4-18

कर्मण्यकर्म यः पश्येत् अकर्मणि च कर्म यः ।
स बुद्धिमान् मनुष्येषु स युक्तः कृत्स्न कर्म कृत् ॥ १८ ॥

karmaNyakarma yaH pazyet akarmaNi ca karma yaH |
sa buddhimAn manuSyeSu sa yuktaH kRtsna karma kRt || 18 ||

यः [yaH] The person who पश्येत् [pazyet] sees अकर्म [akarma] freedom from activity कर्मणि [karmaNi] in action च यः [ca yaH] and who sees कर्म [karma] action अकर्मणि [akarmaNi] in the freedom from activity सः [saH] –This person बुद्धिमान् [buddhimAn] is intelligent. सः [saH] He is युक्तः [yuktaH] eligible for moksha, कृत्स्न कर्म कृत् [kRtsna karma kRt] having performed all activities.

When we know the true nature of the Self, we realize that it isn’t bound by activity. Things happen.

Awareness of the Self brings the ‘freedom from activity’ mentioned here. This is distinct from merely doing our activities. The Shloka says ‘a person sees freedom from activity in action and sees action in the freedom from activity’- What does this mean?

A person sees his own activities take the form of awareness, when he works with the true nature of the Self. He also sees this knowledge in the form of activity – since the knowledge of the Self is embedded in action. He frames every work in the true nature of the Self, accomplishing both the activity as well as the knowledge to be gained from it.

In this way, an intelligent person inquires into the Self with his activities. He knows the entire essence of the scriptures. He alone has realized everything specified in the scriptures. He deserves moksha .

Activity is an inquiry into the nature of the Self.

How do we realize the knowledge embedded in our activity while experiencing this world? This is answered in the next Shloka.