Verse 4.20

त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रयः ।

कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति सः ॥

4.20

Transliteration

tyaktvā karmaphalāsaṅgaṃ nityatṛpto nirāśrayaḥ |

karmaṇyabhipravṛtto'pi naiva kiñcitkaroti saḥ ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of the action, ever content, depending on nothing, he does not do anything though engaged in activity.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

giving up
attachment to the fruit of action
ever content
dependent on none

in action
fully engaged
though
not
at all
anything
does
he

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Krishna continues describing one who sees inaction in action. Having let go of attachment to results, always content and not leaning on anything for support, such a person may be fully immersed in activity and yet does nothing in the binding sense. The word nirāśraya, without dependence, means not relying on outward results for one's sense of security. The verse shows the practical meaning of the earlier paradox. Outward work continues, but the inner doer who clings and calculates has fallen silent.