BG 4.18 — Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 4.18Chapter 4 · Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · anuṣṭubh

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।

स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥

karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ

sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt

spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip

meaning

He who sees non-action within action, and action within stillness, is wise among men and fulfilled in all his works.

ekras · bhāṣya

Krishna gives the chapter's central teaching. "The one who sees akarma in karma, and karma in akarma — that one is the buddhiman among men, the yukta, the doer of all actions in their entirety." Two reciprocal seeings. Akarma in karma — non-action seen within action. Karma in akarma — action seen within non-action. Both must hold at once. The first half: the man who is performing action sees within the movement the akarmic still center. The atman is not the actor; the gunas are operating; the atman is the witness. Action is happening; nothing of the atman is moving. The second half: the man who has stopped acting — sitting in meditation, withdrawn from outer life — sees within that apparent stillness the karma still happening. The breath continues; the manas runs; the karma-indriyas keep their micro-actions. Mere outward stillness is not akarma.

Madhusudana offers two readings interlocking. At the sadhana level, karma is superimposed by ahamkara-adhyasa onto the akarta-atman; the seer sees through the superimposition and notices the akarma that was always there. At the paramartha level, the same insight holds: the atman never acts; what looks like action is prakriti's gunas operating within prakriti.

Vallabha invokes the shruti sarvam khalv idam brahma — all this is indeed brahman — for the uttamadhikari who sees kriya-dvaita, the non-duality of action. The closing description is striking: kritsna-karma-krit, the doer of all action in its entirety. The man who holds this seeing correctly is, by that seeing, fulfilled in everything he does, not because he does more, but because the doing itself has become karmically clean.

Context

where

Chapter 4 · Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga · meter anuṣṭubh

who speaks

Krishna → Arjuna

preceded by — BG 4.17

You must understand what action really is, what forbidden action is, and what inaction is, for the way of action runs deep and is hard to fathom.

What's going on

He who sees non-action within action, and action within stillness, is wise among men and fulfilled in all his works.

Sūtras through this verse (51)

ŚrīdharaclassicalB

The Lord descends out of compassionbetween

4.9His acts are willed only to bless others.───→here4.18───→11.1By high compassion He showed the world-form.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalA

Sorrow and delusion are the diseasebetween

2.69Ignorance is night, wisdom alone wakes.───→here4.18───→4.42Cut the heart's doubt with the sword of knowledge.

MadhvaclassicalT1

Hari is supreme — the running reading-rulebetween

2.18'Imperishable' is said to mark off the Lord.───→here4.18───→4.24Every word for ritual points back to Viṣṇu.

show all 51

ĀnandagiriclassicalH

Phala-saṃkalpa is the only upādhistation · anchor

───→here4.18───→

Madhvaclassicalmadhva_pratibimba

Madhva Pratibimbabetween · other

4.14Acts without clinging───→here4.18───→5.14Two tiers of rulership

MadhvaclassicalT3

Ranking is real — and it never collapsesbetween

4.6Avatāras differ in their fullness of Hari.───→here4.18───→6.9Devas, asuras, mortals are three native kinds.

MadhvaclassicalT5

Mirror-and-image — how seeming-action worksbetween

4.14He acts but does not cling to the act.───→here4.18───→5.14The Lord rules the modes; the soul rules the body.

MadhvaclassicalT6

Citation is the spine — texts carry the loadbetween

4.8Ṛgveda khilas explain the descent as play.───→here4.18───→6.6Maitrāyaṇī defines the stilled mind.

MadhvaclassicalT10

The deluder is named — three goddesses, one Lordbetween

4.6Even the unborn descends through the deluder Durgā.───→here4.18───→7.4Eight elements name the inert side of nature.

MadhvaclassicalT12

Closure by gloss — the small repertoirebetween

4.11'Me' is glossed by what the speaker is doing.───→here4.18───→4.25'Divine' just means the Lord, named indirectly.

ŚrīdharaclassicalD

The path that turns no one awaybetween

4.11However they come, I meet them so.───→here4.18───→7.16Four kinds of seekers, all good-hearted.

ŚrīdharaclassicalE

Inner cleansing reconciles work and knowingbetween

3.3One path, two grades: impure, then pure mind.───→here4.18───→4.39Faith earns knowing; work readies that faith.

ŚrīdharaclassicalI

His evenness as ground for refugebetween

4.11I meet each one as that one approaches.───→here4.18───→9.29Even to all — yet near to those who turn.

