Chapter 4 - Verse 41 — Ancient Knowledge

Wherefore?—For,

योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनंजय ॥ ४१ ॥

yogasaṃnyastakarmāṇaṃ jñānasañchinnasaṃśayam .
ātmavantaṃ na karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanaṃjaya .. 41 ..

Him who has renounced actions by Yoga, whose doubts have been cloven asunder by wisdom, who is self-possessed, actions bind not, O Dhanañjaya.

Read the commentary

He who sees the Supreme Being renounces all actions—dharma and a-dharma—by virtue of Yoga or knowledge of the Supreme Being. He attains this stage when his doubt has been cloven asunder by the realisation of the oneness of the Self with the Īśvara. As he traces all actions to the interactions of the energies (gunas), actions do not bind him; they do not produce any effects (good or bad) in the case of him who, in virtue of his Yoga, has renounced all actions and is ever watchful over his self.

Since that man who, in virtue of the practice of karma-yoga, has all his doubts cut asunder by knowledge which arises as a result of all impurity having been washed away, is not bound by actions because they have been consumed in the fire of wisdom, and since that man is ruined who entertains doubts as to the practice of karma and knowledge.