Gita 3.4
Karma Yoga
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते | न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ||४||
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo 'śnute | na ca sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigacchati ||4||
In essence: Running away from action is not the same as transcending action—true freedom comes not from avoiding life but from mastering your relationship to it.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "But Krishna praised the sthitaprajna in Chapter 2—one who is established in wisdom, unmoved. Doesn't that suggest withdrawal from action?"
Guru: "Does a sthitaprajna stop breathing? Stop seeing? Stop thinking? The sthitaprajna is not one who has stopped acting—such a being doesn't exist while alive. The sthitaprajna is one who acts without attachment, whose actions arise from wisdom rather than compulsion. Krishna is correcting your assumption that stillness means inactivity."
Sadhak: "But surely less action means less karma? If I act less, I bind myself less?"
Guru: "That's like saying if you eat less poison, you'll be healthier. The issue isn't quantity but quality. One action performed with ego and desire creates bondage. A thousand actions performed as offerings create freedom. A sannyasi obsessing about his next meal creates more karma than a surgeon performing operations with complete dedication and no thought of reward."
Sadhak: "Then what is the point of sannyasa at all? Why do people renounce?"
Guru: "True sannyasa is internal—the renunciation of the doer, not the deed. External sannyasa can support this, but it is never sufficient alone. Some need to step back from worldly intensity to gain clarity. Others achieve the same clarity while fully engaged. The Gita's teaching is radical: there is no escape from action. Even the one who sits still is acting—breathing, digesting, thinking. The question is not whether to act but how to act. That is karma yoga."
Sadhak: "So running away to an ashram won't save me?"
Guru: "You cannot run away from yourself. Your mind goes with you wherever you go. The battlefield is inside. Arjuna tried to avoid action by laying down his bow—Krishna is saying that avoidance itself is an action, and it doesn't lead to freedom. Face your life. Engage fully. But change the inner relationship."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Before beginning work today, notice any desire to 'opt out'—to call in sick when you're not, to avoid difficult conversations, to procrastinate on meaningful tasks. Recognize this impulse as the anārambha Krishna warns against. Ask yourself: 'Am I avoiding this because it lacks value, or because I fear the engagement?' Commit to one action you've been avoiding, approaching it not as a burden but as an opportunity for karma yoga.
Throughout the day, catch moments when you're performing actions mechanically while mentally 'renouncing' them—doing work while complaining internally, being present physically but absent emotionally. This is false renunciation. Instead, bring full engagement to whatever you're doing. Washing dishes? Be fully there. In a meeting? Participate completely. Let the action become your meditation rather than something to escape from.
Reflect: Did I try to escape any actions today that I should have engaged with? Did my attempts to 'minimize action' actually create more inner agitation than full engagement would have? Consider one area of life where you've been practicing 'spiritual bypassing'—using spirituality as an excuse to avoid legitimate responsibilities. What would full engagement look like there? Make a commitment for tomorrow.