Bhagavad-gītā 4.18

Explain simply

Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥१८॥

karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed
akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu
sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt

Word for word (synonyms)

karmaṇi
in action
akarma
inaction
yaḥ
one who
paśyet
observes
akarmaṇi
in inaction
ca
also
karma
fruitive action
yaḥ
one who
saḥ
he
buddhimān
is intelligent
manuṣyeṣu
in human society
saḥ
he
yuktaḥ
is in the transcendental position
kṛtsna-karma-kṛt
although engaged in all activities

Translation

One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

Purport

A person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is naturally free from the bonds of karma. His activities are all performed for Kṛṣṇa; therefore he does not enjoy or suffer any of the effects of work. Consequently he is intelligent in human society, even though he is engaged in all sorts of activities for Kṛṣṇa. Akarma means without reaction to work. The impersonalist ceases fruitive activities out of fear, so that the resultant action may not be a stumbling block on the path of self-realization, but the personalist knows rightly his position as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore he engages himself in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because everything is done for Kṛṣṇa, he enjoys only transcendental happiness in the discharge of this service. Those who are engaged in this process are known to be without desire for personal sense gratification. The sense of eternal servitorship to Kṛṣṇa makes one immune to all sorts of reactionary elements of work.

What this verse teaches

Intricacies of karma are difficult to understand

In thematic compilations 1

The Five Topics

  • The intricacies of karma are difficult to understand even by the wise (4.16-18)
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 3

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.