Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 4 · Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 4.21 निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः
श्लोक 4.21
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
nirāśīryatacittātmā tyaktasarvaparigrahaḥ |
śārīraṃ kevalaṃ karma kurvannāpnoti kilbiṣam ||
हिन्दी अर्थ
जो आशा से रहित है, जिसने मन और शरीर को वश में कर लिया है और सब संग्रह छोड़ दिया है, वह केवल शरीर-निर्वाह के कर्म करते हुए पाप को प्राप्त नहीं होता।
Meaning in English
Free from expectation, with mind and body controlled, having given up all possessiveness, and doing only bodily action, one incurs no sin.
Bhagavad Gita 4.21 — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| निराशीः | nirāśīḥ | without craving |
| यतचित्तात्मा | yata-citta-ātmā | with mind and body controlled |
| त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः | tyakta-sarva-parigrahaḥ | having given up all possessiveness |
| शारीरम् | śārīram | bodily |
| केवलम् | kevalam | merely |
| कर्म | karma | action |
| कुर्वन् | kurvan | doing |
| न आप्नोति | na āpnoti | does not incur |
| किल्बिषम् | kilbiṣam | fault, sin |
Explanation
Free of craving, with mind and self under control, having given up all possessiveness, a person who performs action only with the body incurs no fault. It is not action as such that binds, but the inner grasping that so often travels with it.
Commentators differ on śārīraṃ kevalaṃ karma. Shankara takes it to mean action done only to sustain the body, such as begging for food, by a renunciate who has given up all possessions. Ramanuja reads it as action done by the body alone, without the mind being attached, applying it to the karma-yogi in general. Either way, the stress falls on the inner state: what binds is not action itself but the craving and possessiveness behind it.
भावार्थ
जो आशा से रहित है, जिसने मन और इन्द्रियों को वश में कर लिया है और सब प्रकार के संग्रह को त्याग दिया है, वह केवल शरीर से कर्म करता हुआ पाप को प्राप्त नहीं होता।
Living it today
Hold your possessions and plans lightly. The less you cling, the freer you are to act well.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita 4.21?
Free of craving, with mind and self under control, having given up all possessiveness, a person who performs action only with the body incurs no fault. It is not action as such that binds, but the inner grasping that so often travels with it.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 4.21?
Sri Krishna speaks this verse, in Chapter 4 (Jnana Karma Sannyasa Yoga) of the Bhagavad Gita.
How can I apply Bhagavad Gita 4.21 in daily life?
Hold your possessions and plans lightly. The less you cling, the freer you are to act well.
Reflected on verse 4.21?
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