कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः | स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ||४-१८||
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyedakarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ . sa buddhimānmanuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsnakarmakṛt ||4-18||
Chapter 4 · Verse 18
Jnana Yoga
ज्ञानयोग
In plain words
In common parlance action means movement of the body movement of the hands and feet and inaction means to sit iet. It is the idea of agency the idea I am the doer that binds man to Samsara. If this idea vanishes action is no action at all.
Translation
4.18 He who sees non-action in action and also action in non-action is wise among men. He is fit for release and has carried out all actions.
Meaning
In common parlance action means movement of the body movement of the hands and feet and inaction means to sit iet. It is the idea of agency the idea I am the doer that binds man to Samsara. If this idea vanishes action is no action at all. It will not bind one to Samsara. This is inaction in action. If you stand as s spectator or silent witness of Natures activities feeling Nature does everything I am nondoer (Akarta) if you identify yourself with the actionless Self no matter what work or how much of it is done action is no action at all. This is inaction in action. By such a practice and feeling action loses its binding nature. A man may sit ietly. He may not do anything. But if he has the idea of agency or doership or if he thinks that he is the doer he is every doing action though he is sitting ietly. This is action in inaction. The restless mind will ever be doing actions even though one sits ietly. Actions of the mind are real actions. Nor can anyone even for one moment remain really actionless for helplessly is everyone driven to action by the alities of Nature. (Chapter III.5) Inaction also induces the feeling of egoism. The inactive man says. I sit ietly I do nothing. Inaction like action is wrongly attributed to the Self. He is the performer of all actions who knows this truth. He has attained the end of all actions i.e. freedom or knowledge or perfection. When a steamer moves the trees on the shore which are motionless appear to move in the opposite direction to a man who is in the steamer. Moving objects that are very far away appear to be stationary or motionless. Even so in the case of the Self inaction is mistaken for action and,action for inaction. The Self is actionless (Akarta or nondoer. Nishkriya or without work). The body and the senses perform action. The actions of the body and the senses are falsely and wrongly attributed by the ignorant to the actionless Self. Therefore the ignorant man thinks. I act. He thinks that the Self is the doer or the agent of the action. This is a mistake. This is ignorance. Just as motion does not really belong to the trees on the shore which appear to move in the opposite direction to a man on board the ship so also action does not really pertain to the Self. This ignorance which is the cause of birth and death vanishes when you attain Selfrealisaion.
Word by word
कर्मणि in action अकर्म inaction यः who पश्येत् would see अकर्मणि in inaction च and कर्म action यः who सः he बुद्धिमान् wise मनुष्येषु among men सः he युक्तः Yogi कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् performer of all actions.