4.18 Inaction in action Krishna speaks
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः
स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśhyed akarmaṇi cha karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣhyeṣhu sa yuktaḥ kṛitsna-karma-kṛit
The one who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is wise among people — joined, and complete in all their work.
Explanation
Inaction in action, and action in inaction.
The chapter's central knot — and Krishna said two verses ago that even the wise are confused by it.
The first half is chapter 5's I do nothing at all while everything is being done. The second half is 3.5's answer to Arjuna: sitting down is also an act.
Going further
Word by word
- karmaṇi
- action
- akarma
- in inaction
- yaḥ
- who
- paśhyet
- see
- akarmaṇi
- inaction
- cha
- also
- karma
- action
- yaḥ
- who
- saḥ
- they
- buddhi-mān
- wise
- manuṣhyeṣhu
- amongst humans
- saḥ
- they
- yuktaḥ
- yogis
- kṛitsna-karma-kṛit
- performers all kinds of actions
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Inaction in action, and action in inaction. The chapter's central knot, and Krishna says two verses earlier that even the wise are confused by it.
The practical sense is closer to hand than the paradox suggests. Someone fully absorbed in work they are not grasping at is doing a great deal and accumulating nothing. Someone sitting perfectly still while rehearsing a grievance is doing nothing and accumulating steadily. The verse locates the difference somewhere other than in visible activity.