ŚrīdharaclassicalC

Devotion is both the way and the homeapproach

───→here4.18───→6.47Be a devotee: that is the meaning.

ŚrīdharaclassicalJ

Insight given as a gift, not earned aloneapproach

───→here4.18───→4.34Knowers will pass it to you by teaching.

ŚrīdharaclassicalL

Chapter prefaces as the bhāṣya's spineapproach

───→here4.18───→5.1Settling the doubt: renounce or work?

ŚaṅkaraclassicalE

Ignorance is the only enemystation

───→here4.18───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalG

After knowing, act only to hold the worldstation

───→here4.18───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalF

The Lord is born only as it werebetween

4.9My birth and acts are not of this world.───→here4.18───→7.14Divine illusion is hard to cross alone.

ŚaṅkaraclassicalJ

Scripture stands behind every claimbetween

4.13The four orders are the Puruṣa's own body.───→here4.18───→15.1The world-tree is the tree of the Kaṭha.

RamsukhdasclassicalA

What binds you (and how to let go)between

2.47Hold no mine-ness on body or on fruit.───→here4.18───→4.23Clinging to anything is what binds you.

RamsukhdasclassicalE

Your own work as worshipbetween

4.13The four orders are His own creation.───→here4.18───→18.41Each order's work is born of its nature.

RamsukhdasclassicalH

All paths arrive at the same roombetween

2.55Each path names its sage in its own words.───→here4.18───→4.23Action's flagship verse: it dissolves itself.

Ramsukhdasclassical

Sādhaka Sañjīvanī commentary at this versebetween

───→here4.18───→

ŚaṅkaraclassicalH

The Lord is friend of every beingapproach

───→here4.18───→5.29Friend of all beings, the witness of every act.

RamsukhdasclassicalI

The Lord already inside the heartapproach

───→here4.18───→6.30See Me everywhere, I am never lost.

Ekrasmodernkarma_yoga

Karma yoga — the apprentice pathstation · v2 · station 4/9

───→here4.18───→

Ekrasmodernstress

Stress — panic to shelterbetween · v2

4.16Even the wise are confused───→here4.18───→7.14Cross the maya

Gauravmoderninterfaith_cosmology

Interfaith Cosmologybetween

4.11'Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham.' As they approach me, so I───→here4.18───→7.21'Yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah shraddhayarchitum ichchhati.' Whatever form the dev

Gauravmodernsanatana_dharma_101

Sanatana Dharma 101between

4.8'Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam, dharma-samsthapana-arthaya sambh───→here4.18───→9.27Dharma-as-offering pillar. 'Yat karoshi yad ashnasi yaj juhoshi dadasi yat.' Gau

RāmānujaclassicalD

Karma-yoga as kainkarya (worship)between

3.30Surrender every act.───→here4.18───→4.24Brahman the offering, Brahman the offerer.

RāmānujaclassicalG

Māyā is real causal powerbetween

4.6Self-power, not self-illusion.───→here4.18───→7.14Māyā is real wonder, not unreality.

RāmānujaclassicalH

Prapatti / śaraṇāgati — universal upāyabetween

4.11As they approach Me, so do I receive them.───→here4.18───→7.14Surrender alone crosses the māyā.

VallabhaclassicalA

Two paths — rule-bound and grace-onlybetween

4.11Each soul takes the path Krishna assigns to it.───→here4.18───→9.4The Lord pervades all, yet stays untouched.

VallabhaclassicalD

Chapter-opening preludesbetween

4.1Four-verse prelude names avatāra-līlā.───→here4.18───→5.1Single-verse prelude sets sannyāsa-yoga eka.

VallabhaclassicalG

The Lord plays — calf-affection, not contractbetween

4.8A mother chastising her child is no cruelty.───→here4.18───→7.1The play-Person of every form opens chapter 7.

Ekrasmodernmeditation

Meditation — the dhyāna tourapproach · v2

───→here4.18───→6.10Solitary seat

Gauravmodernchaplaincy_kit_of_tools

Chaplaincy Kit Of Toolsapproach

───→here4.18───→4.34Paramparā / direct transmission. 'Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprashnena sevaya, u

RāmānujaclassicalC

Three ṣaṭkas (1–6 / 7–12 / 13–18)approach

───→here4.18───→5.1A four-clause summary of all of 2 through 4.

VallabhaclassicalK

Aphorism, gloss, full commentaryapproach

───→here4.18───→6.47Six chapters of aphorism close at this verse.

