Bhagavad Gita 18.11 · Krishna
You can't stop acting
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः।
यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते॥
na hi dehabhṛtā śakyaṃ tyaktuṃ karmāṇyaśeṣataḥyastu karmaphalatyāgī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyate
No one in a body can give up action completely. One who gives up craving for its fruit is the true relinquisher.
Words
- karma
What it means
Krishna is realistic. As long as we have bodies, we can't stop acting. Breathing, eating, thinking, all of it is karma, action. So total renunciation is impossible. The real tyagi, the one who truly lets go, is the person who lets go of craving for the fruit of their actions. That's achievable for anyone.
The story
Arjuna dreamed of escaping to a forest. Krishna points out that even in a forest he'd have to act. Freedom isn't escaping action. It's freedom within it.
In your life
Think of someone who moved abroad to escape stress, and found the same worries in the new city. Instead of escaping, try releasing your grip on one result you're clinging to today.
Freedom is found within action.