Verse 3.17

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 3.17:

यस् त्व् आत्म-रतिर् एव स्याद् आत्म-तृप्तश् च मानवः ।
आत्मन्य् एव च सन्तुष्टस् तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ १७ ॥

yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ |
ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas tasya kāryaṃ na vidyate || 17 ||

yaḥ–one who; tu–however; ātma-ratiḥ–delighting in the self; eva–certainly; syāt–is; ātma–self; tṛptah–satisfied; ca–and; mānavaḥ–the man; ātmani–in the self; eva–certainly; ca–and; santuṣṭaḥ–satisfied; tasya–for him; kāryam–duties; na–do not; vidyate–exist.

A person who delights in the self, however, and who remains contented and fully satisfied in the self, has no duties to perform.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

So far, it has been explained that those who are unable to perform action (karma) in a selfless manner should perform action with the intention of enjoying its fruit (sakāma-karma). Those who are situated on the platform of jñāna, or realized knowledge, have pure hearts, so they never engage in performing routine, fruitive action. The next two verses, beginning here with yas tu, are spoken to explain this.

Ātma-ratiḥ means ‘those who take pleasure in the self’. If a person is satisfied within the self, would he even be slightly satisfied with external sense objects? In response to this, Śrī Bhagavān says, “One who is satisfied within has no need for external sense pleasures and is therefore not obliged to perform prescribed duties.”

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Living entities who are absorbed in the cycle of karma, which has been described above, perform action, knowing it to be their duty. However, those who can discriminate between the self and inert objects engage solely in the cultivation of the self. They remain content within the self, because they are able to take pleasure in the self (ātmārāma) and can satisfy all their desires in the self (āptakāma). Such exalted personalities are of two types: (1) those who seek the soul through transcendental knowledge (jñānī-yogīs) and (2) those who cultivate the path of pure love for the Supreme Lord (bhakti-yogīs).

Personalities like the four Kumāras (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana and Sanat-kumāra) are considered to be in the first category, while personalities like Śrī Nārada fall in the second. They do not perform their prescribed duty, although they know it is obligatory. Instead, they maintain their lives by performing acts that are favourable to bhakti. Becoming free from the cycle of karma, they search for peace in the form of love for Bhagavān. Although they perform all sorts of activities, they perform no material action. Therefore, their activity is not called karma, but in accordance with their specific qualification, it is called jñāna or bhakti. It is also said in Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.1.4) “ātma-krīḍa ātma-ratiḥ kriyāvān eṣa brahma-vidāṃ variṣṭhaḥ–those who take pleasure in the self, whose attachment is in the self, and who are active only in the self, are the best among those who know the Vedas.”