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Karma-yoga—Action in Krṣṇa Consciousness
273
śrī bhagavān uvāca sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaś ca niḥśreyasa-karāv ubhau tayos tu karma-sannyāsāt karma-yogo viśiṣyate
śrī bhagavān uvāca —the Personality of Godhead said;  sannyāsaḥ —renunciation of work;  karma-yogaḥ —work in devotion;  ca —also;  niḥśreyasa-karau —all leading to the path of liberation;  ubhau —both;  tayoḥ —of the two;  tu —but;  karma-sannyāsāt —in comparison to the renunciation of fruitive work;  karma-yogaḥ —work in devotion;  viśiṣyate —is better.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of works.
PURPORT
Fruitive activities (seeking sense gratification) are cause for material bondage. As long as one is engaged in activities aimed at improving the standard of bodily comfort, one is sure to transmigrate to different types of bodies, thereby continuing material bondage perpetually.  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  confirms this as follows:
nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad-indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye yata ātmano ’yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvanna jijñāsata ātma-tattvam yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ
evam manah karma vaśam prayunkte avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat
“People are mad after sense gratification, and they do not know that this present body, which is full of miseries, is a result of one’s fruitive activities in the past. Although this body is temporary, it is always giving one trouble in many ways. Therefore, to act for sense gratification is not good. One is considered to be a failure in life as long as he makes no inquiry