यं संन्यासमिति प्राहुर्योगं तं विद्धि पाण्डव | न ह्यसंन्यस्तसङ्कल्पो योगी भवति कश्चन || २ ||
yaṃ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṃ taṃ viddhi pāṇḍava na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana
yam—what; sannyāsam—renunciation; iti—thus; prāhuḥ—they call; yogam—linking with the Supreme; tam—that; viddhi—know; pāṇḍava—O son of Pandu; na—never; hi—certainly; asannyasta—without giving up; saṅkalpaḥ—self-satisfaction; yogī—a mystic transcendentalist; bhavati—becomes; kaścana—anyone.
“What they call sannyasa, know that to be yoga, O Pandava. Without renouncing selfish intentions (sankalpa), no one can become a yogi.”
Sankalpa here refers to the ego-driven resolve: the insistence that things go my way, that my preferences be fulfilled, that the universe arrange itself for my satisfaction. Renouncing sankalpa does not mean becoming purposeless — it means releasing the ego's claim to determine outcomes. The yogi still acts with intention and skill, but holds the ultimate result lightly, as the Lord's will rather than his own demand.
Observe the quality of your intentions throughout the day. How many are rooted in 'I want this specific outcome for my own satisfaction'? Begin gently reframing intentions from ego-based demands to offering-based service. This is the practical renunciation of sankalpa.