Word meanings
- yadṛcchā
- which comes of its own accord
- lābha
- gain
- santuṣṭaḥ
- contented
- dvandva
- duality
- atītaḥ
- surpassed
- vimatsaraḥ
- free from envy
- samaḥ
- equipoised
- siddhau
- in success
- asiddhau
- failure
- ca
- and
- kṛtvā
- performing
- api
- even
- na
- never
- nibadhyate
- is bound
Translations
Content with what comes to him without effort, free from the pairs of opposites and envy, even-minded in success and failure, he acts yet is not bound.
Content with what comes to him without any effort of his own, rising above the pairs of opposites, free from envy, his mind balanced in both success and failure; though he acts, the consequences do not bind him.
Remaining satisfied with what comes unasked for, having transcended the dualities, being free from spite, and balanced under success and failure, he is not bound even by performing actions.
जो (कर्मयोगी) फल की इच्छा के बिना, अपने-आप जो कुछ मिल जाय, उसमें सन्तुष्ट रहता है और जो ईर्ष्यासे रहित, द्वन्द्वोंसे अतीत तथा सिद्धि और असिद्धिमें सम है, वह कर्म करते हुए भी उससे नहीं बँधता।Commentary
The sage is ite satisfied with what comes to him by chance. In verses IV. 18? 19? 20? 22? 22 and 23 there is only a reiteration of the results of the knowledge of the Self which is beyond action. The sage who identifies himself with the actionless Self is not bound as action and its cause which bind one to the round of birth and death have been burnt in the fire of the knowledge of the Self or Brahma-Jnana. Just as a seed burnt in the fire cannot germinate, so also the Karmas or actions burnt by the fire of knowledge of the Self cannot produce future birth.
Ordinary people think that the sage is also a doer of actions, an agent, active and therefore bound, when they see him doing actions. This is a mistake. From his own point of view and, in truth, he is not an agent at all. He really does no action at all. He feels and says? I do nothing at all. Nature does or the three alities of Nature do everything. He is not affected by heat and cold, pleasure and pain, success and failure, as he always has a balanced state of mind. He is not attached even to the things which are necessary for the bare maintenance of his body.
He experiences neither pleasure nor pain, whether or not he obtains food and the other things which are reired for the maintenance of his body. The reason is that he is resting in his essential nature as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute (Satchidananda-Svarupa) he is swimming in the ocean of bliss. So he does not care for his body and its needs.