Chapter 4, Verse 23 (Bhagavad Gita 4.23)
Chapter 4: Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog – Path of Knowledge and the Disciplines of Action
Sanskrit Shloka
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः। यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते
Transliteration
gata-saṅgasya muktasya jñānāvasthita-chetasaḥ yajñāyācharataḥ karma samagraṁ pravilīyate
Word Meanings
gata-saṅgasya—free from material attachments; muktasya—of the liberated; jñāna-avasthita—established in divine knowledge; chetasaḥ—whose intellect; yajñāya—as a sacrifice (to God); ācharataḥ—performing; karma—action; samagram—completely; pravilīyate—are freed
Translation
The work of a man who is free from attachment, liberated, whose mind is established in self-knowledge, and who acts only as a sacrifice to the Divine, completely dissolves.
Meaning & Commentary
This verse teaches that the karmic bondage of an individual is broken not by ceasing activity, but by shifting the underlying intent of that activity. When a person acts out of a sense of divine duty rather than personal desire, the 'I' that claims authorship of the action disappears. This shift liberates the consciousness from the cycle of cause and effect, as the action is no longer fueled by egoistic attachment. Consequently, the individual experiences peace even while remaining active in the world, as their life becomes an offering to the universal consciousness.