Action & Inaction (Karm & Akarm) 4.18

Since in Sanskrit same word can have more than one meaning based on the context. Hence this shloka can confuse us. Two meanings of each
•Karm
–The literal meaning of Karm is Action / Work/Activity.
–And the dharmic or as per scriptures / shastra, the meaning work with doership/ego or for fruits
•Similarly for Akarm
–The literal meaning of Akarm is inaction / Inactivity.
–And the dharmic or as per scriptures / shastra the meaning is duty, selfless work
Lets code the words to help decode the meaning



Red for Activity & Blue for Bhaav
•Action at activity level = ACTION
•Inaction at activity level = INACTION
•Action at Intention/Shastra level = ACTION
•Inaction at Intention/Shastra level = INACTION


The words karm and akarm (action and inaction) used differently in different parts of the shloka.


The 4 theoritical combos:
1.ACTION in INACTION : Action at activity level & Inaction at intention level , simple example is seva or any work done as a karamyogi
2.INACTION in ACTION : Inaction at activity level & Action at intention Level , thinking about harming someone , but not really doing it, or being on a diet & thinking of cake
3.ACTION in INACTION : Action at intention level & inaction at activity level : Meditating for world peace, praying for others

4.INACTION in ACTION : Inaction at intention level & Action at activity level …any work done as a karamyogi

Lets code the words differently to help decode the meaning


Hindi Bhaav & English for Activity
•Action at activity level = Action
•Inaction at activity level =Inaction
•Action at Intention/Shastra level = Karm
•Inaction at Intention/Shastra level = Akarm

Since the words karm and akarm (action and inaction) used differently in different parts of the shloka.The 4 theoritical combos:

1.ACTION in AKARAM : Action at activity level & Inaction at intention level , simple example is seva or any work done as a karamyogi
2.INACTION in KARAM : Inaction at activity level & Action at intention Level , thinking about harming someone , but not really doing it, or being on a diet & thinking of cake
3.KARAM in INACTION Action at intention level & inaction at activity level : Meditating for world peace, praying for others
4.AKARAM in ACTION : Inaction at intention level & Action at activity level …any work done as a karamyogi

•ACTION IN INACTION : Action (at activity level) in Inaction (work done as inaction at intention level) . EG. Doing seva or work as karamyogi.
•INACTION IN ACTION : Inaction (at activity level) in action (work done as action at intention level) . EG. Refraining to eat sweet & thinking about it

Examples : Action in Inaction

•if someone needs help crossing the road and we think "I won't help him because I will be late for my bus". Behind our absence of helping someone cross the road is a selfish motive.
•if we hold back on admitting a mistake that we had committed, our absence of admitting our guilt is driven by a selfish motive

It is doing a paap/sin / creating bondage by not doing what is RIGHT

Examples : Inaction in Action
•A mother doing her duty
•All seva activities

The shloka is trying to tell us that one who is wise
•Can understand every action at both its activity level & its bhaav level AND
•Can hence see “Action in Inaction” as well as “Inaction in Action”