18.49 The state beyond action Krishna speaks
असक्तबुद्धिः सर्वत्र जितात्मा विगतस्पृहः
नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिं परमां संन्यासेनाधिगच्छति
asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra jitātmā vigata-spṛihaḥ
naiṣhkarmya-siddhiṁ paramāṁ sannyāsenādhigachchhati
One whose understanding is unattached everywhere, who has mastered themselves and is free of longing, reaches by renunciation the highest state beyond action.
Explanation
The state beyond action.
Unattached everywhere, self-mastered, free of longing — reaching by renunciation the highest state naiṣkarmya.
The word means action-lessness, and it is reached through the work of 18.45–18.48 rather than instead of it. That is 3.4's claim, closing the circle.
Word by word
- asakta-buddhiḥ
- those whose intellect is unattached
- sarvatra
- everywhere
- jita-ātmā
- who have mastered their mind
- vigata-spṛihaḥ
- free from desires
- naiṣhkarmya-siddhim
- state of actionlessness
- paramām
- highest
- sanyāsena
- by the practice of renunciation
- adhigachchhati
- attain
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