamapīha loke

hatvārtha-kāmāṁstu gurūnihaiva

bhuñjīya bhogān rudhira-pradigdhān

gurūn—teachers; ahatvā—not killing; hi—certainly; mahā-anubhāvān—noble elders; śhreyaḥ—better; bhoktum—to enjoy life; bhaikṣhyam—by begging; api—even; iha loke—in this world; hatvā—killing; artha—gain; kāmān—desiring; tu—but; gurūn—noble elders; iha—in this world; eva—certainly; bhuñjīya—enjoy; bhogān—pleasures; rudhira—blood; pradigdhān—tainted with

 It would be better to live in this world by begging, than to enjoy life by killing these noble elders, who are my teachers. If we kill them, the wealth and pleasures we enjoy will be tainted with blood.

Arjuna argues that it is better to go on begging and live by alms than to kill his masters and enjoy the pleasures stained by their blood. When he said he would prefer to go begging, he had in his mind to renounce this world and take up a life of sanyasa than to indulge in this war. Shastra allows people belonging to two ashrams to go begging and live by their alms. Bramcharis who stay with their Guru and learn scriptures can go begging since they are not allowed to work for a living during their learning period. The other section of the people are sanyasis. They renounce all the worldly activities for the sole purpose of knowing the ultimate reality. Arjuna has already crossed the Brahmachari state of life. What remains for him is only the life of sannyasa. By running away from the battlefield, he intended to renounce his kingdom and take up the life of sannyasa. Keeping this in mind, he keeps asking Lord Krishna, “Which is a better way of life, a life of Karma yoga or a life of sannyasa?” in chapters 3 and 5. Even in chapter 18 he asks what is the difference between sannyasa and Tyaga (sacrifice or renunciation).