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Chapter 4 · Transcendental Knowledge · 42 verses

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Duty & actionChapter 4 · Transcendental Knowledge
4.174.19

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 4.18

Transcendental understanding of action

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।

स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८ ॥

karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed

akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ

sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu

sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt

Translation

One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
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Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Action Without Karmic Reactions

  1. 1One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction is intelligent and transcendental, even while busy with many activities.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that work done for Kṛṣṇa brings no karmic reactions. This is called akarma.
  3. 3Act as Kṛṣṇa’s eternal servant, working for Him rather than for personal sense pleasure.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 4, Transcendental Knowledge: transcendental understanding of action.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Act dutifully without attachment to fruits.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Action & reaction

Seeing action in inaction is praised as wisdom.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 4.18 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?

Practice

Do one task today purely because it is right.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 4 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 3.9Work as sacrificeBG 4.17Transcendental understanding of actionBG 4.16Transcendental understanding of actionBG 2.47Responsibility without ownership of outcomesBG 3.21Leadership by example

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Ask about BG 4.18 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.