BHAGAVAD-GITA 4:21

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 4:21

 

nirasir yata-cittatma

tyakta-sarva-parigrahah

sariram kevalam karma

kurvan napnoti kilbisam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

nirasih--without desire for the result; yata--controlled;

citta-atma--mind and intelligence; tyakta--giving up; sarva--all;

parigrahah--sense of proprietorship over possessions; sariram--in

keeping body and soul together; kevalam--only; karma--work;

kurvan--doing; na--never; apnoti--does acquire; kilbisam--sinful

reactions.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly

controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions,

and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is

not affected by sinful reactions.

 

PURPORT

 

A Krsna conscious person does not expect good or bad results in his

activities. His mind and intelligence are fully controlled. He knows

that because he is part and parcel of the Supreme, the part played by

him, as a part and parcel of the whole, is not his own activity but is

only being done through him by the Supreme. When the hand moves, it

does not move out of its own accord, but by the endeavor of the whole

body. A Krsna conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme

desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification. He

moves exactly like a part of a machine. As a machine part requires

oiling and cleaning for maintenance, so a Krsna conscious man

maintains himself by his work just to remain fit for action in the

transcendental loving service of the Lord. He is therefore immune to

all the reactions of his endeavors. Like an animal, he has no

proprietorship even over his own body. A cruel proprietor of an animal

sometimes kills the animal in his possession, yet the animal does not

protest. Nor does it have any real independence. A Krsna conscious

person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to

falsely possess any material object. For maintaining body and soul, he

does not require unfair means of accumulating money. He does not,

therefore, become contaminated by such material sins. He is free from

all reactions to his actions.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.