After knowing Me that “I AM NON-AGENT AND I HAVE NO LONGING FOR THE FRUITS OF ACTIONS,” and realising the All-full Self-hood, there shall no more be any “desire” or “egoistic vanities.” The technique of Karma Yoga, as enunciated and propounded in the last chapter, was practised, says Krishna, even in olden times by many an intelligent seeker. In short, there is nothing new in the “Path-of-Action” and all seekers trying to realise the Self had been following the same technique.

“IF ‘KARMA YOGA’ IS TO BE PERFORMED, I CAN DO IT BECAUSE OF YOUR ADVICE. BUT WHY SHOULD YOU ADD THAT THE ANCIENTS DID THE SAME?” IN REPLY TO THIS THE LORD SAYS: “LISTEN, THERE IS GREAT DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT CONSTITUTES RIGHT ACTION”… HOW?

Jnatva, having known; evam, thus, that ‘I am not an agent; I have no desire for the results of actions’; karma, duties; krtam, were undertaken; api, even; purvaih, by the ancient; mumuksubhih, seekers of Liberation. Tasmat, therefore; tvam, you; kuru, undertake; karma, action; eva, itself. You ought not to sit quietly, or even renounce. Therefore, you (undertake actions) because they were performed by the ancients as well-if you have no Self-knowledge, then (undertake actions) for self-purification; or, if you have Self-knowledge, then (undertake actions) in order to prevent people from going astray-, as were krtam, performed; purvataram, earlier; purvaih, by the ancient ones, Janaka and others; not actions as are undertaken in the present day. [This last portion of the sentence is translated by some as follows: You should not undertake actions which are done in the present manner (i.e. do not perform actions in the manner undertakne by people nowadays, which neither purifies the mind nor helps people). (See G1. Pr. p. 114.) ‘If action has to be undertaken here, then I shall do so following Your instruction itself. What is the use of specifying that it was done earlier by the ancient ones?’ ‘The answer is: Because there is a great difficult as regards actions.’ How?