नैष्कर्म्यमप्यच्युतभाववर्जितं न शोभते ज्ञानमलं निरञ्जनम् । कुत: पुन: शश्वदभद्रमीश्वरे न ह्यर्पितं कर्म यदप्यनुत्तमम् ॥ ५३ ॥
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na hy arpitaṁ karma yad apy anuttamam
- naiṣkarmyam
- self-realization, being freed from the reactions of fruitive work
- api
- although
- acyuta
- of the infallible Lord
- bhāva
- conception
- varjitam
- devoid of
- na
- does not
- śobhate
- look well
- jñānam
- transcendental knowledge
- alam
- actually
- nirañjanam
- free from designations
- kutaḥ
- where is
- punaḥ
- again
- śaśvat
- always
- abhadram
- uncongenial
- īśvare
- unto the Lord
- na
- not
- hi
- indeed
- arpitam
- offered
- karma
- fruitive work
- yat
- which is
- api
- even
- anuttamam
- unsurpassed
Knowledge of self-realization, even though free from all material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the Infallible [God]. What, then, is the use of even the most properly performed fruitive activities, which are naturally painful from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are not utilized for the devotional service of the Lord?