In the Bhagwad Gita (18.11), Krishn states, “Anyone whose soul is in a body cannot stop acting completely. But he who renounces the attachment to the results of his actions is truly renounced.”

 

It is impossible for anyone to completely stop acting, and the end of action alone is not renunciation. Actual renunciation takes place when the ego and desires for reward are given up. This means to give up acting with selfish motivations. It does not mean we should become lazy or stop thinking. When we perform any task and expect something in return, this is attachment to the fruit of action. If we get the reward we desire, we become happy; but if we do not get what we want, we feel miserable. 

 

If we act in this way, with attachment to results, our minds will be disturbed, and we will not be able to concentrate on the Lord. Krishn says in the Bhagwad Gita, “It is your job to perform action, but the results are not in your control. Do not see yourself as the cause of those results, but do not be attached to inaction either.” ( Bhagwad Gita, 2.47) Desire is nothing but the anticipation of a reward. When we walk this path sincerely, we must stop seeking such incentives. Actions motivated by a desire for a reward brings reactions, and this is what binds us to the material world. By making an honest effort to give up the desire for results, and by offering everything we do for Krishn’s pleasure alone, we can overcome these yearnings.

 

Krishn himself says: “Everything you do, do it as an offering to me: including the food you eat, the offerings you make in the sacred fire, everything you give away in charity and every vow you observe. By doing so, you will become free from the good and bad results of your actions and you will attain me.” ( Bhagwad Gita, 9.27-28)