He whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who has subdued his self, from whom desire has fled, he by renunciation, attains the supreme state of freedom from action.
In simple words
Krishna describes the highest freedom: "The person whose mind is not attached to anything, who has conquered themselves, and from whom all desire has departed — that person, through renunciation of results, reaches the supreme state of freedom."
Word-by-word meanings
असक्तबुद्धिःwhose intellect is unattachedसर्वत्रeveywhereजितात्माwho has subdued his selfविगतस्पृहःwhose desire has fledनैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिम्the perfection consisting in freedom from actionपरमाम्the supremeसंन्यासेनby renunciaionअधिगच्छति(he) attains
18.49 असक्तबुद्धिः whose intellect is unattached? सर्वत्र eveywhere? जितात्मा who has subdued his self? विगतस्पृहः whose desire has fled? नैष्कर्म्यसिद्धिम् the perfection consisting in freedom from action? परमाम् the supreme? संन्यासेन by renunciaion? अधिगच्छति (he) attains.Commentary The mind of one who is free from attachment to wife? son? body and property? who has controlled his senses and the mind? who has no desire for the body? for life and for sensual pleasure? turns inwards towards God or the immortal Self. It is not attracted by the sensual objects of the world. It is filled with dispassion and discrimination.He gradually gets himself established in his own Self which is of the nature of ExistenceKnowledgeBliss. Such a person who has knowledge of the Self attains to the highest perfection? to pefect freedom from action by renunciation.Ignorance is destroyed by the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. There is cessation of activity. One may perform actions for the solidarity of the world and yet he will not be bound by actions as he has attained absolute freedom from action through the knowledge of the Self. The fire of knowledge has burnt the fruitbearing effects of Karmas or actions. He has no idea of agency as he is absolutely free from egoism? as he has identified himself with the Supreme Being.Naishkarmya siddhi may also mean the attainment of the state of Naishkarmya. In this exalted? magnanimous? ineffable state of divine splendour and glory? one remains as the actionless Self. This is the state of immediate liberation of the Vedantins (Kaivalya Moksha or Sadyomukti). This marvellous state is attained by renunciation or right knowledge or by the renunciation of all actions brought about by the attainment of the knowledge of the Self. Mentally renouncing all actions and selfcontrolled? the embodied one rests happily in the ninegated? city? neither acting nor causing others to act. (Cf.V.13)Now the Lord teaches in the next verse how a man who? having attained perfection as described above in verse 46? by doing his duty in the service of the Lord can attain perfect freedom from action. He gets discrimination? practises constant meditation and rests in the knowledge of the immutable Self.,(Cf.III.4and19)
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
Modern
We must remember that the entire teaching of the Gita was given to Arjuna, who stood bewildered on the battlefield, overwhelmed by the magnitude of his duty. He wished to flee from war and live a life of renunciation in the forests according to his own imagined understanding. The Lord Sri Krishna established in the Gita the principle that fleeing from worldly life and its duties is not true renunciation. In this verse, the Lord Sri Krishna defines the perfection of actionlessness, which is attained through renunciation. Renunciation means the abandonment of identification with the body, mind, and intellect as limiting adjuncts. The attainment of steadfastness in one's pure nature of Self is the perfection of actionlessness.
When we forget our true nature as Self, there arises the ego-bound individual who identifies as the doer and enjoyer. Thereafter, all our conduct becomes that of this separate being. Even in the worldly realm, we see such self-forgetfulness in one intoxicated by drink. He forgets his personality and station, and behaves as though he were someone else entirely. In this drunken delusion, he disgraces his education, refinement, and culture through contemptible conduct. As long as the influence of the intoxicant persists, he continues in this blameworthy manner.
From ignorance of the Self arises the ego-bound individual. When this ignorance is destroyed through Self-knowledge, the being experiences its complete nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss. In the experience of that Fullness, how can any sense of incompleteness remain? And without incompleteness, desire cannot arise. Without desire, the movement of thought ceases, and thus there is no need to act for the attainment of happiness. This state may be called the supreme perfection of actionlessness.
The perfection of actionlessness described in Vedantic philosophy is that state of supreme bliss in which ignorance, desire, thought, and action are entirely absent. In the spiritual psychology of Vedanta, we may say that ignorance is the great-grandfather of action. Thus it becomes clear that steadfastness in one's true nature is the perfection of actionlessness. This is also called the state of non-differentiation or desirelessness.
In this verse, the Teacher Sri Krishna makes the clear declaration that the means to attain the supreme perfection of actionlessness is renunciation characterized by knowledge. This state of completeness cannot be attained through base and shameful flight from life's struggles. Through the fulfillment of one's own dharma, we must first purify the heart, and only thereafter, through renunciation—that is, through Self-realization—can we establish ourselves firmly in our true nature. As a warrior, Arjuna's withdrawal from battle was not appropriate. Therefore, the Lord Sri Krishna directs him toward his own dharma.
It is a well-known truth that one attached to objects of sense can never attain peace of mind. Because of attachment, the mind remains agitated, and the weakened body grows weary following the mind's desires. The intellect purified of all attachments—like a shaven head—alone can reveal that Supreme Self who bestows consciousness upon all limiting adjuncts. This is the true perfection of actionlessness, and only one who is fully equipped as a worthy aspirant can attain it.
Arjuna's desire for renunciation arose from attachment to kinsmen and friends, not from non-attachment. Therefore, that desire was false.
Only one whose mind is entirely free from even the slightest longing for sense enjoyment can become the master of the Self. The pride of doership and enjoyership dwell respectively in the mind and intellect. The combined form of these two prides is called the individual being. Because of the existence of this being in the world, it has longing for objects. Through proper discrimination, knowing that objects do not yield happiness, this longing can be destroyed. Similarly, through discrimination between Self and non-Self, when Self-knowledge arises, the sense of individual existence also comes to an end. The Gita never tires of repeatedly emphasizing that self-mastery and the cessation of longing are indispensable qualities for spiritual progress. What deserves special attention here is that the perfection of actionlessness is not the attainment of some new and unattained state, but merely the recognition of one's true nature through the abandonment of attachments born of ignorance. It is the fulfillment of what is already inherently perfect.
The Lord Sri Krishna continues to speak.