Ekrasmodernfamily_conflict

Family Conflictexit · other

2.8No grief-remover I see───→here4.18───→

Gauravmoderneminem_dsm_arjuna

Eminem Dsm Arjunaexit

2.11'Ashochyan anvashochas tvam prajna-vadamsh cha bhashase.' You grieve those not t───→here4.18───→

JayatīrthaclassicalD

Saṅgati declared at the head of every adhyāyabetween

4.1Three blocks named at the chapter head.───→here4.18───→6.1Karma-yoga is outer; samādhi-yoga inner.

JayatīrthaclassicalE

Vishnu-sarvottamatva read into apparently neutral wordsbetween

4.11Mām is Viṣṇu, not generic absolute.───→here4.18───→7.5Higher prakṛti is Śrī, not the eight-fold.

JayatīrthaclassicalF

Bhakti-tāratamya: gradation among devotees, gradation in fruitbetween

4.11Fruit proportional to the service offered.───→here4.18───→7.21Other deities give what Viṣṇu permits.

ĀnandagiriclassicalF

Which karma? — fourfold typologystation

───→here4.18───→

AbhinavaguptaclassicalB

Recognition, not additionbetween

4.14Recognize, do not learn — the verb shifts.───→here4.18───→7.24Failure of seeing, not absence of presence.

AbhinavaguptaclassicalD

Avatāra: appearance without departurebetween

4.13Four orders made by the one who stays equal.───→here4.18───→9.4He pervades, yet is not in any of it.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalD

Adhikāra — eligibility as architecture, not exceptionbetween

4.11'Yathā' is open; the verb is the gate.───→here4.18───→9.22Yoga-kṣemam: the Lord's work, not the seeker's caste.

VedāntadeśikaclassicalG

Three yogas — three angles on one configurationbetween

3.30Karma offered to the indweller becomes worship.───→here4.18───→4.33Knowledge-rite outranks mere material rites.

MadhusūdanaclassicalG

Knowing and acting cannot run togetherbetween

3.1The grand architecture cannot mix the two.───→here4.18───→4.34Approach a knower; knowing is not earned by action.

Śabda · lemmas (11 unique · 16 occurrences)

अकर्म·अकर्मणि akarman ×2 — non-action (a- + karman) · accusative neuter singular noun / locative neuter singular noun · also at 2.47, 3.5, 3.8, 4.16, 4.17, 4.23 +3
कर्मणि·कर्म karman ×3 — action, deed, the law of action · locative neuter singular noun / accusative neuter singular noun / compound · also at 2.47, 3.1, 3.22, 4.16, 4.21, 14.9 +1
बुद्धिमान् buddhimat — (buddhi + -mat: intellect) · nominative masculine singular noun
मनुष्येषु manuṣya — human being · locative masculine plural noun
युक्तः √yuj — to yoke, join, engage in (verbal root) · nominative masculine singular participle noun · also at 2.28, 3.26, 5.12, 5.23, 6.14, 15.14 +1

show all 11

यः yad ×2 — which, who (relative pronoun) · nominative masculine singular noun
स tad ×2 — that (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun · nominative masculine singular noun
पश्येत् √paś — to see (verbal root, suppletive of √dṛś) · present optative 3rd person singular verb
च ca — and; (homonym: also the consonant ca)
कृत्स्न kṛtsna — whole, entire, complete · compound
कृत् kṛt — doer, maker (from √kṛ); the kṛt-suffixes in Pāṇini · nominative masculine singular noun

Praśna · so what (7)

01If inaction is itself a form of action (as Śaṅkara's boat-passenger analogy implies), can there ever be a moment of genuine rest — or is the aspiration to rest already another karmic move?
02Rāmānuja insists karma and jñāna are co-present when ātma-yāthātmya-anusandhāna is active: does this dissolve the common opposition between karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga, or merely restate it at a higher register?

show all 7

03Madhva's reading makes agency entirely Viṣṇu's: how does moral responsibility function for the jīva if it is never the real doer — and what distinguishes sincere surrender from passive excuse-making?
04Vallabha's two-tier model (uttama/apakṛṣṭa adhikārin) implies that the same outer behaviour — say, sitting quietly — is liberation for one person and bondage for another. How would a teacher or student know which tier applies to themselves?
05Madhusūdana offers the paramārtha reading that even jñāna-karma (the act of knowing) is karma imposed on the self: if the perceiving act is itself a contraction of cit, what does it even mean to 'see' akarma in karma — who or what is doing that seeing?
06All six schools agree the kṛtsna-karma-kṛt (fulfiller of all action) is someone who has understood this verse — yet each school defines that fulfilment differently. Can a single person simultaneously satisfy all six definitions, or are they genuinely exclusive paths?
07The verse uses paśyed (optative: 'should see' or 'may see'). Is this prescribing a cognitive practice, describing an accomplished state, or pointing to something that simply happens when the other conditions are met?

