Wherefore,
नियतं कुरु कर्म त्वं कर्म ज्यायो ह्यकर्मणः ।
शरीरयात्राऽपि च ते न प्रसिध्येदकर्मणः ॥ ८ ॥
niyataṃ kuru karma tvaṃ karma jyāyo hyakarmaṇaḥ .
śarīrayātrā’pi ca te na prasidhyedakarmaṇaḥ .. 8 ..
Do thou perform (thy) bounden duty; for action is superior to inaction. And even the maintenance of the body would not be possible for thee by inaction.
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Thy bounden duty is the obligatory (nitya) act, that which one is bound to perform, and which is not prescribed (in the scriptures) as a means to a specific end. Action is superior to inaction in point of result. By inaction you cannot attain success in the life’s journey. The distinction between action and inaction is thus seen in our own experience.
It is also wrong to suppose that actions lead to bondage and that they should not therefore be performed.—Why?