SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
svabhAvaniyatham karma kurvan nApnOthi kilbisham ||
word-by-word meaning
svabhAva niyatham karma – karma which is naturally fitting [for his nature]
kurvan – one who performs
kilbisham – samsAra which is the result of sin
na ApnOthi – will not attain
Simple Translation
One who performs karma which is naturally fitting [for his nature], will not attain samsAra which is the result of sin.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Doing work that by nature is appointed, one incurs not sin.’
To a being joined to matter, and endowed with senses, it is normality to act, inasmuch as his organs tend in that direction. Fulfilling acts so warranted, no sin, i.e., samsāra is incurred, for to action, no danger is incidental. But Jñāna-Yoga is one which has to be achieved by first obtaining mastery over the senses, and is besides beset with dangers, dragging one to sin.
By showing that thus Karma-Path is better, the doctrine promulgated in the Third Lecture is now (corroboratively) noticed:
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