SB 1.5.12
कुतः पुनः शश्वदभद्रमीश्वरे न चार्पितं कर्म यदप्यकारणम् ॥ १२ ॥
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam
Synonyms
jñānam api — even the awareness; naiṣkarmyam — that pertains to the state of freedom from conditional action [that pertains to the very nature of Brahman, since the state of freedom from action is essentially one in nature with Brahman (niṣkarma brahma tad-ekākāratvān niskarmatā rūpam)50]; nirañjanam — [and] that is free from all taints [free from all limiting adjuncts (añjanam upādhis tan-nivartakam)]; alam na śobhate — is inadequately illuminating [does not have the capacity to enable complete unmediated cognition of the Truth that lies beyond the purview of the senses (samyak parokṣāya na kalpate)]; varjitam — if devoid; bhāva — [of] devotional affect [bhakti]; acyuta — [for] Bhagavān Acyuta [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]; kutaḥ punaḥ — what then [can be said]; karma — [of] motivated action [kāmyaṁ karma]; [which is]; śaśvat — always [both during the time of its performance and when reaping its result (sādhana-kāle phala-kāle ca)]; abhadram — inauspicious [or troublesome (duḥkha-rūpam)]; yat ca api — or even; akāraṇam — [of] unmotivated action [akāmyaṁ karma]; na arpitam — [when] not offered; īśvare — to Bhagavān.
Translation
Even the awareness that pertains to the state of freedom from conditional action [i.e., to Brahman] and that is free from all taints, is inadequately illuminating if devoid of devotional affect (bhāva) for Bhagavān Acyuta [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. What then can be said of motivated action [kāmya-karma], which is always inauspicious, or even of unmotivated action [akāmya-karma], when not offered to Bhagavān?