Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 - JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga - Sloka 21

The entire content of this mail is from Swami Chidbhavananda's translation of The Bhagavad Gita, published by Ramakrishna Mission.

The Philosophy of Action - Sloka 16-22

1 Gita Sloka every day - Chapter 4 -JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga - Sloka 21

Srinathji

Nirashih yat chit atma tyajat sarva parigraha I

Shariram kevalam karma kurvan na apnoti kilbisam II sloka 21

निराशीः यत चित्त  आत्मा तयज्त  सर्व परिग्रहः  ।

शरीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन न आप्नोति किल्बिषं ।। श्लोक २१ 

Hoping for nothing, his mind and self controlled, having abandoned all possessions, performing karma by the body alone, he incurs no sin. 

That karma is classified as sin which retards the moral and spiritual growth of man. Sins are all born of desire. A yogi is he who has conquered desire; so he incurs no sin. His body, mind and senses get themselves purified because of desirelessness. Nobody makes exclusive ownership over air so essential to living. Similar is the attitude of the yogi towards all bodily requirements, which he reduces to the bare minimum. He avoids accepting gifts that would put him under obligation. Owning unnecessary things would distract the mind. There is no though in him of ownership of the few things kept for proper sustenance. He who maintains this state of mind is said to have abandoned all possessions. Useful bodily activities take place in him automatically. The consciousness in him is released from the material plane to revel in the glory of the atman. the question of sinning does not arise in this exalted state.

How can bodily sustenance be kept up if no thought is bestowed on material possessions? The answer comes in the next sloka.