न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।न च सन्न्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo 'śnute |na ca sannyasanād eva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati ||
- न · na
- not
- कर्मणाम् · karmaṇām
- of actions
- अनारम्भात् · anārambhāt
- by non-commencement, by abstaining
- नैष्कर्म्यम् · naiṣkarmyam
- freedom from action, actionlessness
- पुरुषः · puruṣaḥ
- a person
- अश्नुते · aśnute
- attains, reaches
- च · ca
- and
- सन्न्यसनात् · sannyasanāt
- by renunciation, by giving up
- एव · eva
- merely, alone
- सिद्धिम् · siddhim
- perfection, fulfilment
- समधिगच्छति · samadhigacchati
- gains, arrives at
“A person does not reach freedom from action merely by abstaining from actions, nor does he gain perfection merely by giving things up.”
— Original plain-language translation
Mere outer inactivity is not naiṣkarmya, the inner freedom from karmic bondage. Dropping work while the mind still craves only relocates the problem inward. Liberation requires inner purification, which selfless action itself provides.
— Reader's notes (original)