Shloka

युक्तः कर्मफलं त्यक्त्वा शान्तिमाप्नोति नैष्ठिकीम् |
अयुक्तः कामकारेण फले सक्तो निबध्यते ||५-१२||

Transliteration

yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiṣṭhikīm .
ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate ||5-12||

Translations

Dr.S.Sankaranarayan

5.12. Having abandoned [the attachment for] the fruit of actions, the master of Yoga attains the highest Peace. [But] the person, other than the master of Yoga, attached to the fruit of action, is bound by his action born of desire.

Shri Purohit Swami

5.12 Having abandoned the fruit of action, he wins eternal peace. Others unacquainted with spirituality, led by desire and clinging to the benefit which they think will follow their actions, become entangled in them.

Sri Abhinav Gupta

5.12 Yuktah etc. Highest : that from which there is no return.

Sri Ramanuja

5.12 A Yogin is one who has no hankering for fruits other than the self, and who is exclusively devoted to the self. If a man renounces the fruits of actions and performs actions merely for the purification of himself, he attains lasting peace, i.e., he attains bliss which is of the form of lasting experience of the self. The unsteady person is one who is inclined towards fruits other than the self. He has turned himself away from the vision of the self. Being impelled by desire, he becomes attached to fruits of actions, and remains bound for ever by them. That is, he becomes a perpetual Samsarin or one involved in transmigratory cycle endlessly. What is said is this: Free of attachment for fruits and attributing one’s actions to Prakrti which has developed into the form of senses, one should perform actions merely to free the self from bondage.

Next, the shifting of agency to Prakrti, from which the body has come into existence, is described:

Sri Shankaracharya

5.12 Tyaktva, giving up; karma-phalam, the result of work; yuktah, by becoming resolute in faith, by having this conviction thus-‘Actions are for God, not for my gain’; apnoti, attains; santim, Peace, called Liberation; naisthikim arising from steadfastness. It is to be understood that he attains this through the stages of purification of the heart, acisition of Knowledge, renunciation of all actions, and steadfastness in Knowledge. On the other hand, however, he who is ayuktah, lacking in resolute faith; he, phale saktah, being attached to result; thinking, ‘I am doing this work for my gain’; kama-karena, under the impulsion of desire-kara is the same as karana (action); the action of desire (kama-kara; under that impulsion of desire, i.e. being prompted by desire; nibadhyate, gets bound. Therefore you become resolute in faith. This is the idea. But one who has experienced the supreme Reality-

Swami Adidevananda

5.12 A Yogin, renouncing the fruits of his actions, attains lasting peace. But the unsteady man who is attached to fruits of actions, being impelled by desire, is bound.

Swami Gambirananda

5.12 Giving up the result of work by becoming resolute in faith, one attains Peace arising from steadfastness. One who is lacking in resolute faith, being attached to the result under the impulsion of desire, becomes bound.

Swami Sivananda

5.12 The united one (the well poised or the harmonised) having abandoned the fruit of action attains to the eternal peace: the non-united only (the unsteady or the unbalanced) impelled by desire, attached to the fruit, is bound.

Commentaries

Swami Sivananda

5.12 युक्तः the united one (the well poised)? कर्मफलम् fruit of action? त्यक्त्वा having abandoned? शान्तिम् peace? आप्नोति attains? नैष्ठिकीम् final? अयुक्तः the nonunited one? कामकारेण impelled by desire? फले in the fruit (of action)? सक्तः attached? निबध्यते is bound.Commentary Santim naishthikim is interpreted as peace born of devotion of steadfastness. The harmonious man who does actions for the sake of the Lord without expectation of the fruit and who says? I do actions for my Lord only? not for my personal gain or profit? attains to the peace born of devotion? through the following four stages? viz.? purity of mind? the attainment of knowledge? renunciation of actions? and steadiness in wisdom. But the unbalanced or the unharmonised man who is led by desire and who is attached to the fruits of the actions and who says? I have done such and such an action I will get such and such a fruit? is firmly bound.