Action and Inaction: How Intention Leads to Freedom
Bhagavad Gita Ch. 4 v. 16-20
What is action? What is inaction? The motive behind every deed determines whether it binds or frees. Learn how to perceive inaction in action.
Contents
The Question That Confounds Even the Wise
The Ancient Model of Liberation in Action
The Gita’s Progression of Teachings on Action
The Confusion of Action and Inaction
Right Action, Wrong Action, and Inaction
Inaction in Action, Action in Inaction
Silence in Action: The Peace of Non-Doership
How to Discern Right Action Today
Affirmation for Right Action and Freedom Through Karma Yoga
PODCAST EPISODE: The Essence of Right Action
The Bhagavad Gita reveals the profound mystery of action and inaction, inviting us to look beyond outer appearances to the intention that determines whether our deeds bind us or set us free.
What seems obvious on the surface—doing is action, and not doing is inaction—becomes more subtle when examined through the lens of yoga. The Gita points us toward the deeper truth that freedom is not about withdrawing from activity, but about how we engage, with awareness of the Self and with pure intention.
The Question That Confounds Even the Wise
In our previous exploration of the Bhagavad Gita on the Yoga of Knowledge and the Renunciation of Action, we reflected on verse 4.15:
“Having known this, the ancient seekers of liberation also performed action. Therefore, do you also perform action as did the ancients in olden times.” (Bhagavad Gita 4.15, Baba Hari Dass, trans.)
Another translation offers this rendering:
“Since the very beginning of human life, the ancients seeking moksha—ultimate freedom from the reactions to their karma—acted in this way. Therefore, perform your actions just as the ancients did.” (Rishi and Armstrong, trans.)
That definition of moksha—ultimate freedom from the reactions to karma—is so clear. It raises the questions: What did those ancient sages know? How did their knowing shape the way they acted? And what is the model that Lord Krishna offers to Arjuna, and to us, today?
"Blessing disappears when the intention is not right."
—Sufi saying
The Ancient Model of Liberation in Action
The sages knew the secret of freedom in action. They realized the truth of ultimate reality, the essence of the Self—pure existence, unmoving and unchanging even in the midst of activity. They understood how to act in harmony with that essence.
Krishna has already pointed out that although the Lord makes all action possible, the Lord remains untouched, unchanged, and unmoved by it. One who realizes that truth abides in the same freedom.
The Bhagavad Gita’s Progression of Teachings on Action
There is a progression of metaphysical teachings on action in the Bhagavad Gita. It begins when Arjuna, overcome on the battlefield of life, resists his duty and wants to withdraw. Krishna makes it clear: inaction is not an option. Even refusing to act is an action that bears consequences.
Since inaction is not possible, Krishna teaches karma yoga—skill in action. Through purification of the mind and clarity of discernment, we can act wisely. He then introduces the truth that all activity is carried on by the gunas, the qualities of nature: tamas (inertia), rajas (restless activity), and sattva (peaceful luminosity). By discerning the play of the gunas, we learn to abide as the witness, not as the doer.
The Confusion of Action and Inaction
In the Bhagavad Gita, verse 4.16, Lord Krishna said:
“What is action? What is inaction? These questions confuse even wise people. I will explain to you what action is. Knowing this, you shall be liberated from all bondage caused by ignorance.”
(Bhagavad Gita 4.16, The Eternal Way, Roy Eugene Davis, trans.)
On the surface, it seems simple enough: when we do something, that is action; when we refrain, that is inaction. But Krishna points out that this question confuses even the wise, because the essence of action and inaction lies deeper in intention and motive.
Ignorance of this truth leads to bondage. Whenever we act without awareness, clinging to results, we suffer. Bondage manifests as an obsession in the mind, manifesting as restlessness or despair.
Right Action, Wrong Action, and Inaction
“One has to understand what right action is, what is wrong action, and the nature of inaction. To understand this requires clear insight.”
(Bhagavad Gita 4.17, The Eternal Way, Roy Eugene Davis, trans.)
It is common to think of right action as whatever “works” to bring about the result we want. If it succeeds, we call it right. If it fails, we call it wrong. But the Gita teaches otherwise.
My guru, Roy Eugene Davis, in his commentary, defined it this way:
- Right actions are those which enhance life, allow successful accomplishment of purposes, and contribute to spiritual growth.
- Wrong actions are those which diminish life, contribute to disorder and misfortune, and restrict spiritual growth.
For a devotee, right and wrong must be discerned in light of the scriptures and enlightenment teachings, especially the Yamas and Niyamas: truthfulness, non-harm, non-stealing, compassion, and self-discipline. These become our guides.
What matters most is intention. Outwardly, an action may appear right, but if the motive is impure, the blessing is lost. Preparing a meal for another is an act of service, but if the heart is resentful or demanding repayment, the action is no longer right.
There is a Sufi saying that applies so beautifully here:
“Blessing disappears when the intention is not right.”
