BhG 5.2

syntax

śrī-bhagavān (the glorious Lord) uvāca (he spoke):
sannyāsaḥ (renunciation) karma-yogaḥ ca (and yoga of activity) ubhau (both) niḥśreyasa-karau (making for the highest good) [staḥ] (they are).
tayoḥ tu (but of these two) [madhye] (among) karma-sannyāsāt (than renunciation of activity) karma-yogaḥ (yoga of activity) viśiṣyate (it is the best).

grammar

śrī-bhagavān	–	śrī-bhagavant 1n.1 m.; TP: śriyā yukto bhagavān iti – the Lord united with majesty (from: śrī – lustre, majesty, fortune; √bhaj – to share, to love, to rejoice, to worship, bhaga – a share, good fortune, opulence; -mant / -vant – suffix denoting one who possesses, bhagavant – who possesses opulence);
uvāca	–	√vac (to speak) Perf. P 1v.1 – he spoke;
saṁnyāsaḥ	–	saṁnyāsa 1n.1 m. – laying aside, resignation, renunciation (from: sam-ni-√as – to lay aside, to renounce, to give up);
karma-yogaḥ	–	karma-yoga 1n.1 m.; TP: karmaṇo yoga iti – yoga of activity (from: √kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result; √yuj – to yoke, to join, to engage, yoga – yoga, yoking, application, a means, one of the schools of Hindu philosophy);
ca	–	av. – and;
niḥśreyasa-karau	–	niḥśreyasa-kara 1n.2 m.; TP: niḥśreyasasya karāv iti – that makes perfection (from: śreyas – better, higher, perfect, the auspiciousness, the welfare; comparative of: śrī – śreyas, śreṣṭha, niḥ-śreyasa – having no better, excellent, faith, liberation; √kṛ – to do, kara – a a doer, cause);
ubhau	–	ubha sn. 1n.2 m. – both;
tayoḥ	–	tat sn. 6n.2 m. – of these two;
tu	–	av. – but, then, or, and;
karma-saṁnyāsāt	–	karma-saṁnyāsa 5n.1 m.; TP: karmaṇaḥ saṁnyāsād iti – than renouncing activity (from: √kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result; sam-ni-√as – to lay aside, to renounce, to give up, saṁnyāsa – laying aside, resignation, renunciation);
karma-yogaḥ	–	karma-yoga 1n.1 m.; TP: karmaṇo yoga iti – yoga of activity (from: √kṛ – to do, karman – activity and its result; √yuj – to yoke, to join, to engage, yoga – yoga, yoking, application, a means, one of the schools of Hindu philosophy);
viśiṣyate	–	vi-√śiṣ (to distinguish) Praes. pass. 1v.1 – it is distinguished, the best;

textual variants

niḥśreyasa-karāv → niśreyasa-karāv;
viśiṣyate → viśāṃ pate (O lord of people!);

Śāṃkara

svābhiprāyam ācakṣāṇo nirṇayāya śrī-bhagavān uvāca—

saṃnyāsaḥ karmaṇāṃ parityāgaḥ karma-yogaś ca teṣām anuṣṭhānaṃ tāv ubhāv api niḥśreyasa-karau mokṣaṃ kurvāte jñānotpatti-hetutvena | ubhau yadyapi niḥśreyasa-karau, tathāpi tayos tu niḥśreyasa-hetvoḥ karma-saṃnyāsāt kevalāt karma-yogo viśiṣyata iti karma-yogaṃ stauti

Rāmānuja

saṃnyāsaḥ jñānayogaḥ, karmayogaś ca jñānayogaśaktasyāpy ubhau nirapekṣau niśśreyasakarau / tayos tu karmasaṃnyāsāj jñānayogāt karmayoga eva viśiṣyate

Śrīdhara

atrottaraṃ śrī-bhagavān uvāca saṃnyāsa iti | ayaṃ bhāvaḥ – na hi vedānta-vedyātma-tattvajñaṃ prati karma-yogam ahaṃ bravīmi | yataḥ pūrvoktena saṃnyāsena virodhaḥ syāt | api tu dehātmābhimāninaṃ tvāṃ bandhu-vadhādi-nimitta-śoka-mohādi-kṛtam enaṃ saṃśayaṃ dehātma-viveka-jñānāsinā chittvā paramātma-jñānopāya-bhūtaṃ karma-yogam ātiṣṭheti bravīmi | karma-yogena śuddha-cittasyātma-tattva-jñāne jāte sati tat-paripākārthaṃ jñāna-niṣṭhāṅgatvena saṃnyāsaḥ pūrvam uktaḥ | evaṃ saty aṅga-pradhānayor vikalpa-yogāt saṃnyāsaḥ karma-yogaś cety etāv ubhāv api bhūmikā-bhedena samuccitāv eva niḥśreyasaṃ sādhayataḥ | tathāpi tu tayor madhye tu karma-saṃnyāsāt sakāśāt karma-yogo viśiṣṭo bhavatīti

Madhusūdana

evam arjunasya praśne tad-uttaram śrī-bhagavān uvāca saṃnyāsa iti | niḥśreyasa-karau jñānotpatti-hetutvena mokṣopayoginau | tayos tu karma-saṃnyāsād anadhikāri-kṛtāt karma-yogo viśiṣyate śreyān adhikāra-sampādakatvena

Viśvanātha

karma-yogo viśiṣyata iti jñāninaḥ karma-karaṇe na ko ‚pi doṣaḥ | pratyuta niṣkāma-karmaṇā citta-śuddhi-dārḍhyāj jñāna-dārḍhyam eva syāt | saṃnyāsinas tu kadācit citta-vaiguṇye sati tad-upaśamanārthaṃ kiṃ karma niṣiddham ? jñānābhyāsa-pratibandhakaṃ tu citta-vaiguṇyam eva | viṣaya-grahaṇe tu vāntāśitvam eva syād iti bhāvaḥ

Baladeva

evaṃ pṛṣṭo śrī-bhagavān uvāca saṃnyāsa iti | niḥśreyasa-karau mukti-hetū | karma-saṃnyāsāj jñāna-yogād viśiṣyate śreṣṭho bhavati | ayaṃ bhāvaḥ – na khalu labdha-jñānasyāpi karma-yogo doṣāvahaḥ | kintu jñāna-garbhatvāj jñāna-dārḍhya-kṛd eva | jñāna-niṣṭhatayā karma-sannyāsinas tu citta-doṣe sati tad-doṣa-vināśāya karmānuṣṭheyaṃ pratiṣedhaka-śāstrāt | karma-tyāga-vākyāni tv ātmani ratau satyāṃ karmāṇi taṃ svayaṃ tjayantīty āhuḥ | tasmāt sukaratvād apramādatvāj jñāna-garbhatvāc ca karma-yogaḥ śreyān iti