Na Karmanamanarambhat naiskarmyam puruso’snute

Na ca samnyasanadeva siddhim samadhigacchati – 3.4

"By non-performance of action, none reaches inaction; by merely giving up action, no one attains perfection"

This is a very clear simple statement. Na Karmanamanarambhat naiskarmyam puruso’snute, ‘true naiskarmya, actionlessness, cannot be attained by non-performance of action’. Let me do nothing, then I shall attain actionlessness—that can never be; na ca samnyasanadeva, ‘not even by renouncing action’, siddhim samadhigacchati, ‘One is going to get spiritual perfection’.

First, you begin an action, and then you give it up. That is called samnyasana; the other is, karmanam anarambha, ‘by not beginning any action at all’. It is very important thought that is contained in this verse, and it has wide ramifications also for society. Now, you enjoy a quiet hour after you spent some time in hard work. The whole day you work, in the evening you get relaxation in meditation or other higher spiritual practices. You enjoy it. The whole day you are lazy, no work to do, you want to enjoy that meditation! Is that possible? It is like a person who is unemployed, and you tell him: ‘I give you one month’s holiday’! What is the use of a holiday for an unemployed person? An employed person can enjoy a holiday. But, many of our people have not learnt this lesson yet. Real holiday-enjoyment can be experienced only after a period of hard work.

First, karma then comes naiskarmya. Sri Krishna’s statement has reference to all of us, especially in India, that all enjoyment of actionlessness is possible after pursuing action, expressing your energy in action and endeavour. So, he said, Na Karmanamanarambhat naiskarmyam puruso’snute‘ by non-performance of action, none reaches inaction; by merely giving up action, no one attains perfection’.

Source: Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Ranganathananda