Text 51
Карма-үога
165
TEEXT 4.
न कर्मणामनारम्भान्नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते । न च संन्यसनादेव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥४॥
na karmanām anārambhān  
 naiṣkarmyaṁ puruṣo ’śnute  
 na ca sannyasanād eva  
 siddhiṁ samadhigacchati
na —without;  karmaṇām —of the prescribed duties;  anārambhāt —non-performance;  naiṣkarmyam —freedom from reaction;  puruṣah —man;  aśnute —achieve;  na —nor;  ca —also;  sannyasanāt —by renunciation;  eva —simply;  siddhim —success;  samadhigacchati —attain.
TRANSLATION
Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
PURPORT
The renounced order of life can be accepted upon being purified by the discharge of the prescribed form of duties which are laid down just to purify the heart of materialistic men. Without purification, one cannot attain success by abruptly adopting the fourth order of life ( sannyāsa ). According to the empirical philosophers, simply by adopting  sannyāsa , or retiring from fruitive activities, one at once becomes as good as Nārāyaṇa. But Lord Kṛṣṇa does not approve this principle. Without purification of heart,  sannyāsa  is simply a disturbance to the social order. On the other hand, if someone takes to the transcendental service of the Lord, even without discharging his prescribed duties, whatever he may be able to advance in the cause is accepted by the Lord ( buddhi-yoga ).  Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt . Even a slight performance of such a principle enables one to overcome great difficulties.
Text 5
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।  
 कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥५॥