“One who is, however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illumined in the self, who rejoices in and is satisfied with the self only, fully satiated for him, there is no duty.”

Context of the Verse:

            The verse is a continuation of the previous idea regarding one’s duties in the divine cycle. This verse introduces another kind of being altogether-the self-realized person, who is distinct in contrast with those who indulge in sense pleasures and neglect their duties.

            Krishna is writing to someone who has grown spiritually; they are completely self-satisfied. A person like that acts neither by desire nor by compulsion. With such a kind of enlightened soul, worldly responsibilities cease to bind as their purpose is achieved.

Key Teachings in This Verse:

• The Highest Goal is Self-Realization: The self-fulfilled one has no external compulsion to action. They have gone beyond desire and ego.
• Ultimate Freedom: The self-realized soul is never subject to karmic duty, for their actions are not motivated by personal attachment or lack.
• The Importance of Inner Fulfilment: The verse also exposes the spiritual notion that nothing holds more value than inner satisfaction and joy over outer victory and success.
• Rare Spiritual State: This is not a pass to slack off in your duty. Krishna is speaking here of a very rare state of absolute liberation and enlightenment, not ordinary non-attachment.
• Preparation for Karma Yoga:- Krishna is slowly revealing that action without attachment (Karma Yoga) helps reach this liberated state.

Relevance to Arjuna:

            Arjuna may feel: “If a self-realized person has no duty, then why should I do anything?”

            Krishna indirectly responds to this question by suggesting that the said station is very rarely attained, and Arjuna has not yet reached there. Hence, Arjuna needs to perform his dharma and move forward on the path of Karma Yoga. This verse is embedded in Krishna’s larger plan to encourage work without attachment.

Explanation:

            One may ask then who is supposed to renounce and just engage himself in the study of the Vedas?

            So, here it is told yes there is a category of people who are completely satisfied. So, such people, they can renounce their activities, their occupational duties and they can read the Vedas. They can just chant Hari Krishna entire day they can worship Krishna and completely have a renounced order of life. It should not be simply the change of dress to get public attention, but a person should be self-satisfied. So, two kinds of people are called self-satisfied. So, one class is impersonalized, who just understand the concept of Brahma Jyoti. Brahma Jyoti is the spiritual effulgence which is coming out from the body of Krishna as Krishna will declare in Bhagavad Gita. Brahma Jyoti situated on me, just like the sun and sunlight is no different. Similarly, Krishna and the light coming from Krishnas body there is no difference. They are one in the same unit.

            But still there is difference because the light is light and the personality is personality. The source of light. So, those people who have just knowledge that the absolute truth is light, they don’t have further knowledge that this light has got a source called the Personality of Godhead. They are also Atmaram. They are self-satisfied. But this kind of self-satisfaction cannot continue eternally because by nature we are meant to enjoy loving relationship, activity in the service of Krishna. A person can be very peaceful there for a very, very long time, but then we want the pleasure of relationship, pleasure of activities and then a person falls down to material platform.

            There is another class of self-satisfied, who are devotees who are always engaged in the service of Krishna. They are also self-satisfied, always relishing the pleasure of Krishna within the self. The relationship within the self. They also don’t feel the pull of sense enjoyment because we are already completely satiated. So, for both these people there are no duties. So, the Gyani’s, the impersonalism they study, they hear the Vedanta whereas devotees they do Sankirtan they do meditation, they offer prayers. In this way they completely engage themselves in the service of Krishna giving up their occupational duties. For such people it is not required. They can give up because what is the purpose of all the duties? Perfection of duty? That we have discussed that is pleasure of Hari. So as a student who has graduated out of school who is studying in college, he need not attend classes because he has graduated or sometimes students who are very wise, they are given promotion, they need not attend lower class.

            So a person who is self-satisfied for him there is no need of these subordinate duties.