Bhagavad Gita · Karma YogaChapter 3, Shloka 17 (3.17)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानवः
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते
॥ 3.17 ॥
yastvātmaratireva syādātmatṛptaśca mānavaḥ
ātmanyeva ca santuṣṭastasya kāryaṃ na vidyate
Translation
"But the person who delights in the self alone, is satisfied with the self alone, and is content in the self alone — for that person no duty remains."
Interpretation
Three words — rati, tripti, santosh. Rati (love, delight) in the self, tripti (the ending of hunger and thirst) through the self, santosh (wanting nothing more) in the self.
Shankaracharya: this is the sāṅkhya ātma-jñāna-niṣṭhaḥ … saṃnyāsī — the renunciate established in knowledge of the self. Ātma-tṛptaḥ … na anna-rasādinā — satisfied by the self, not by the taste of food and the like. Contentment usually comes from outward gain; he has left that behind and is sarvato vīta-tṛṣṇaḥ — free from craving on every side. Yaḥ īdṛśaḥ ātmavit tasya kāryaṃ karaṇīyaṃ na vidyate — for such a knower of the self there is no duty.
Acharya Ramanuja: this person jñāna-yoga-karma-yoga-sādhana-nirapekṣaḥ svata eva ātma-ratiḥ — delights in the self by nature, without needing the practices of jnana-yoga or karma-yoga. For him dhāraṇa-poṣaṇa-bhogyādikaṃ sarvam ātmā eva — sustenance, nourishment, enjoyment — everything is the self alone; not udyāna-srak-candana-gīta-vāditra-nṛtyādau — gardens, garlands, sandalwood, song, music and dance. For him ātma-darśanāya kartavyaṃ na vidyate — there is no duty to perform for the vision of the self, because he always sees the self.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.