Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 11

न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः । यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते

na hi dehabhṛtā śakyaṃ tyaktuṃ karmāṇyaśeṣataḥ | yastu karmaphalatyāgī sa tyāgītyabhidhīyate

Translation

Verily, it is not possible for an embodied being to abandon actions completely; he who abandons the fruits of actions is verily said to be an abandoner.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

na

not

hi

indeed

dehabhṛtā

by the embodied

śakyam

possible

tyaktum

to abandon

karmāṇi

actions

aśeṣataḥ

without remainder

yaḥ

who

tu

indeed

karmaphalatyāgī

of action, of fruit, abandoner

saḥ

he

tyāgī

abandoner

iti

thus

abhidhīyate

is called

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

An embodied being: a body-wearer, i.e., he who identifies himself with the body. No man of discrimination can be called a body-wearer, for it has been pointed out (ii.21 etc.) that such a man does not concern himself in actions as their agent. So the meaning is: it is not possible for an ignorant man to abandon actions completely. When an ignorant man who is qualified for action performs obligatory works, abandoning merely the desire for the fruits of his actions, he is said to be an abandoner (tyāgin) though he is a performer of works. The abandonment of all actions is possible for him alone who, realising the Supreme Reality, is not a 'body-wearer.'