Chapter 4: Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga, verse 21
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
Say itnirāśhīr yata-chittātmā tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ
śhārīraṁ kevalaṁ karma kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣham
Translation
Without hope, controlling the mind and the self, having abandoned all covetousness, and performing only bodily actions, one incurs no sin.
Swami Sivananda
One who is without solicitation, who has the mind and senses under control, and is totally without possessions, incurs no sin by performing actions merely for the maintenance of the body.
Swami Gambirananda
Follows the commentary of Shankara (Advaita).
Free from desire, his intellect and mind controlled, having given up all possessions, and doing bodily work only, he is not subject to evil.
Swami Adidevananda
Follows the commentary of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita).
Having rid of cravings, controlling the mind and body, abandoning all sense of possession, and performing actions with the body alone, one does not incur any sin.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
Follows the commentary of Abhinavagupta (Kashmir Shaivism).
Expecting nothing, his mind and personality controlled, without greed, doing only bodily actions; though he acts, he remains untainted.
Shri Purohit Swami
जिसका शरीर और अन्तःकरण अच्छी तरहसे वशमें किया हुआ है, जिसने सब प्रकारके संग्रहका परित्याग कर दिया है, ऐसा आशारहित कर्मयोगी केवल शरीर-सम्बन्धी कर्म करता हुआ भी पापको प्राप्त नहीं होता।
Swami Ramsukhdas
जो आशा रहित है तथा जिसने चित्त और आत्मा (शरीर) को संयमित किया है, जिसने सब परिग्रहों का त्याग किया है, ऐसा पुरुष शारीरिक कर्म करते हुए भी पाप को नहीं प्राप्त होता है।
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.
Verse map
How this verse connects to feelings, situations, ideas and other verses. Hover or tap to see why; these links are drafts awaiting review.
Connected verses
echoes 4.22Ideas
कर्म karma