Chapter 4 Shloka 18

कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य:।

स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्।।१८।।

Bhagwan says:

He who sees inaction in action

and action in inaction,

he is wise among men and he remains

established in Yoga, though performing all actions.

Chapter 4 Shloka 18

कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य:।

स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्।।१८।।

Bhagwan says:

He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men and he remains established in Yoga, though performing all actions.

To see inaction in action

Little one, who can have such a vision:

1. but a man who possesses wisdom regarding the gunas?

2. but an Atmavaan?

3. but one who has risen above the body idea?

4. but one who has transcended all the qualities and is established in the Truth?

5. but one devoid of attachments and ego?

To see action in inaction

1. If one is attached to abstinence from action, even then one has performed an action.

2. If one has abandoned an action on account of one’s attachment, that attachment becomes an action.

3. If one is perturbed at the imminent loss of an object, that mental upsurgence is an action.

4. Escape from duty also constitutes action.

5. Likes or dislikes give rise to attachment – therefore both are actions.

6. Desire, anger, greed, all constitute action.

7. The desire to cease performing an action or to persist in an action are both actions.

a) Attachment fills the sap of life into actions, such actions are karmas.

b) Even a lifeless deed becomes potent with the energy of attachment.

c) When you claim an action, it becomes ‘your’ action, ‘your’ karma.

d) In fact attachment is karma.

Thus, karmas are internal actions that bind you to the physical being.

1. The man of wisdom who understands this, remains a non-doer despite doing all.

2. He who accepts this truth in life, remains a non-doer and unites with the Supreme.

3. He has transcended all qualities and is a gunatit; he has transcended both action and inaction and is therefore a karmatit.

4. He is supreme among men.

5. The doership thought of such a wise one is dissolved.

6. He has transcended the body and even though he appears manifest, he is without form because he does not identify with his body.

7. One can call such a detached one an Atmavaan or a Yogi.

8. He becomes one with the Supreme because he has renounced all identification with the body and merged in the Atma.

9. He is the Lord Himself and engages himself in all actions.

10. All his deeds are selfless actions performed as yagya.

11. Having renounced his own name and form, all the names and forms of the world become his. Thus he identifies with whoever comes to him.

12. He works to fulfil everyone’s tasks, but looks extremely ordinary.

13. He becomes a servant of those who love.

14. He is the wisest among the wise and seemingly the most ignorant among the ignorant.

15. He appears to be a supreme diplomat, but in reality he does not indulge in diplomacy.

16. Anyone can get his help in any job – he does all jobs, none is too big or too small for him. Fully identified with the other, he engages in all actions, yet, he is not a doer. Working without attachment he abides in inaction.

In short, all gross actions are controlled by the qualities, and thus are not actions but simply ‘a play of qualities’. Then, even if one renounces gross actions and one’s memory still dwells in those deeds, that is one’s action or karma. Thus mental attachment is action.

Therefore, what the world calls action is in fact not karma; and what the world cannot see, i.e. the internal seeds of attachment and thought, that in reality is karma. The man of wisdom knows this and remains ever unaffected by the actions and the qualities of others.