गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः।यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥

Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.

• 4.16What is action? What is inaction? Even the wise are confused about this. Therefore, I shall teach you the nature of action and inaction, by knowing which you will be liberated from the evil of Samsara, the wheel of birth and death.
• 4.17For verily, the true nature of action enjoined by the scriptures should be known, as well as that of forbidden or unlawful action, and of inaction; the nature of action is hard to understand.
• 4.18He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men; he is a yogi and performer of all actions.
• 4.19He whose undertakings are all devoid of desires and selfish purposes, and whose actions have been burned by the fire of knowledge, the wise call him a sage.
• 4.20Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything even while being engaged in activity.
• 4.21Without hope, controlling the mind and the self, having abandoned all covetousness, and performing only bodily actions, one incurs no sin.
• 4.22Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, he acts yet is not bound.

• 4.23To one who is devoid of attachment, who is liberated, whose mind is established in knowledge, and who works for the sake of sacrifice (for the sake of God), the whole action is dissolved.

karma

action

muktasya

of the liberated

samagram

completely

yajñāya

as a sacrifice (to God)

chetasaḥ

whose intellect

pravilīyate

are freed

ācharataḥ

performing

gata-saṅgasya

free from material attachments

jñāna-avasthita

established in divine knowledge