कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मणः।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गतिः।।4.17।।
For there is something to be known even about action, and something to be known about prohibited action; and something needs to be known about inaction. The true nature of action is inscrutable.
Osho’s Commentary
Krishna deepens the analysis. One must understand three things: Karma—Right action. Action that is in tune with your nature and performed without attachment. Vikarma—Wrong action. Action that goes against your nature, that is born of ego and desire, that creates bondage. Akarma—Inaction. The state of actionlessness. This is the most subtle. It is not just doing nothing. It is a state where the actor has disappeared. Action may happen, but there is no “I” who is doing it. The path of action is gahana, deep, intricate, mysterious. It is not a simple matter of following outer rules. It is a matter of inner awareness, of seeing the subtle movements of the mind and the ego. One has to become a scientist of the inner world to understand these three paths.