त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रय: |
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति स: || 20||
tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛipto nirāśhrayaḥ
karmaṇyabhipravṛitto ’pi naiva kiñchit karoti saḥ
tyaktvā—having given up; karma-phala-āsaṅgam—attachment to the fruits of action; nitya—always; tṛiptaḥ—satisfied; nirāśhrayaḥ—without dependence; karmaṇi—in activities; abhipravṛittaḥ—engaged; api—despite; na—not; eva—certainly; kiñchit—anything; karoti—do; saḥ—that person
Translation:
He who has given up attachment to the fruits of work, who is ever content, who does not depend upon anything, though engaged in action does not verily do anything.
Commentary:
The state of the Jivanmukta is described here (1) He has abandoned all attachment for the fruits of work. (2) He is eternally satisfied in the Self. (3) He does not depend upon anything (i.e. Atma alone is his sole refuge). Such a man, though he is deeply engaged in a thousand activities, is really not doing anything at all. Several sages and Mahatmas have done immortal work for the good of humanity in that spirit.
They are not attached to the fruits of work, because they have surrendered everything to the Lord. They are ever content because they experience the bliss of the Self beyond which there is no delight anywhere at all. Their content is not conditioned by time, place, and circumstances and therefore they are ever content ‘nityatriptah’. The ignorant man is always seeking refuge in this or that material object because the gross mind can only exist by clinging to such gross objects however wretched they might be. Without such a prop, he cannot live. That is why man clings to objects in spite of all the suffering that they caused both by possession and non-possession. The wise man, on the other hand, has found his abode of peace in Atma, and never falls down to the plane of the matter though he lives in a physical body. For such a man action is no action. Lord Krishna exhorts Arjuna to find that state and live in it while carrying out all the duties which he is called upon to perform by his earthly position as a human being.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
“Giving up all attachment to work, always satisfied, not hoping for gain, the wise man acts and is beyond action.”[Source]
Question: Who is the person who does no action while engaged in work?
Answer: The man who is not attached to the fruits of work, ever content, depending on nothing, though he acts, does not do anything.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4 🔻 (42 Verses)
