#14 — Inaction in Action, and Action in Inaction

Chapter 4 — Janana Karma Sanyasa Yoga

Shloka 16 — किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिताः ।तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ।।१६।।

Shloka 17 — कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः । अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः ।।१७।।

Shlokas 16 & 17 are not easy to understand unless you contemplate on them to try & comprehend what exactly is implied. Different scholars have interpreted these shlokas differently. Perhaps, when we meet next, we could discuss them.

Sinha Ji Commentary —

Shloka 16 -

Sometimes even the wise ones are confused as to what is action and what constitutes inaction. Knowing what action means would enable you to escape the cycle of births and deaths. The process of thinking and contemplating are also actions. Thoughts and motives behind the action cannot be undermined.

Shloka 17 -

It is very important to understand the implications of all actions and also understand the implications of inaction and forbidden action. It is important to understand that certain action can be a duty for someone while the same action can be forbidden for someone else. It is very important to execute the action without again thinking the end goal of it and just basically follow the duty at all times.

Shloka 18 — कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म यः । स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ।।१८।।

Shloka 19 — यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसंकल्पवर्जिताः । ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ।।१९।।

hloka 18 contains yet another interesting teaching of the Gita.

Inaction in action — If you do an action with total attention it would be without attachment to the result & hence will not be binding & thus would amount to inaction.

Dada — Action in inaction — If you plan an operation & train the required team how to go about implementing that operation, then while the team is executing the operation, you are not involved in the actual action but your inaction (you don’t interfere in the action but your team is aware that you are overseeing every thing) in supervising the action is vital for the success of that operation.

Sinha Ji —

Shloka 18:

Action in inaction and Inaction in Action: One who recognizes this is a true yogi. Inaction in action is necessary which is when the action is done one stands to suffer or enjoy the results. But if the duty is performed in a very focused way then the outcome of the actions does not affect you. It also liberates you from the bondage of actions.

Action in inaction is when result of not doing anything would be the same as if a contrary act was done. One who does all the actions keeping the above points in mind is considered to be wise. Such a person is called a yogi.

An action in fact has three main constituents: The first is motive of the action. The second is effort and exertion needed to complete the task and lastly the third constituent is the outcome.

1. The motive of an action may be to fulfill a prescribed duty or a worldly desire.

2. Effort or exertion can never be eliminated from life. Its elimination would result in inactivity. This is an action and should not be disregarded.

3. The outcome of the action is the fruit. The outcome assumes the shape of inaction. After dedicating the outcome, the result is acknowledged with humility.

It is when the act is done as a duty is when neither its success bring elation and nor does its failure creates despondency in the doer. An act performed as a bounden duty is done with full and honest effort and the doer is unaffected by success or failure.

If anyone has an end in view but is negligent in adopting suitable means, the omission becomes an “action” itself and leads to undergoing the results of imperfect actions.

It is important to hence determine the duty clearly and then make full efforts to perform it — then the action becomes of superior merit.