**3.18** For that great being (perfected through Karmayoga), there remains no purpose whatsoever in this world either from performing actions or from not performing them; and among all beings, he has not even the slightest connection of self-interest (with any being).
**Commentary:** 'For him, there is no purpose in action' – Every human being has some inclination to act. As long as this inclination to act is for attaining some worldly object, his 'doing' for himself inevitably remains. It is only by the desire to gain something for oneself that a human being becomes bound. To cease this desire, the performance of duty-bound action is necessary. Actions are performed in two ways: for the fulfillment of desires and for the cessation of desires. Ordinary people perform actions for the fulfillment of desires, but a Karmayogi performs actions for the cessation of desires. Therefore, in the great being perfected through Karmayoga, because not even a single desire remains, he has not the slightest connection with any duty. Through him, duty-bound actions happen spontaneously, with a selfless attitude, for the welfare of the entire creation.
For the great being perfected through Karmayoga, there remains no connection of actions with himself (for personal pleasure or comfort). This great being experiences that objects, the body, senses, mind, etc., belong only to the world and are received from the world; they are not personal. Therefore, through them, action is to be performed only for the world, not for oneself. The reason is that without the help of the world, no action can be performed. Besides, the connection of the received means for action is also with the collective world, not with oneself. Therefore, nothing is one's own. The collective cannot exist for the individual. This is the mistake a human makes: he wants to use the collective for himself; it is because of this that he experiences restlessness. If he uses the body, senses, mind, intellect, objects, etc., for the collective, he can attain great peace. The special characteristic in a great being perfected through Karmayoga is that the use of the body, senses, mind, intellect, objects, etc., called 'his', is solely for the world. Therefore, he has no personal purpose in the activities of the body, etc. Even though there is no purpose, spontaneously, through that great being, ideal and excellent actions happen for the sake of people. The principle is that from one who has a purpose in performing actions, ideal actions do not arise.
'Nor any purpose in non-action here' – The person who considers the body, senses, mind, intellect, etc., as his own and has an inclination towards laziness, negligence, etc., does not wish to perform actions; because his purpose is the tamasic pleasure arising from negligence, laziness, comfort, etc. (Gita 18.39). But how can this great being, who has risen even above sattvic pleasure, be inclined towards tamasic pleasure? Since he has not the slightest connection with the body, etc., the question of having an inclination towards laziness-comfort, etc., does not even arise.
**An Essential Point:** Often, spiritual aspirants give importance only to non-performance of actions. They wish to become withdrawn from actions and established in samadhi, so that no thought remains. This is indeed excellent and beneficial, but it is not the ultimate principle. Although cessation (non-doing) is superior to activity (doing), still, it is not the Truth. Activity (doing) and cessation (non-doing) – both are within the realm of Prakriti (Nature). Everything up to Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the domain of Prakriti, because emergence (vyutthana) occurs even from Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Action occurs only in Prakriti – 'Prakarshena karanam (bhave lyut) iti Prakritih' – and without action, emergence is simply not possible. Therefore, just like walking, speaking, seeing, hearing, etc., sleeping, sitting, standing, being silent, being unconscious, and being in samadhi are also actions. In the true Reality (Conscious Essence), there is neither activity nor cessation. It is the unattached illuminator of both activity and cessation.
Only upon identification with the body do the two divisions (duality) of doing and not doing arise. In reality, doing and not doing are of the same category. Not doing while maintaining a connection with the body is, in reality, also doing. Just as 'gacchati' (goes) is an action, similarly 'tishthati' (stands) is also an action. Although from a gross perspective, action is clearly seen in 'gacchati' and not seen in 'tishthati', if seen from a subtle perspective, then in the same body where there was the action of 'going', now there is the action of 'standing'. Similarly, in both doing some work and 'not doing' it, there is action. Therefore, just as the appearance of actions in a gross form (activity) is only in Prakriti, similarly, the non-appearance of actions to the gross vision (cessation) is also only in Prakriti. That great being for whom there remains no purpose – material or spiritual, worldly or otherworldly – from Prakriti and its effects, has no self-interest in either doing or not doing.
The question of doing and not doing arises only when there is a connection with inertness; because without a connection with inertness, no action occurs at all. For this great being, there is a complete severance of connection with inertness, and he experiences his natural abidance in the spontaneous, cessation-transcended Essence, beyond both activity and cessation. Therefore, the aspirant only needs to sever the connection with inertness (the sense of 'I' and 'mine' in the body). The Essence is always present exactly as it is.
