4.19
Chapter 4, Verse 19
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः। ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः৷৷
yasya sarvē samārambhāḥ kāmasaṅkalpavarjitāḥ. jñānāgnidagdhakarmāṇaṅ tamāhuḥ paṇḍitaṅ budhāḥ৷৷
Translation
The wise call him a sage, for whatever he undertakes is free from the motive of desire, and his deeds are purified by the fire of Wisdom.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
यस्य whose, सर्वे all, समारम्भाः undertakings, कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिताः devoid of desires and purposes, ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणम् whose actions have been burnt by the fire of knowledge, तम् him, आहुः call, पण्डितम् a sage, बुधाः the wise. Commentary: A sage performs actions only with a view to set an example to the masses. Though he works, he does nothing as he has no selfish interests, as his actions are burnt by the fire of wisdom which consists in the realisaion of inaction in action, through the knowledge of the Self or BrahmaJnana. BrahmaJnana is a mighty spiritual fire which consumes the results of all kinds of actions (Karmas), good and bad, and makes the enlightened sage ite free from the bonds of action. The sage who leads a life of perfect renunciation does only what is reired for the bare existence of his body. (Cf.III.19IV.10IV.37).
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.