Attachment-free action shows maturity.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यदा हि नेन्द्रियार्थेषु न कर्मस्वनुषज्जते |सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी योगारूढस्तदोच्यते ||६-४||
yadā hi nendriyārtheṣu na karmasvanuṣajjate . sarvasaṅkalpasaṃnyāsī yogārūḍhastadocyate ||6-4||
Use this verse when attachment interrupts peace.
Meaning
When one is not attached to sense objects or actions, having renounced all selfish resolves, one is said to be established in yoga.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Yoga becomes stable when attachment drops.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
The sign of progress is not outer display but freedom from compulsive attraction. The yogi can act, but is not trapped by sense pleasure, ego-projects, or mental schemes.
Read the traditional commentary
Having named the goal as yogarudha in the previous verse, Krishna now defines exactly what it means to be 'established in yoga'. The mark is twofold detachment: the mind no longer clings to indriya-arthas, the objects the senses chase, nor to the actions themselves. Such a person has become a sarva-sankalpa-sannyasi — one who has renounced not this or that desire, but all self-willed intentions at their root.
The key word is sarva, 'all'. It is easy to drop a few cravings while quietly nursing others; true establishment in yoga is the release of the very habit of grasping. This is not lifeless indifference but freedom — the mind, no longer pulled outward by sense-objects or inward by private projects, rests luminous in itself.
The doer still acts, but nothing sticks. That non-clinging quietude is the signature of the yogarudha.
In daily life
Watch what repeatedly pulls your mind away from peace.
A person may work hard yet not be owned by work identity.
Try this today
Limit one attachment-trigger today.
I act without being owned by action.Reflect
What object or project owns my mind?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on renunciation, in other chapters
- Verse 5.3True renunciation is freedom from craving and aversion within — not the outer abandonment of work.
- Verse 3.34Your liking and disliking arise automatically — the real discipline is refusing to be ruled by them, not pretending they do not exist.
- Verse 4.41Selfless action joined with clear knowledge frees the self-possessed soul — deeds no longer bind one anchored in the Self.
- Verse 9.28Offer your actions to the Divine and release attachment to their outcomes; this very surrender is what sets you free.
Swipe left for 6.5 · Uplift yourself through conscious choices.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 6.4
Who says Bhagavad Gita 6.4, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 6.4, in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga (Dhyana Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.4 mean?
When one is not attached to sense objects or actions, having renounced all selfish resolves, one is said to be established in yoga. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 6.4 for daily life?
Watch what repeatedly pulls your mind away from peace. A person may work hard yet not be owned by work identity.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 6.4 mean?
यदा हि — when indeed; न इन्द्रियार्थेषु — not to the objects of the senses; न कर्मसु — nor to actions; अनुषज्जते — is attached; सर्वसङ्कल्पसंन्यासी — one who has renounced all intentions / resolves.
Where does verse 6.4 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 4 of 47 in Chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga. The next verse is 6.5.