'And he has no dependence on any purpose in all beings' – Because there remains not the slightest connection of self-interest with the body and the world, all actions of that great being happen spontaneously for the welfare of others. Just as all limbs of the body are spontaneously engaged in the welfare of the body, similarly, the body called 'his' (which is a small part of the world) of that great being is spontaneously engaged in the welfare of the world. His sentiment and all his endeavors are solely for the welfare of the world. Just as when washing one's own face with one's own hands, no feeling of self-interest, reciprocation, or pride arises within oneself, similarly, when the welfare of the world occurs through the body called 'his', not the slightest feeling of self-interest, reciprocation, or pride arises in that great being.
In the previous verse, the Lord said regarding the perfected great being that for him there is no duty – 'for him there is no obligatory work.' Stating the reason for this, in this verse, the Lord says three things about that great being: (1) He has no purpose in performing actions, (2) He has no purpose even in not performing actions, and (3) He has not the slightest connection of self-interest with any being or object, meaning he has no purpose in gaining anything either.
In truth, in the Essential Nature, there is no purpose in doing or not doing, and there is no connection with any person or object. The reason is that no action is performed by the pure Essence. Whatever action occurs, it occurs only through the connection with Prakriti and Prakriti-born objects. Therefore, there is simply no provision for doing anything for oneself.
As long as a human being has attachment to doing, desire to gain, hope to live, and fear of death, until then the responsibility of duty remains upon him. But one who has no attachment to performing or not performing any action, who has no desire to attain any object, etc., of the world, who has no hope to remain alive, and who has no fear of death – he is not obliged to perform duty; on the contrary, duty-bound actions happen spontaneously through him. Where there is a possibility of non-performance of duty, only there exists the inspiration for duty's observance.
**A Special Point:** In the Gita, the Lord's style has been such that He describes the characteristics of perfected great beings who have attained the Supreme according to the different characteristics of aspirants progressing towards the Supreme through different spiritual paths. Here too, in the seventeenth and eighteenth verses, this same style has been employed.
The spiritual practice that begins from a certain point concludes at that very point. In the Gita, although the topic of Karmayoga begins from the thirty-ninth verse of the second chapter, the exposition of the fundamental practice of Karmayoga is given in the forty-seventh verse of the second chapter. That verse (2.47) states in its four quarters:
(1) Your right is to action alone,
(2) Never to the fruits.
(3) Do not be the cause of the fruits of action.
(4) Nor have attachment to inaction.
The present verse (3.18) precisely speaks of the accomplishment of the above-mentioned practice. What is said there (2.47) in the second and third quarters for the aspirant, is said here in the latter half of the present verse for the perfected great being: that he has no connection of self-interest with any being or object. What is said there in the first and fourth quarters for the aspirant, is said here in the former half of the present verse for the perfected great being: that he has no purpose in either performing or not performing actions. Thus, in the seventeenth and eighteenth verses, the characteristics of the great being perfected through 'Karmayoga' alone have been described.
From the perspective of the practice of Karmayoga, the eighteenth verse should actually come first and the seventeenth later. The reason is that when the great being perfected through Karmayoga has no purpose in performing or not performing actions and has not the slightest connection of self-interest with any being or object, then his delight, contentment, and satisfaction occur spontaneously within himself. However, in the sixteenth verse, the Lord, through the words 'vain, O Partha, is his life,' declared the life of a person who does not perform duty as meaningless; therefore, in the seventeenth verse, by using the word 'but,' He explains that if the perfected great being does not perform duty-bound actions, his life is not meaningless; on the contrary, it is supremely meaningful. The reason is that he has fulfilled the purpose of human birth. Therefore, nothing remains for him to do now.
The state in which no duty whatsoever remains can be attained by even the most ordinary human being in every circumstance by performing duty-bound actions diligently, earnestly, and with a selfless attitude; because all are free and entitled to its attainment. Duty is connected with every situation. Therefore, duty is inherent in every situation. It is only due to pleasure-seeking that a human being forgets duty. If he eradicates his pleasure-seeking by selflessly serving others, then, becoming free from all sorrows of life, supreme peace can be attained. In attaining this supreme peace, everyone has equal right. The supreme objects, positions, etc., of the world cannot be obtained equally by all; but supreme peace is attained equally by all.
**Connection:** Regarding what the aspirant should do to attain the state of the great being described in the previous two verses – on this, the Lord explains the spiritual practice in the following verse.
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