Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 - JnanaKarmaSanyasa Yoga - Sloka 20

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 20

Tyaktva karma phala asangam nitya triptah nir ashrayah ।

Karmany abhi pravritah api na eva kim cit karoti sah ।।

त्यक्त्वा कर्म फल आ सङ्गं  नित्य तृप्तः निर् आ श्रयः ।

कर्मणि अभि  प्रवृतः अपि न एव किं चित् करोति सः ।। २०

Having abandoned attachment to the fruits of action, ever content, depending on nothing, hough engaged in karma, verily he does not do anything.

What inaction is, is not to be gauged with things and affairs external. It is truly the state of the mind that indicates action and inaction. The postman delivers letters containing happy as well as unhappy tidings which affect the addressees but not the deliverer. the wise man similarly engages himself in actions  which are all according to him adorations of the Lord. He has no desire whatsoever. Unattached that he is, he is ever content. There is no need for him to depend on anyone. great or small. The man with this frame of mind is fixed in inaction. 

Spiritual discipline is indispensable for the attainment of self-knowledge. But teh case of men of adamant faith is different; they get at this knowledge very easily. 

The gopis returning home once found no boatman to ferry them across the Yamuna to brindavan. The perplexed milkmaids presented their plight to sage vyasa who had also arrived there just then with the same intent. "Be not worried on this score. I shall lead you to the other bank. But give me something first to appease my hunger, " said the sage. Cream, butter and condensed milk were offered to him accordingly. After doing full justice to the dainties, vyasa stood up and implored, "O Yamuna devi, if it is a fact that I am fasting today, stop flowing and make way for us to get to the other bank. " The river did stop flowing and the group safely walked to the opposite side. The gopis then pleaded with the sage to explain this anomaly in his statement  that he fasted while he actually feasted on the delicacies they had supplied. Vysasa explained himself, " The ceaseless hankering of my heart for Krishna is my spiritual fasting. The idea 'I eat' is not allowed to enter the mind. Your dishes were al offered as oblation to the maker presiding over this body."
Maharishi Vyasa's life in conformity with truth and his faith in the almighty worked this miracle. 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa