Chapter 3: Karma Yoga, verse 17
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः।
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥
Say ityas tvātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛiptaśh cha mānavaḥ
ātmanyeva cha santuṣhṭas tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate
Translation
But for that man who rejoices only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self and is content in the Self alone, indeed there is nothing to do.
Swami Sivananda
But that man who rejoices only in the Self, is satisfied with the Self, and is content only in the Self—for him there is no duty to perform.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
But the man whose delight is only in the Self, who is satisfied with the Self, who rejoices in the Self, for him nothing remains to be accomplished.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
But the man who simply rejoices in the Self, is satisfied in the Self, and delights in the Self alone—there exists no action for him to be performed.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
On the other hand, the soul who meditates on the Self is content to serve the Self and rests satisfied in the Self; there is nothing more for them to accomplish.
Shri Purohit Swami
जो मनुष्य अपने-आपमें ही रमण करनेवाला और अपने-आपमें ही तृप्त तथा अपने-आपमें ही संतुष्ट है, उसके लिये कोई कर्तव्य नहीं है।
Swami Ramsukhdas
परन्तु जो मनुष्य आत्मा में ही रमने वाला आत्मा में ही तृप्त तथा आत्मा में ही सन्तुष्ट हो उसके लिये कोई कर्तव्य नहीं रहता।
Swami Tejomayananda
Classical commentariesFor deeper study. Most are in the original Sanskrit.
Advaita
Non-dual: the self and the absolute are one.
Vishishtadvaita
Qualified non-dual: souls are real parts of the divine.
Dvaita
Dual: the soul and God are eternally distinct.
Shuddhadvaita
Pure non-dual, centred on grace and devotion.
Kashmir Shaivism
The Gita read through Trika Shaiva philosophy.
Modern teachers
20th-century teachers writing for today's readers.