Right action flows in harmony with divine love, without attachment, without scorekeeping. When we act with that spirit of giving, joy and freedom arise naturally.
The Blessing of Pure Giving
I experienced my own teacher, Roy Eugene Davis, in this way. He gave like the sun—freely, in the right way and at the right time. He shared teachings, time, attention, and support without expecting anything in return. His generosity was pure.
Receiving from him awakened in me the desire to give, yet it always felt like a drop in the ocean compared to his light. This is the great blessing of selfless giving.
Inaction in Action, Action in Inaction
The Bhagavad Gita verse 4.18 presents one of the most profound teachings:
“That one who perceives inaction in action, and action in inaction, is wise among people. Such a one is an accomplished yogi.”
(Bhagavad Gita 4.18)
What does this mean?
- To see inaction in action is to realize that while the body acts, the Self remains unmoving, pure, untouched.
- To see action in inaction is to know that even when sitting still, ego-driven thoughts and motives may be active.
Here is the great paradox: to see stillness within action, and action within stillness.
S. Radhakrishnan commented:
“So long as we work in a detached spirit, our mental balance is not disturbed. True non-activity is to preserve inner composure and be free from attachment.” (Bhagavad Gita, verse 4.18, The Bhagavadgita, S. Radhakrishnan)
This is the teaching of akarma—action performed without attachment, action that leaves no binding trace.
Scriptural Echoes Across Traditions
The mystery of action and inaction is echoed in many traditions:
Jesus described this mystery when he said:
“It is not I but the Father who does the work… I do nothing by myself. The Father who dwells in me does his own work.” (Gospel of John 8:28; 14:10)
This is inaction in action: not ego-driven, not self-serving, but surrendered to the divine.
The Tao Te Ching echoes the same truth:
“The Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come. Things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn’t possess, acts but doesn’t expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.” (Tao Te Ching, verses 2–3, Lao Tzu)
Hafiz put it this way, through Daniel Ladinsky’s rendering:
“Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that—it lights the whole sky.” (The Gift, Daniel Ladinsky)
Across cultures, the teaching is the same: freedom is found when action flows without ego.
Discipline, Yoga Practice, and Preparing for Divine Flow
Inaction in action is not passivity. It is discipline, preparing the body and mind to be a clear channel for divine grace.
When we watched the recent Olympics, we saw this truth embodied. The athletes gave themselves so completely to their practice that, in competition, something greater flowed through them. I was reminded of Chariots of Fire, where the Christian runner said: “I feel God’s pleasure when I run.” That is the essence of inaction in action.
The same truth is found in the story of pianist Glenn Gould. When asked how he played so exquisitely, he replied: “I did not play the piano. The piano played itself.” Of course, this was possible only because of years of disciplined practice. In the same way, yoga disciplines us so that divine inspiration can flow freely.
Silence in Action: The Peace of Non-Doership
Juan Mascaró offers a more poetic rendering of the Bhagavad Gita verses 4.18 through 4.20, which draws out their beauty:
- Verse 4.18: “The person who in their work finds silence, and who sees that silence is work, this person in truth sees the light. In all their work they find a peace.”
- Verse 4.19: “One whose undertakings are free from anxious desire and fanciful thought, whose work is made pure in the fire of wisdom, that one is called wise by those who see.”
- Verse 4.20: “In whatever work that a person does, such a one in truth has peace. They expect nothing, they rely on nothing and ever have the fullness of joy.”
The message is clear: when we are free from anxious desire, when wisdom has purified our motives, peace naturally abides in us. This is the fruit of karma yoga. Not withdrawal. Not indifference. But joy and freedom in action itself.
How to Discern Right Action Today
How do we bring this into practice? We ask ourselves:
• Does this action enhance life?
• Does it align with truth, compassion, non-harm, and the teachings of yoga?
• Is my intention pure?
• Am I free of attachment to results?
With these questions, we prepare ourselves as instruments of divine love.
Affirmation for Right Action and Freedom Through Karma Yoga
The mystery of action and inaction lies in the intention behind them. To act without attachment, to abide in the Self, to give freely without demand—this is freedom. In every action, we can discover silence, and in silence, we can find the divine action of grace.
Here is an affirmation drawn from these verses:
I live, breathe, and act ever aware of the divine reality. My actions pour forth from divine inspiration and go forth as blessings. I am not wrapped up in myself or tangled up in others. I am free, ever free, and I live moment to conscious moment in the soul’s joy.
This is the mystery of action and inaction: when intention is pure, every act reveals freedom.
Listen to the full podcast episode below.
Bhagavad Gita, pt 39: The Essence of Right Action
Chapter 4, v. 16-20
This episode unpacks the wisdom of acting with awareness and discernment, understanding the profound difference between actions that liberate and those that bind. Learn how right action can lead to spiritual growth and a life aligned with divine principles.
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