Devanagari
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषत: ।
यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ॥ ११ ॥
Verse text
na hi deha-bhṛtā śakyaṁ
tyaktuṁ karmāṇy aśeṣataḥ
yas tu karma-phala-tyāgī
sa tyāgīty abhidhīyate
Synonyms
na
—
never
;
hi
—
certainly
;
deha-bhṛtā
—
by the embodied
;
śakyam
—
is possible
;
tyaktum
—
to be renounced
;
karmāṇi
—
activities
;
aśeṣataḥ
—
altogether
;
yaḥ
—
anyone who
;
tu
—
but
;
karma
—
of work
;
phala
—
of the result
;
tyāgī
—
the renouncer
;
saḥ
—
he
;
tyāgī
—
the renouncer
;
iti
—
thus
;
abhidhīyate
—
is said.
Translation
It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up all activities. But he who renounces the fruits of action is called one who has truly renounced.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
11. As it is not possible for one with a body to give up all actions completely, he who gives up the results of action is considered a tyāgī.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
11. As it is not possible for one with a body to give up all actions completely, he who gives up the results of action is considred a tyāgī.
Purport
It is said in Bhagavad-gītā that one can never give up work at any time. Therefore he who works for Kṛṣṇa and does not enjoy the fruitive results, who offers everything to Kṛṣṇa, is actually a renouncer. There are many members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness who work very hard in their office or in the factory or some other place, and whatever they earn they give to the Society. Such highly elevated souls are actually sannyāsīs and are situated in the renounced order of life. It is clearly outlined here how to renounce the fruits of work and for what purpose fruits should be renounced.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Therefore, actions ordained by scripture should not be given up. It is not possible for one with a body to give up activities. Śakyam is used for the proper word śakyāni. The Lord has already said that not for a moment can the person remain without doing action: na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarma-kṛt. (BG 3.5)
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
“But it is better to completely give up actions than simply to give up the results, because that complete renunciation of action will produce steadiness in jṣāna without disturbances.”
Actions cannot be given up at any time by one who is embodied. That has been said before: na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api. (BG 3.5) Therefore the person who performs activities but gives up the results, is actually the tyāgī. The person on the level of saniṣṭham, devoid of the conception of being the doer and devoid of desire for results, should perform all actions to the best of his ability with the object of attaining jṣāna. This is the conclusion of the Lord.
Surrender Unto Me
Here Krsna says 'karma‑phala‑tyagi/sa tyagity abhidhiyate', 'it is said that a person who renounces from the fruits of his activities, he is actually called a true renouncer'.
Krsna's opinion here is,