Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 4, Verse 18
कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः।
स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्।।
स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत्।।
karmaṇyakarma yaḥ paśyed akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ
sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt
also searched as "karmanyakarma yah pashyed akarmani cha karma yah"
Translation
He who sees inaction in action and also action in inaction is wise among men. He is fit for release and has accomplished all actions.
Vāṇi's rendering
One who sees stillness within action and action within stillness — that one is wise, and does all work.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कर्मणिkarmaṇi | in action, in the midst of doing |
| अकर्मakarma | non-action, stillness (joined to the previous word by sandhi) |
| यःyaḥ | who, the one who |
| पश्येत्paśyet | would see, perceives |
| अकर्मणिakarmaṇi | in non-action, in stillness |
| चca | and |
| कर्मkarma | action |
| यःyaḥ | who |
| सःsa | he, that one |
| बुद्धिमान्buddhimān | one with clear understanding, wise |
| मनुष्येषुmanuṣyeṣu | among human beings |
| सःsa | he, that one |
| युक्तःyuktaḥ | joined, steady, in yoga |
| कृत्स्न-कर्म-कृत्kṛtsna-karma-kṛt | doer of all work — one whose whole work is done |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Verse 18 mean?
It means outward motion tells you nothing. Krishna says the one who sees stillness inside action, and action hidden inside apparent stillness, has understood. A body at work can be unmoved within; a body at rest can be seething with doership. What binds is not the deed but the claim on it.
What is the meaning of karmanyakarma yah pashyed akarmani cha karma yah?
Karmaṇi akarma — non-action within action. Akarmaṇi karma — action within non-action. Krishna names one seeing that holds both. When the sense of I am the doer falls away, the work continues but no longer accumulates. When that sense remains, sitting quietly is still furious labour.
Does this verse mean I should stop working?
No — the opposite. Krishna calls such a person kṛtsna-karma-kṛt, the doer of all work. Renunciation here is not withdrawal of the hands but withdrawal of the claim. You keep the task, the office, the duty. What you set down is the story that it is yours to own.
How can I actually see inaction in action in daily life?
Begin by noticing the reverse, which is easier. Sit down to rest and watch how much doing continues — rehearsing, defending, planning. That gap between your body's stillness and your mind's labour is the first honest sighting. Once you see it, you begin to sense what unclaimed action feels like.
Read every verse this way, held — inside Vāṇi.
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Commentary
Two people sit still. One is at rest; the other is churning with plans he calls rest. Two people work. One is bound to every outcome; the other moves the way weather moves. Krishna is not measuring how much you do. He is asking who you think is doing it. Arjuna wants to escape the battle by dropping the bow — Krishna shows him that dropping the bow is also an act, and lifting it need not bind. The wise one is not the idle one. Look at your own quiet hours: is anything in there actually still?