He who knows that the goal reached by renunciation can also be reached by devotional action, and who thus realises the unity of these two paths, sees things in their right perspective.
Whoever practices renunciation but does not serve the Lord with love and devotion cannot find happiness. The wise, on the contrary, purify themselves by devotional acts and soon attain the Absolute. He whose acts are permeated with devotion, the pure soul, master of his senses and mind, is dear to all, and all are dear to him. Though always active, he never falls into the traps of karma.
Although he sees, hears, touches, smells, eats, moves, sleeps and breathes, he whose consciousness is purely spiritual knows that in reality he is not the author of his acts. He is always aware of this: when he speaks, accepts or rejects, evacuates, opens or closes his eyes, only the material senses are involved; he himself has no connection with these acts. Just as water does not wet the leaves of the lotus, sin does not affect him who, without attachment, performs his duty, offering the fruits to the Supreme Lord.
The spiritualist, breaking his attachments, acts with his body, his mind, his intelligence, and even his senses, for one purpose only: to purify himself. Unlike the one who, without union with the Divine, covets the fruits of his labour and thus becomes bogged down in matter, the soul established in devotion finds, by offering to Me the results of all his acts, an unmixed peace. When the incarnated soul dominates its lower nature, renounces all action by thought, it lives in peace in the city of nine gates [the body] and does not perform, nor cause, any material act.
The incarnate being, master of the city of the body, is never the originator of any act, nor does he create the fruits of acts or engender action in others; everything is the work of the three gunas (the three attributes and modes of influence of material nature: virtue, passion and ignorance). The Supreme Being can never be held responsible for the acts, virtuous or guilty, of anyone. But the incarnate being is no less misguided, because ignorance veils his inner knowledge.
However, when that knowledge which dispels the darkness of ignorance awakens in the being, then everything is revealed to him, as by a rising sun.
He whose mind and intelligence, whose refuge and faith lie in the Absolute (in God, Krishna), sees pure knowledge ridding him of all his doubts. He then proceeds with firm steps on the path of liberation. The humble sage, enlightened by pure knowledge, sees with equal eye the noble and learned sage, the cow, the elephant, or the dog and the dog-eater.
He whose mind remains ever constant has already conquered birth and death. He is flawless, like the Supreme Being, and has already established his abode in Him.