4-19

यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिताः ।
ज्ञानाग्नि दग्ध कर्माणम् तमाहुः पण्डितम् बुधाः ॥ १९ ॥

yasya sarve samArambhAH kAma saGkalpa varjitAH |
jJAnAgni dagdha karmANam tamAhuH paNDitam budhAH || 19 ||

यस्य [yasya] A person whose सर्वे समारम्भाः [sarve samArambhAH] every initiative काम सङ्कप्ल वर्जिताः [kAma saGkapla varjitAH] is separated from desire and expectation ज्ञानाग्नि दग्ध कर्माणम् [jJAnAgni dagdha karmANam] has burnt his actions in the fire of knowledge. बुधाः [budhAH] Scholars आहुः [AhuH] say that तम् पण्डितम् [tam paNDitam] he is a wise person.

Here, ‘a person’ is someone who desires Moksha . The phase ‘every initiative’ includes every activity, whether it’s routine, to gain material items or in pursuit of interests. Every action is an initiative that is ‘separate from desire’, done without attachment towards outcomes. Every action is also ‘separate from expectation’- meaning that such a person performs without equating himself with the environment and its qualities , without focusing on them.

The Self is distinct from the environment. Awareness of the Self will separate actions from expectations. Awareness of the Self is like a fire. A wise person who works in this way is said to have destroyed his past deeds in this fire. This awareness is contained within activities that aren’t driven by desires or expectations. This is the opinion of scholars.

In this way, we saw knowledge in activity. This very fact is elaborated next.