Verse 3.4

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 3.4:

न कर्मणाम् अनारम्भान् नैष्कर्म्यं पुरुषोऽश्नुते ।
न च सन्न्यसनाद् एव सिद्धिं समधिगच्छति ॥ ४ ॥

na karmaṇām anārambhān naiṣkarmyaṃ puruṣo'śnute |
na ca sannyasanād eva siddhiṃ samadhigacchati || 4 ||

na–not; karmaṇām–of duties prescribed in the scriptures; anārambhāt–by refraining from; naiṣkarmyam–(knowledge in the form of) freedom from reactive action; puruṣaḥ–a person; aśnute–attains; na–not; ca–and; sannyasanāt–by renouncing prescribed duties (by a person whose heart is impure); eva–only; siddhim–perfection; samadhigacchati–can attain.

By ceasing to perform work as prescribed in the scriptures, a person cannot attain knowledge in the form of freedom from work and its reaction, nor can a person with an impure heart attain perfection merely by renouncing action.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

In this verse beginning with the word na, Śrī Bhagavān is explaining that jñāna will not appear in an impure heart. A person cannot attain jñāna, or freedom from work and its reaction (naiṣkarmya) without performing the work prescribed in the scriptures. Those persons whose hearts are impure cannot attain perfection merely by accepting the renounced order nor by renouncing scripturally prescribed action (karma).

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

True knowledge (jñāna) does not appear unless the heart is pure, and without jñāna one cannot perfect sannyāsa, which is a limb of the process of attaining liberation. Therefore, until one attains jñāna by purity of heart, one should, as stated in the scriptures, continue performing one’s prescribed duties related to varṇāśrama-dharma.