Verse-16
Chapter 4 — Gyan Karma Sannayasa Yoga
Verse 16
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
kiṁ karma kimakarmeti kavayo'pyatra mohitāḥ
tatte karma pravakṣyāmi yajjñātvā mokṣyase'śubhāt
🕉 English Translation
Karm kya hain aur kisko kehte akarm,
Hua isme vidvanon ko bhi hai brahm.
Kla karmon ki ab kahunga tujhe,
Jo sansar bandhan se mukt kare.
📜 Translation
English
What is action, what is inaction-to arrive at a decision on this issue even the wise men get perplexed. Therefore, I will declare to you the essence of action, knowing which you will be delivered from evil i.e. from the bondage of action.
Expounding all facts and mysteries relating to actions minutely and expressing them with far-sightedness the Gita is a scripture which is incomparable in the world. Every intricacy of action is being made clear by the Lord. The Gita's sermonizer pays particular attention to assumptions, doubts and ambiguities on this subject. His far-sightedness pertaining to the subject of works has made Gita an amazing scripture for thinkers and philosophers the world over. Great men of knowledge, erudition and those having deep knowledge of the scriptures have been found to have been bewildered by this issue (kavayo pyatra mohitah).
Often only external activities are considered as actions. I am working, I am busy-in connection with actions such assumptions abound. Only the concrete physical actions are categorized as actions. Whereas, as per the Gita even the physical actions of the body like seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, inhaling, exhaling, opening and closing of the eyes, waking and sleeping are considered to be actions (Gita 5/8-9). Not only the bodily activities are actions but also the thought of the mind and plans and decisions of intellect are also put in the category of work. (Gita 5/11) Actions have been analysed with subtlety by the Gita.
Inaction is ordinarily considered as a state of lack of activity. Not performing action, ostensibly inactive, workless, being actionless is considered to be a state of inaction. In the thoughts of the Gita inaction is altogether a different state. In fact even for the wise, it is surprising and for thinkers too it causes extreme amazement and compels them to reflect. Where there is no attachment for fruit, no sense of doership, no selfishness, no expectation from action, that state is of being a non-doer despite performing action.
In fact action can never be thought of in terms of causing bondage or liberation. Actions are performed without giving any thought to it. There is an art in performing action; the essence of action is also important. One cannot even imagine so. When the embodied soul is ensnared in the web of action, and is unable to find a way out, then he gets thinking. What and how has it happened? The Blessed Lord is giving a hint which will enable one to get liberation from all types of bondage of actions, and one should definitely grasp this fact. Directive for this is contained in this verse.