Bhagavad Gita BG 4.21
Chapter 4, Verse 21 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः । शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥
nirasir yata-cittatma tyakta-sarva-parigrahah sariram kevalam karma kurvann apnoti kilbisham
Meaning
Without longing, with mind and self controlled, having given up all possessiveness — performing action with only the body, one incurs no sin (kilbisha).
Understanding
Three more marks of the liberated actor: nirasih (without longing — no wishful thinking about outcomes), yata-cittatma (with controlled mind-and-self — the inner instrument disciplined), tyakta-sarva-parigraha (having given up all possessiveness — no claiming of things, results, or the action itself as 'mine'). Action through the body alone (sariram kevalam karma — the body does what the body does, the Self does not 'do' it) — such action incurs no kilbisha (sin, wrong, binding impurity).
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| निराशीः | nirasih | without longing, without wishful desire |
| यतचित्तात्मा | yata-cittatma | with controlled mind and self |
| परिग्रहः | parigrahah | possessiveness, claiming as mine |
| शारीरम् | sariram | bodily, through the body alone |
| किल्बिषम् | kilbisham | sin, wrong, binding impurity |
| त्यक्त | tyakta-sarva | having abandoned all / renouncing all (possessions) |
| कर्म | karma | action / bodily actions |
| कुर्वन् | kurvan | performing / doing (only physical actions) |
| आप्नोति | apnoti | incurs / obtains / gets |
| न | na | not (incurs no sin) |