Devanagari
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भाः कामसंकल्पवर्जिताः ।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहुः पण्डितं बुधाः ॥ १९ ॥
Verse text
yasya sarve samārambhāḥ
kāma-saṅkalpa-varjitāḥ
jṣānāgni-dagdha-karmāṇaṁ
tam āhuḥ paṇḍitaṁ budhāḥ
Synonyms
yasya
—
one whose
;
sarve
—
all sorts of
;
samārambhāḥ
—
attempts
;
kāma
—
based on desire for sense gratification
;
saṅkalpa
—
determination
;
varjitāḥ
—
are devoid of
;
jṣāna
—
of perfect knowledge
;
agni
—
by the fire
;
dagdha
—
burned
;
karmāṇam
—
whose work
;
tam
—
him
;
āhuḥ
—
declare
;
paṇḍitam
—
learned
;
budhāḥ
—
those who know.
Translation
One is understood to be in full knowledge whose every endeavor is devoid of desire for sense gratification. He is said by sages to be a worker for whom the reactions of work have been burned up by the fire of perfect knowledge.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
19. The wise say that he is learned who, engaging in all activities, but being devoid of desire for enjoyment, has burned up all actions by the fire of knowledge.
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
19. The wise say that he is learned who engages in all activities, devoid of expectation of desired results, because he burns up all actions by the fire of his eventual realization of ātmā.
Purport
Only a person in full knowledge can understand the activities of a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because the person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is devoid of all kinds of sense-gratificatory propensities, it is to be understood that he has burned up the reactions of his work by perfect knowledge of his constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is actually learned who has attained to such perfection of knowledge. Development of this knowledge of eternal servitorship to the Lord is compared to fire. Such a fire, once kindled, can burn up all kinds of reactions to work.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
This concept is further explained in five verses. One who completely engages in activity (samārambhāḥ) devoid of desires to attain objects of enjoyment performs actions consumed by the fire of knowledge, whether the actions are prescribed (karma) or forbidden (vikarma). In this way the nature of vikarma should be understood. [Note: Vikarma is not directly discussed in the text, though it was mentioned in verse 17.] Just as the qualified person sees that karma does not lead to bondage, he also sees that vikarma or forbidden action do not accrue bondage. This verse is in agreement with the previous verse (seeing inaction in action). Later it will be said:
api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛt-tamaḥ
sarvaṁ jṣāna-plavenaiva vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi
yathaidhāṁsi samiddho ’gnir bhasma-sāt kurute ’rjuna
jṣānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi bhasma-sāt kurute tathā
Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries. As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities. BG 4.36-37
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
In five verses the Lord speaks karma as a form of jṣāna. He whose performance of all actions (samārambhāh) is devoid of expectation of desired results (kāma saṅkalpa varijitāḥ), who aims at realizing ātmā through his actions, is called a learned man, one who knows ātmā (paṇḍitam), by the wise (budhāḥ). Why is he called so? When his heart becomes pure by execution of desireless duties, then all his accumulated karmas will have been burned up by the fire of ātmā jṣāna which has made its appearance.
Surrender Unto Me
What makes a person akarma? When he has no desires for sense gratification. That is niskama karma, but what makes it bhakti is in addition to not desire sense gratification for himself,is his desire to please Krsna.
Texts 20 to 24 describe this akarma work.