Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 4 · Verse 18
BG 4.18
Verse 18 of Chapter 4 — The Yoga of Knowledge.
karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ | sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt ||
Sanskrit / Transliteration
TRANSLATION
One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among human beings, and is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.
EXPLANATION
The paradox of karma yoga. The karma yogi appears to be acting like everyone else — working, fulfilling duties, engaging with the world. But inwardly, they are not the actor. The real self (atman) is the witness, and it is always in a state of non-action. Conversely, the person who 'renounces' externally is still constantly acting through thought, desire, and internal movement. True non-action (nirvana, the Gita's term for liberation) is an inner state that coexists with outer activity. This verse is among the most philosophically sophisticated in the Gita.