Gita 04.20 – The more we give up material shelters, the more we seek spiritual shelter
tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ
nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ
karmaṇy abhipravṛtto ’pi
naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ (Bg 4.20)
Word-for-word:
tyaktvā — having given up; karma-phala-āsaṅgam — attachment for fruitive results; nitya — always; tṛptaḥ — being satisfied; nirāśrayaḥ — without any shelter; karmaṇi — in activity; abhipravṛttaḥ — being fully engaged; api — in spite of; na — does not; eva — certainly; kiñcit — anything; karoti — do; saḥ — he.
Translation:
Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings.
Explanation:
Kṛṣṇa continues His explanation of how one can act without becoming bound by karma. In this connection, He says:
tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgam: Having given up attachment to the fruits of work,
nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ: ever satisfied and not taking shelter. This does not mean that one should not take shelter of Kṛṣṇa; rather, it refers to not taking shelter of anything or anyone material. At this point in the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa has not yet elaborated on Himself as the ultimate shelter or the goal of life, although He has mentioned His transcendental position as the source of knowledge. Therefore, the emphasis here is not on taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa specifically, but on renouncing dependence on material supports.
karmaṇy abhipravṛtto ’pi: Such a person, though fully engaged in activities according to his nature,
naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ: does not truly act, from the transcendental perspective.
In this verse, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes that it is the inner motivation, not the outer action, that determines whether one becomes bound by karma. He uses the word tyaktvā, meaning “having given up.” Typically, when we think of tyāga—renunciation—we understand it in terms of physical renunciation rather than emotional renunciation. Physical renunciation means giving up external things—a person may give up living in a house and choose to live in a jungle; leave behind family life to live alone; or abandon a position of power to live under a tree.
However, Kṛṣṇa explains that renunciation goes much deeper than merely giving up physical comforts or situations. Real renunciation is a matter of consciousness—it is about emotional detachment and inner disentanglement from worldly desires and attachments.
If one is detached from the fruits of work (tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgam), is always satisfied (nitya-tṛptaḥ), and does not seek shelter in material things (nirāśrayaḥ), then such a person is free from bondage. What Kṛṣṇa states briefly in the first part of the verse (4.20a)—giving up attachment to the results—He elaborates in 4.20b by describing such a person as nitya-tṛptaḥ nirāśrayaḥ, meaning one who is ever content and free from material dependence.
How can one give up attachment to the fruits of work? That becomes possible when one is internally satisfied. People are often driven to work by a sense of incompleteness. Their motivation is to fill a perceived void in their lives: “Perhaps if I have a bigger house, a newer car, or a more attractive spouse, then I will finally be happy.” This longing for fulfillment through external achievements drives much of human activity.
However, when one is internally fulfilled, work is not performed to fill a void. Instead, one works as a way of harmoniously participating in the cosmic order. One realizes, “I am a part of Kṛṣṇa, and by serving Him, I find joy and completeness.” In such a state, it is not the fruits of service that matter, but the loving reciprocation with Kṛṣṇa that becomes the driving principle of action.
In this sense, nirāśrayaḥ means that one does not take shelter in the fruits of work. It is not that one imagines, “I will become a champion, and the whole world will glorify me,” and then works hard simply for that glorification. Often, when we feel distress or dissatisfaction in life, we take shelter in the hope that the fruits of our work will bring us happiness. We think, “Once I achieve this, I will finally be fulfilled.” In this way, we seek refuge in the results of our labor.
But nirāśrayaḥ describes a person who does not seek fulfillment in the fruits of work. Such a person understands that the fruit of work is not the true shelter. Rather, real shelter comes from the realization of the self and the relationship of the self with the Lord. And this realization is cultivated through unselfish work, not through the attainment of the fruits of work.
Śrīla Prabhupāda was determined to please his spiritual master, and that is why he went to America at an advanced age. However, it is not that his relationship with his spiritual master or with Kṛṣṇa was underdeveloped or incomplete before he performed his miraculous service and achieved the extraordinary results that followed. He was always nitya-tṛpta and nirāśrayaḥ.
Those who met Śrīla Prabhupāda when he was alone and penniless, whether in New Delhi or in New York, observed that he possessed a deep sense of satisfaction and cheerfulness that transcended his material poverty and obscurity. Poverty meant he had no possessions, and obscurity meant he was unknown. Yet, in spite of both poverty and obscurity, he remained nitya-tṛpta nirāśrayaḥ, because his satisfaction (tṛpti) was rooted in Kṛṣṇa, and his shelter (āśraya) was in Kṛṣṇa
As Kṛṣṇa develops the flow of thought in the Bhagavad-gītā and gradually leads it towards the bhakti section, He will introduce the concept of mad-āśrayaḥ—taking shelter of Himself. For the first time, He speaks of devotional surrender in verse 7.1:
mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha
yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ
asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ
yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu
Here, Kṛṣṇa explains that by taking shelter of Him, one gains complete knowledge and ultimately attains liberation.
Since Kṛṣṇa has not yet spoken directly about Himself in this section, He is not referring to mad-āśrayaḥ—taking shelter of Him. Rather, He is presenting the foundational principle of nirāśrayaḥ—not taking shelter of anything material. In this way, spiritual progress begins by gradually giving up material shelters. As we let go of temporary supports, we naturally begin to seek and relish spiritual shelter.
A simple analogy illustrates this: as long as we rely on a painkiller, we may not feel the urgent need for the medicine that actually cures the disease. But when we stop taking the painkiller, the underlying pain forces us to seek out the real cure. Similarly, when we give up temporary material shelters, we feel the genuine need for the eternal shelter of the Supreme. Therefore, nirāśrayaḥ essentially means—do not take shelter of things that are temporary.
At this stage, Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna to remain situated in ātma-tattva—the understanding of the self. Later, He will explain how to become situated in mad-āśrayaḥ—taking shelter of Him.
The underlying principle, however, remains the same—if one is not emotionally entangled in material things, then even while acting in the material world, one will not be bound. Such a person may perform various activities, but from the transcendental perspective, it is as though they are doing nothing. In other words, they incur no karmic reaction for their actions.
Thank you.
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