Text 6

sannyasas tu maha-baho
duhkham aptum ayogatah
yoga-yukto munir brahma
na cirenadhigacchati

Translation

Merely renouncing all activities yet not engaging in the devotional service of the Lord cannot make one happy. But a thoughtful person engaged in devotional service can achieve the Supreme without delay. 

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada 

There are two classes of sannyasis, or persons in the renounced order of life. The Mayavadi sannyasis are engaged in the study of Sankhya philosophy, whereas the Vaishnava sannyasis are engaged in the study of Bhagavatam philosophy, which affords the proper commentary on the Vedanta-sutras. The Mayavadi sannyasis also study the Vedanta-sutras, but use their own commentary, called Sariraka-bhasya, written by Shankaracarya. The students of the Bhagavata school are engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, according to pancaratriki regulations, and therefore the Vaishnava sannyasis have multiple engagements in the transcendental service of the Lord. The Vaishnava sannyasis have nothing to do with material activities, and yet they perform various activities in their devotional service to the Lord. But the Mayavadi sannyasis, engaged in the studies of Sankhya and Vedanta and speculation, cannot relish the transcendental service of the Lord. Because their studies become very tedious, they sometimes become tired of Brahman speculation, and thus they take shelter of the Bhagavatam without proper understanding. Consequently their study of the Srimad-Bhagavatam becomes troublesome. Dry speculations and impersonal interpretations by artificial means are all useless for the Mayavadi sannyasis. The Vaishnava sannyasis, who are engaged in devotional service, are happy in the discharge of their transcendental duties, and they have the guarantee of ultimate entrance into the kingdom of God. The Mayavadi sannyasis sometimes fall down from the path of self-realization and again enter into material activities of a philanthropic and altruistic nature, which are nothing but material engagements. Therefore, the conclusion is that those who are engaged in Krishna conscious activities are better situated than the sannyasis engaged in simple speculation about what is Brahman and what is not Brahman, although they too come to Krishna consciousness, after many births.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Sannyasa gives suffering for the jnani who cannot fix purity in the heart. Karma yoga however gives pleasure. The intended meaning of what was spoken earlier is made clear. Because of not performing karma yoga which can pacify the disturbance of the heart, sannyasa may give rise to suffering, if it is accepted without proper qualification. Thus it is said by the writers of the vartika:

pramadino bahis cittah pisunah kalahotsukah
sannyasino 'pi drsyante daiva-sandusitasrayah

One sees sannyasis who are absorbed in sense gratification, with evil minds, fond of arguing, who are contaminated shelters of spiritual life.

The personified Vedas also says:

yadi na samuddharanti yatayo hrdi kama-jata

Members of the renounced order who fail to uproot the last traces of material desire in their hearts remain impure, and thus You do not allow them to understand You. SB 10.87.39

Bhagavatam also says:

yas tv asamyata-sad-vargah pracandendriya-sarathih
jnana-vairagya-rahitas tri-dandam upajivati

suran atmanam atma-stham nihnute mam ca dharma-ha
avipakva-kasayo 'smad amusmac ca vihiyate

One who has not controlled the six forms of illusion [lust, anger, greed, excitement, false pride and intoxication], whose intelligence, the leader of the senses, is extremely attached to material things, who is bereft of knowledge and detachment, who adopts the sannyasa order of life to make a living, who denies the worshipable demigods, his own self and the Supreme Lord within himself, thus ruining all religious principles, and who is still infected by material contamination, is deviated and lost both in this life and the next. SB 11.18.40

Therefore, the jnani (munih) engaging in niskama karma yoga (yoga yuktah) quickly attains brahman.