3.4
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते | न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ||४||
na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣhkarmyaṁ puruṣho'śhnute na cha sannyasanād eva siddhiṁ samadhigachchhati
Translation
Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
Interpretation
Simply not starting work does not lead to the freedom from karma (naishkarmya). And mere renunciation without wisdom does not bring perfection. This is a critical point: the external act of renunciation (not doing) is not automatically spiritual. What matters is the inner orientation — whether action arises from ego and desire, or from wisdom and surrender.