Bhagavad Gita 4.20 · Krishna
Busy, yet doing nothing
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः॥
tyaktvā karmaphalāsaṅgaṃ nityatṛpto nirāśrayaḥkarmaṇyabhipravṛtto’api naiva kiñcitkaroti saḥ
Letting go of clinging to results, always content, leaning on nothing, even fully at work, such a person does nothing at all.
Words
- karma
What it means
Krishna continues. The wise person gives up attachment to the fruits of karma. They're always content and lean on nothing outside for happiness. So even when completely busy, in a deep sense, they do nothing. No ego claims the work. It simply flows.
The story
Arjuna sees Krishna steering horses through a battlefield. Busy, alert, involved. And yet Krishna seems utterly free. This verse describes exactly what Arjuna is watching.
In your life
Picture a musician lost in a performance, playing hard, yet feeling like the music is playing itself. That's this verse. Find an activity today where you can lose yourself completely.
Work deeply. Let the self dissolve.