Vyavahāra · try it in your life

Advaita

When overwhelmed by a full day's obligations, pause and locate the unchanging awareness that witnesses all busyness — the ātman that is never actually busy. Notice that the sense of being exhausted or 'done nothing' both arise in the same witness; neither state belongs to you as ātman. This nityaniṣkriya-smaraṇa (recollection of eternal non-agency) does not remove tasks but removes the ahaṃkāra-glue that makes tasks feel like identity-defining burdens.

Viśiṣṭādvaita

Before any significant task — a work presentation, a difficult conversation — spend a brief moment in ātma-yāthātmya-anusandhāna: recognise that you are Bhagavān's śeṣa (dependent mode), that the action is kainkarya (service). When the action is completed, there is no residue of pride or disappointment, because the result was always Bhagavān's; the doing and the knowing were one movement. This is not passivity: the anusandhāna intensifies focus rather than dissolving it.

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Dvaita

In moments of genuine helplessness — when a project fails, when illness stops you, when sleep takes over — instead of experiencing this as loss, recognise it as a window into Madhva's vision: Parameśvara is still creating, sustaining, governing, whether your particular instrument is active or not. Train yourself to locate Hari's activity in the spaces your activity cannot reach. This reorients suffering from 'I am useless' to 'Hari is never idle' — a devotionally grounded equanimity.

Śuddhādvaita

Vallabha's insight is most practically felt in devotional sādhanā: when singing kīrtana or performing pūjā, let the performance be saturated with awareness that it is Kṛṣṇa's own līlā flowing through you — nirbandha-rahita (free of compulsion), not a duty to fulfil. Conversely, do not mistake leisure or 'spiritual vacation' for actual rest; treated as vacancy rather than prasāda, it accrues binding karma. Every moment is either Kṛṣṇa's play or bondage in disguise.

Bhakti

Śrīdhara's reservoir image (sampluteodaka) is the most accessible: when daily actions — cooking, working, caring for family — are offered as Parameśvara-ārādhana, they become self-contained in meaning; you are not draining a cup but drawing from a full lake where every act's fruit is already present. Skipping these offerings out of fatigue or busyness is not neutral rest; it generates pratyavāya (counter-result), a subtle contraction of life-force. The practice: consecrate ordinary tasks explicitly, even in thirty seconds, before beginning.

Advaita-Bhakti

Madhusūdana's two-layered practice maps onto the two phases of a contemplative day. The sādhana layer: in active work, watch the moment when 'I did this' crystallises as a thought — that crystallisation is the ahaṃkāra-adhyāsa (superimposition of agency) Madhusūdana identifies; gently dis-identify with it while continuing the work. The paramārtha layer: in meditation, investigate whether the 'knower of this verse' is itself an object appearing in cit — and whether cit ever actually does anything or merely illuminates. Both layers reinforce antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi without requiring withdrawal from ordinary life.

Adhiṣṭhāna · substrate signature

substratev2.6-frozen

parserByT5-Sanskrit-multitask (Nehrdich/Hellwig/Keutzer EMNLP 2024)

mūlaBelvalkar critical edition (BORI 1947), via Ambuda multi-witness

show all metadata

weightsa=1 · b=0.01 · e_v=0.005 · z=0.2 · h=0 · th=0.01

anchorfit on Ramsukhdas's Sādhak Sañjīvanī (1980), frozen across the eight-commentator panel; cross-validated R@4 = 71.6% on Śaṅkara

extracted2026-04-21

methodPaper 1, Section II.B

↓ view raw per-verse object (JSON)↗ per-verse-object schema ↗ substrate code (MIT) + data (CC-BY 4.0)

The schema generalizes to any bounded-polysemy corpus with discrete primary text units, attested witness traditions, identifiable schools, and formal substrate. Port the per-verse object; refit weights on a domain-appropriate Layer-3 anchor; ship.

Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 4, Verse 18: Krishna to Arjuna — Jñāna-Karma-Sannyāsa-Yoga