Verse 12.11

Verse 12.11: “And in case thou art not able to accomplish even this by cultivating the singleness of attention towards Me (that it demands), then (at least) renounce the fruit of every action with a resolute mind. (125)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

Oh Son of Pandu, should you not be able even to do this, viz. dedicate all your actions to me, then (at least) you do worship me. If you find it difficult, O Kiriti, even to remember me, with full intellect at the beginning and at the end of the actions, leave it alone too. At least let your intellect be alive in regard to putting restraint on your senses, never mind if you leave aside my remembrance. And then whenever and whatever actions might be done by you, abandon all thought about their fruit. Just as the trees or creepers drop down all their fruit they yield, in that way, you renounce all the fruit of action that may be successfully performed.

Not only that: let there even be no notion that I should be remembered, or that the actions have to be done on my own account. Let them all be extinguished into the great Void, together with their fruit. Consider all your actions as fruitless, as an empty dream, (or) like rainfall on a rock or like the sowing of seeds in burning fire. A father never entertains any (sexual) craving in regard to his daughter; in that way you must always be motive-free in regard to all your actions. Let all your actions get absorbed in the great Void, just as the flames of the fire all get extinguished in the sky. Oh Arjuna, even though the renunciation of fruit might appear a simple thing, yet it is the greatest among all the Yogas.

The actions that once are dropped down through renunciation of fruit never grow up (again). A cluster of bamboo trees gets barren once it gives a yield, so with the dropping down of the existing body, consequent on renunciation of fruit, there is no coming into body-form again—nay the cycle of births and deaths comes to an end altogether. Oh Kiriti, one can reach the knowledge after ascending the steps in the form of the Yoga of Steadypractice, and one can attain meditation through knowledge. When the diverse mental states get extinguished in meditation, then the aggregate of all actions goes and stands aloof, and when the actions stand aloof, renunciation of fruit automatically comes in and thereby one secures the eternal peace and tranquillity of mind. Therefore, Oh husband of Subhadra, this is the only course (open) for securing tranquillity of mind, and therefore, it is now the fitting thing to take recourse to Steady-practice (Study).